British Aircraft Corporation Lightning F6
Meet the RAF’s first truly supersonic fighter and discover its remarkable performance.
AircraftFind out moreExplore the development of RAF aviation from 1918 to 1980 through fighters, trainers, transport aircraft, seaplanes and helicopters. Follow the transition from fabric-covered biplanes to supersonic jets and discover how changing technology transformed training, transport, defence and overseas operations.
Highlights include the Lightning, Hunter, Chipmunk and the RAF’s first twin-engined, twin-rotor helicopter, the Westland Belvedere. Personal accounts and collection objects reveal the work of the pilots, engineers and support personnel who operated these aircraft across six decades of RAF history.
Highlights
Hawker Hunter
Discover one of Britain’s most successful and widely used post-war jet fighters.
AircraftFind out more
Westland Belvedere HC1
Meet the RAF’s first twin-engine, twin-rotor helicopter and learn about its overseas service
AircraftFind out moreExplore the skies and uncover the immense history of the RAF
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Derek Smith: National Service
Hear how National Service took Derek Smith from technical training to overseas postings.
Telegraph MechanicFind out moreResources
Explore Scotland’s Aviation Heritage
Continue exploring the development of military and civil aviation through the Scottish Aviation and STEM Trail.
Its interactive map connects aircraft history with airfields, memorials, museums, radar sites and communities across Scotland.
The resource also explores how science, technology, engineering and mathematics have shaped aviation.
Explore the Scottish Aviation Trail