The de Havilland Aircraft Museum, located in London Colney, Hertfordshire, is the UK’s oldest aviation museum dedicated to a single manufacturer. Established in 1959, it preserves and showcases the rich heritage of de Havilland aircraft, renowned for their innovation in British aviation. A new exhibition commemorates the 90th anniversary of the Great Air Race from England to Australia in 1934, won by the de Havilland DH88 Comet. This exhibition includes the actual aircraft and multimedia displays about the event.
de Havilland Aircraft Museum
museum@dehavillandmuseum.co.uk
+44 1727 826400
First Sunday of March – last Sunday of October
Tuesdays- Sundays and Bank Holidays 10:30 – 16:00
Admission fee
Gift shop
Aircraft collection
de Havilland DH98 Mosquito I (prototype) W4050 RAF
de Havilland aircraft
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G-ADOT G-AFOJ G-AKDW G-ANRX G-AOTI G-AREA D-IFSB F-BGNX J-7326 W4050 LF789/R2-K TA122/UP-G TA634/8K-K TJ118 WM729 WP790/T WR539 VX250/48 WX853 XG730/438 XJ565/E/127 XJ772/H XK695 G-ANAV J-1008 J-1632 | DH88 Comet Racer (replica)
DH87B Hornet Moth DH94 Moth Minor DH89 Dragon Rapide (under restoration) DH82A Tiger Moth DH114 Heron 2D DH104 Dove 8 DH104 Dove 6 (On loan to ARG Fishburn) DH106 Comet 1XB DH53 Humming Bird (fuselage) DH98 Mosquito I (prototype) DH82B Queen Bee (fuselage) DH98 Mosquito FB.6 DH98 Mosquito TT.35 DH98 Mosquito TT.35 (fuselage, small parts) DH115Vampire NF10 DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 DH112 Venom FB4 DH103 Sea Hornet NF.21 (rear fuselage) DH112 Venom NF.3 DH112 Sea Venom FAW.22 DH110 Sea Vixen FAW.2 DH115 Vampire T.11 DH106 Comet C.2(R) DH106 Comet 1A SIM DH100 Vampire FB.6 DH112 Venom FB.50 |
de Havilland DH53 Humming Bird (fuselage) J-7326 RAF
Privately owned, original wings and empennage, fuselage built by DH Technical school.
de Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth G-ANRX, Crop spraying configuration
de Havilland DH82B Queen Bee LF789/R2-K RAF | Rob Vogelaar
Unmanned radio-controlled target drone that used Tiger Moth wings and for the economy, a wooden fuselage based on that of the DH.60 Moth (but with the structural changes associated with the cabane struts having been relocated as per the standard Tiger Moth) was used. The Queen Bee was intended to be operated from either floats or wheels.
The control panel utilized a simple rotary dial, using which, the controller could “dial in” a radio-transmitted command. Numbers on the dial represented commands such as “turn left, turn right, pitch-up,” etc., while additional controls operated ignition and throttle. While the control panel was relatively small, the radio transmitter itself was the size of a delivery van. The front cockpit had these same controls, enabling a test pilot to check the pilotless functions of the aircraft at altitude. The radio commands operated a series of pneumatic servos housed in the space once occupied by the rear cockpit. The design did not allow for coordinated flight using the ailerons and rudder, so the ailerons were always locked in the neutral position. Controllers used only the rudder, elevator and throttle controls.
de Havilland DH87B Hornet Moth G-ADOT
de Havilland DH88 Comet Racer (replica) G-ACSS
de Havilland DH89 Dragon Rapide G-AKDW
de Havilland DH98 Mosquito I (prototype) W4050 RAF
Bug Hotel
de Havilland DH98 Mosquito FB.6 TA122/UP-G RAF
20mm Hispano cannon
de Havilland DH98 Mosquito TT.35 TA634/8K-K RAF | Rob Vogelaar
Used in the film Mosquito Squadron in 1968. Acquired by de Havilland Museum in 1970. Restored from 1980 to 1990. Wears livery of NX992 (8K-K).
de Havilland DH100 Vampire FB.6 J-1008 Swiss Air Force
de Havilland DH104 Dove 8 G-AREA British Aerospace
de Havilland DH106 Comet 1XB F-BGNX Air France
de Havilland DH106 Comet 4 flight simulator
de Havilland DH110 Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ565/E/127 Royal Navy
de Havilland DH112 Sea Venom FAW.22 XG730/438 Royal Navy
de Havilland DH114 Heron 2D G-AOTI Rolls-Royce
de Havilland DH115 Vampire T.11 XJ772/H RAF
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 WP790/T RAF
Other aircraft
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G-JEAO G-ABLM G-ARYC G-AVFH | Airspeed Horsa I/II
BAe 146-100 (fuselage) de Havilland/Cierva C.24 Autogyro Hawker Siddeley H.S.125 Srs 1 Hawker Siddeley HS121 Trident 2E |
Airspeed Horsa I/II BAPC.232 RAF
BAe 146-100 G-JEAO
de Havilland/Cierva C.24 Autogyro G-ABLM
Hawker Siddeley H.S.125 Srs 1 G-ARYC Rolls-Royce Bristol Engine Division,
Trident 2E G-AVFH British European Airways
Engines
Gipsy III
Rolls-Royce Merlin Engine
Goblin 2
Gyron
Gyron Junior
Gnome
Spectre rocket
Super Sprite
Link trainer
de Havilland Aircraft Museum is the oldest aviation museum in the UK. It has a collection of more than 20 civil and military, jet and piston engine aircraft which were designed and built at de Havilland’s factory in Hatfield over nearly 70 years. The volunteer-run aviation museum collection is based around the definitive prototype and restoration shops for the de Havilland Mosquito.
Mosquito:
- W4050 – Built by de Havilland Hatfield as prototype. First Mosquito built and had first flight on 25 November 1940. Its the only initial prototype of a Second World War British aircraft design still in existence in the 21st century.
- TA122 – Built by de Havilland Hatfield as FBVI. Stored at RAF Celle from 1950 to 1951, and at the Delft Technical University in the Netherlands from 1951 to 1964. Wings destroyed in 1958. Acquired by Royal Netherlands Air Force Museum in 1978. In 1978 acquired by de Havilland Museum. Restoration used wings from TW233. Wears livery of 4 Squadron UP-G.
- TA634 – Used in the film Mosquito Squadron in 1968. Acquired by de Havilland Museum in 1970. Restored from 1980 to 1990. Wears livery of NX992 (8K-K).
- TJ118 – The museum also holds the nose and fuselage of TJ118, which was removed from the fuselage in the early 1960’s and sectioned for use in the interior cockpit scenes of 633 Squadron. The sectioned nose was also used in the cockpit scenes of Mosquito Squadron.
They have also one of the two survived Queen Bees, an unmanned radio-controlled target drone that used Tiger Moth wings and for the economy, a wooden fuselage based on that of the DH.60 Moth.
Current projects include the de Havilland Rapide being restored to flight status, the DH88 comet replica, the Comet 1 fuselage, the Mosquito Mk 6 and the Sea Venom.
The sole surviving Comet fuselage with the original square-shaped windows, part of a Comet 1A registered F-BGNX, has undergone restoration and is on display at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum.
This museum is worth a visit, great volunteers. Climb in aircraft, sitting in cockpits, enjoy …
This museum guide gives you short but excellent information about the planes.
We thank Mike Nevin for his tour and information.
Photos Rob Vogelaar