Type Aviation museum | Phone +44 1452 260078 | |
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Location Staverton, Gloucestershire Address Meteor Business Park, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester GL2 9QL, United Kingdom Hours Open today · 10AM–4PMSaturday10AM–4PMSunday10AM–4PMMondayClosedTuesdayClosedWednesdayClosedThursdayClosedFridayClosed Similar Gloucest Airport, Gloucester Life Museum, National Waterways Museum, The Wilson, Soldiers of Gloucest Museum | ||
Jet age museum may 2015
The Jet Age Museum is the trading name of the Gloucestershire Aviation Collection, an all-volunteer, charitable organisation dedicated to the preservation of Gloucestershire's aviation heritage. the aviation museum is located on the north side of Gloucestershire Airport, between Gloucester and Cheltenham. It houses a number of aircraft, aero engines, cockpits and other related exhibits. It is themed on the early development of Jet aircraft, in particular the role played by the Gloster Aircraft Company and other local firms such as Dowty Rotol and Smiths Industries. The museum are also custodians of Russell Adams photographic archive.
Contents
The jet age museum
History
The organisation was formed in 1986 and established as a company limited by guarantee.
The museum first opened to the public at the Gloucester Trading Estate, the former Brockworth aerodrome. With the aid of grants and public donations, it began to amass a collection of aircraft. The museum's first significant public opening began with a temporary exhibition in a hangar adjacent to Gloucestershire Airport. This had to close in 2000 after it was announced the former wartime hangar was to be demolished. The aircraft were dispersed to a number of locations in Gloucestershire including, briefly, at the former GAC 'shadow' factory at Bentham. A workshop was established at Brockworth Court and the remaining airframes eventually made their way back to Gloucestershire Airport, where they remained in open storage.
The museum made a number of unsuccessful bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund to construct a purpose-built facility before finally submitting plans for a building at Gloucestershire Airport. In January 2011 plans were approved for a new to house the museum's collection.
The museum opened provisionally from 24 August 2013. It has continued to open at weekends, and added further exhibits to the 30m x 36m exhibition hall, which also has a cafe and shop area.
Aircraft on display
The following aircraft are displayed in the main hangar:
A number of cockpit sections and engines are also on display. In particular the cockpit section of a Hawker Siddeley Trident and an Avro Vulcan are both open to visitors.