Solway Aviation Museum


The Solway Aviation Museum is an independently run aircraft museum located at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria.

About the Museum

The Museum is run by The Solway Aviation Society Ltd and staffed by unpaid volunteers. The Society is a registered charity supported by entrance charges to the Museum, and public donations. In addition to normal opening the Museum hosts educational visits for school classes studying the Second World War and for Scout, Cub and Beaver packs achieving their Air Activities Badge. Following the closure of the RAF Millom Museum many of the artefacts were moved to Solway Aviation Museum for safe keeping and eventual exhibition when space permits. The Museum is now the sole aviation Museum left in Cumbria.
The Buildings contain exhibits and artefacts relating to aviation in Cumbria, including the Second World War and also houses individual displays featuring the development of Blue Streak, Martin Baker ejection seats and the development and activities of the Airport itself since the Second World War.

The Collection

The current collection includes the following:
AircraftSerialNotes
Avro Vulcan B.2XJ823Royal Air Force, it was flown into Carlisle Airport in January 1983, after the Falklands War
BAC Jet Provost T.4XS209Royal Air Force, was used as a training airframe
DH Vampire T.11WZ515Royal Air Force
Gloster Meteor NF.14WS832Built by Armstrong Whitworth, last used at the Royal Aerospace Establishment Llandbedr, Wales
English Electric Canberra T.4WE188Royal Air Force
BAC Lightning F.53ZF583Former Royal Saudi Air Force painted in Royal Air Force markings.
Hawker Hunter F.51XG190Former Royal Danish Air Force aircraft painted to represent an aircraft of the Empire Test Pilot's School
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2XV406Royal Air Force, formerly a gate guard at 14 MU RAF Carlisle
Percival Sea Prince T.1WP314Royal Navy
Sikorsky Whirlwind HAR.21WV198Royal Navy