On Display

Short S23 'Empire' Flying Boat 'Canopus', 1936.

Model of Short 'Empire' Flying Boat 'Canopus', scale 1:24. Imperial Airways ordered 28 Flying Boats from Short Brothers of Rochester, Kent, following the British Government's decision to carry all mail to the Empire by air without a surcharge.

 
Ader's 'Eole' flying machine, 1890.

Model (scale 1:10). This was French aviation pioneer Clement Ader's first flying machine. The Eole was the first aeroplane in the world to take off under its own power from level ground, flying for some 50 metres at a height of 20 cms in 1890. Ader (

 
SE5a fighter, 1917.

SE5A Aeroplane, 1916 The Farnborough-designed SE5A was the last British fighter of World War I. The aircraft had a top speed of 130 mph, a ceiling of 22,000 feet and an endurance of three hours making it one of the most effective fighters of the wa

 
Gloster-Whittle E28/39 jet aeroplane, 1941.

The E28/39 was the first Allied jet aircraft, having its first official flight on 15 May 1941.

 
The first Wright Aeroplane, 1903.

Replica, modelled from the original. Orville Wright (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) made the world's first controlled and powered flights on 17th December 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

 
Vickers 'Viscount' airliner, 1953.

Model of Vickers 'Viscount' Airliner, scale 1:48. The Viscount was the first aircraft powered by gas turbine (turboprop) engines to enter regular airline service. The first flight took place on 18 April 1953 with British European Airways (BEA) on the

 
The Rolls-Royce vertical take-off-thrust measuring rig, 1954.

1:24 scale model of the Rolls-Royce 'Vertical take-off thrust measuring rig' (colloquially known as the 'Flying Bedstead')

 
Junkers Ju 87-D 'Stuka', c 1939.

Model of Junkers Ju 87-D aircraft, scale 1:24. A new method of aerial warfare was demonstrated by the German Luftwaffe in 1939. Advancing Panzer divisions had the close cooperation of dive bombers to blast away at enemy defenses.