National Museum of Scotland - National Museum of Flight # 5

This is my last post from the National Museum on Flight at East Fortune, and I've selected a few aircraft from yet another hanger. This one contained a real surprise... a [presumably formally] Australian registered de Havilland - I don't have further details [without making one of my horribly wrong guesses], so if you can fill in the details, that would be much appreciated!

If you are ever up around Edinburgh, this museum is well worth a visit! There's plenty more to do than what I have shown, including various other buildings with displays, something for the kids, a cafe etc etc. You can easily spend 4 or more hours here [as we did] - so well worth the visit!

Anyway, the other aircraft are:

BAe Jetstream J31, G-JSSD
de Havilland DH104 Dove 6, G-ANOV, [UK] Civil Aviation Authority
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer Series 3, G-BBVF
Britten-Norman BN2A-26 Islander, G-BELF, Scottish Ambulance Service

and... finally... hosts and tour guides for my brief stay in Edinburgh, Ken and Moira! Thanks guys!!

National Museum of Scotland - National Museum of Flight # 4

In the third aircraft hanger, there were a number of ex-military "jets" [well, also a Spitfire sitting in a corner] to look over. Being in the UK, you'd almost expect a Harrier jumpjet, and there was, but with plenty more besides :-)

Top to bottom are:

Hawker Siddeley Harrier DB3, ZV277, Royal Navy
Sepecat Jaguar, XZ119, Royal Air Force
Czechoslavakian Letov S-103 [aka MiG-15bis]
Messerschmitt Me163B-1a Komet, Luftwaffe
English Electric P.25 Lightning F.2A, Royal Air Force

National Museums Scotland - National Museum of Flight # 3

This post covers off the aircraft in another hanger, this one containing a mixture and civilian aircraft, all old, some being restored.

Top to bottom are:

Miles M.18 MK II, G-AHKY

de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth, G-AOEL

de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.22

Percival P56 Provost T.1, G-BDYG

Moraine Saulnier MS 505A Criquet [aka post-war French build Storch], G-BIRW

Fairchild Bolingbroke IVT [aka Canadian build Bristol Blenheim Mk IV]

National Museums Scotland - National Museum of Flight # 2

In this next post, I cover off most of the other "heavy metal" at the museum. Unfortunately, most of it is outside, and deteriorating because of that, but still good to see them.

The first aircraft is the cockpit and forward fuselage of a Boeing 707-436, G-APFJ.

The second aircraft is a former British Airways BAC 1-11, G-AVMO. I hadn't realised it, but like the Boeing 727, this aircraft can be entered via rear stairs, which is how we entered it for out look around.

Next up is the mighty Avro Vulcan, registration XM597. This is one impressive beast - again, deteriorating in the weather, but still great to be able to walk around and under.

Last is the ex Dan Air de Havilland DH106 Comet 4C, G-BDIX. This was the latest model to be built, based on the lessons learned from the first version, which had the unfortunate habit of blowing up in mid air :-(

Enjoy!

National Museums Scotland - National Museum of Flight # 1

Ok, so still in catch up mode, but this will be worth while...

While staying in Edinburgh, Moira, Ken and I took a trip out to Scotland's National Museum of Flight at East Fortune, an old airbase and civilian airfield. The only flying that happens there now is some microlight activity, but what I was really interested in was the museum side of things.

The museum is spread throughout one part of the old airfield, in a number of [mainly old] hangers and other buildings. The big attraction was in the new hanger building, and was one of the original Concords, in this case, an ex British Airways example, G-BOAA! Yay! In addition to the various Concord exhibits, the main part of the hanger was taken up with a Concord that could be walked around and through.

What follows are a few of the pictures I took of it. Note the picture of me "flying" it and of standing beside the nose gear :-) Pictures from the rest of the museum will be in the following posts.