We have an extensive selection of aircraft to view at the museum, including wartime assault gliders, our film star Trident airliner, supersonic Lightning and Draken fighters, and of course Scotland’s only Battle of Britain veteran Spitfire. Here is a potted history of each of our aircraft.
The most successful British glider of World War two was the Airspeed Horsa, which first flew in September 1941.
The Buccaneer resulted from a 1950s Royal Navy requirement (NA39) for a sub-sonic, strike/attack aircraft capable of delivering conventional and nuclear payloads at ultra-low level from both aircraft carriers and land bases. It first flew in 1958.
The Sycamore was the first all-British designed helicopter to fly, making its first flight in July 1947.
The Dassault Mystere was a 1950’s French fighter developed from the Ouragon aircraft.
Developed by English Electric in the late 1940’s as one of the first jet powered bombers for the RAF, the Canberra was one of Britain’s great aviation success stories.
The English Electric Lightning is a single seat, twin jet engined, all weather fighter/interceptor – the last pure interceptor type of aircraft designed and built entirely within the UK.
The Fairey Gannet was an anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed for use by the Royal Navy.
Although a replica Hotspur is displayed at the Museum of Army Flying, our cockpit section is the only remaining original section of a Hotspur left.
The F111 entered service with the USAF in 1967 as a fast, swing-wing tactical attack and interdictor aircraft.
The Gloster Meteor was developed as Britain’s first jet powered fighter and first took to the skies on 5 March 1943, with 616 Squadron becoming operational with type in July 1944.
Hawker’s design P1067, known as the Hunter, first flew in July 1951 but the first aircraft did not arrive in RAF service until 1954.
The Trident was originally developed as a short-to-medium range airliner for British European Airlines (BEA) by de Havilland as the D. H. 121
The P/F-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter in United States service. While its origins go back to 1944 it saw no service in WWll.
The North American F-100 Super Sabre (nicknamed The Hun) was the first of the Century series of fighters developed by America during the Cold War.
The SAAB Draken was a Swedish supersonic single-seat fighter aircraft, first flown in October 1955.
The Jetstream was originally designed by Handley Page Ltd., but construction work was taken over by Scottish Aviation when Handley Page went bankrupt in 1970.
The Twin Pioneer was built by Scottish Aviation at Prestwick as a STOL (short take off / landing) transport aircraft for the RAF.
Find out more about the famous Loch Doon Spitfire, including its involvement in the Battle of Britain and the recovery and restoration after it was traced and rescued from Loch Doon.
The CG-4A was the standard US Airborne Forces assault glider in World War Two. It was named Hadrian by the British.
The Westland Wessex was developed from the American Sikorsky S58 by replacing the original piston engine with a British-developed turboshaft engine.
