The Science Museum in London is one of the world’s most famous museums, dedicated to inspiring and educating the public about science, technology, engineering, and medicine. It features a wide range of exhibits and collections, highlighting the achievements and developments that have shaped the modern world.
Science Museum London
+44 870 870 4868
Daily 10:00 – 18:00
Free admission
Gift shop
The nearest tube station is South Kensington on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. A pedestrian subway runs directly from the ticket barrier at South Kensington station to the Main Entrance of the Museum.
Bus routes 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414, 430 and C1 stop outside South Kensington Underground Station.
Aircraft collection
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BAPC.55 D7560 – G-AWAW AP507 304 G-AAAH KN448 210/16 W4041/G K1908 L1592 XP831 G-ASSM BAPC.54 – NC5171N 191316 OO-BFH G-AZPH J8067 BAPC.50 XJ314 F-939 DFY XN344 XG900 – S1595 P8444 BAPC.51 – | Airship no. 17
Antoinette Type VII Avro 504K Bleriot XI (seat) Cessna F.150F Cierva C.30A Autogiro Cody type V de Havilland DH.60G Moth Douglas Dakota IV Fokker E.III Gloster E.28/39 Handley Page Gugnunc Hawker Hurricane 1 Hawker P.1127 Hawker Siddeley HS-125-1A/522 JAP-Harding Lilenthal (replica) Lockheed model 10A Hudson Messerschmitt Me163B-1a Komet Pickard Gas Balloon Pitts S-1S Special Pterodactyl I Roe Triplane Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5A S-Hirth Cirrus SARO Skeeter AOP.12 Short SC.1 Short Brothers Gas Balloon Supermarine S.6B Supermarine Spitfire 1a Vickers Vimy IV Wright Flyer (replica) |
Science Museum London: There are over 40 galleries with the world’s finest collections in science history technology and medicine offer over thousands of interactive exhibits with many permanent displays. From working steam engines to Apollo 10.
Each aircraft in the London Science Museum‘s collection represents a particular period in aviation history and has unique features that reflect the technological advances of the time. The exhibitions often offer detailed information on the designs, technologies and historical context of these aircraft.
The Science Museum in London also houses a fascinating collection on space exploration, showcasing the history and progress of space exploration and space technology.
This Airship was originally built as the Beta I by the Army Balloon Factory in 1910. In 1912 it was reconstructed with a new, larger, envelope and became the ‘Beta II’. Initially used by the Army, it came under RNAS control in January 1914 (along with all other British Airships) and was given the identity ‘HMA No17’. It was retired in 1916 and the Gondola was preserved by the Science Museum London.
One of a series of monoplane types designed by Leon Levavasseur and built in France, the Type VII first flew in 1909. It was the type used by French Aviation pioneer Hubert Latham, in his second attempt to cross the English Channel. This took place on 27th July 1909, just two days after Louis Bleriot had successfully made the crossing. Unfortunately the aircraft ditched just under a mile away from the English coast, so near and yet so far!!
This example was built for Robert Blackburn, and joined the Science Museum London in 1926.
This is the second of the two Cody V Biplanes. The first was built in 1912 from the remains of two earlier aircraft, both of which had crashed. In September 1912 it was declared the winner of the Military Trials held at Salisbury and it subsequently joined No4 Sqn, Royal Flying Corps, in December 1912.
The second aeroplane first flew in January 1913, but in April 1913 the first machine broke up mid-air, after which the second was not flown again. In November that year it joined the Science Museum London.
Built 1928. This is the actual Gipsy Moth that was flown by Amy Johnson on her epic solo flight from Great Britain to Australia in 1930, becoming the first woman pilot to do so. She flew from Croydon in Greater London, to Darwin in the Northern Territory, a journey of some 11,000 miles. ‘Jason’ joined the Science Museum in 1931.
Built 1960. This is the first prototype P1127 and the first to achieve a vertical take-off, on 21st October 1960. The P 1127 developed into the Kestrel and then the Harrier, the world’s first operational vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet fighter. The second generation of Harrier remains in service with various international air arms, including the US Marines.
This is a British built copy of the French Bleriot XI. It was built by JA Prestwich in North London (builders of JAP motorcycle engines) for HJ Harding, a former motorcycle racer and the Paris representative of JAP engines. The aircraft was built to demonstrates JAP’s eight cylinder aero engine which, along with a four cylinder version, was supplied to various British aircraft companies. It first flew in April 1910 at Lea Marshes, close to JAP’s factory at Tottenham, and was then taken to France where Harding was awarded his French Aero Certificate using it, and then back to the UK and was flown at the Blackpool aviation meeting later in the year. After that it was stored in Tottenham until 1930.
Built in 1909, the Roe Triplane was the first all-British aircraft to fly. It was piloted by it’s creator, Alliot Verdon Roe, on 13 July 1909 at Lea Marshes, Essex and managed to fly 100ft. The aeroplane was constructed from wood and paper, and was powered by a 9 hp JAP engine. Roe, of course, went on to create Avro, which became one of the world’s greatest aircraft manufacturing companies.
This is the second of the two examples built (it has a tailskid instead of a tailwheel) and joined the Science Museum London in 1925.
Built 1954. This was a pioneering vertical take-off and landing aircraft developed by Rolls-Royce in the 1950s. It used two Nene turbojet engines mounted back-to-back horizontally within a steel framework, raised upon four legs with castors for wheels. It had no lifting or stabilising surfaces (wings, blades, etc.) and was commonly known as the ‘Flying Bedstead’.
It joined the Science Museum London in 1961
Saw Royal Flying Corps service as ‘F937’ After World War I, British Army Royal Flying Corps (RFC) Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a biplane fighter F937 was demilitarised and sold to the Savage Skywriting Company as G-EBIB, their second of three SE5a skywriters. G-EBIB was retired in 1939 and donated to the Science Museum in London.
This was the first British fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. It was designed to study the problems with VTOL flight and the transition to and from forward flight and first flew in 1957.
It joined the Science Museum in 1971
Winner of the Schneider Trophy, 1931. Designed by Reginald J. Mitchell, it was a development of Mitchell’s earlier S.4 which had won the 1925 Schneider Trophy race. The S.6B was powered by a supercharged Rolls-Royce 1900 hp engine. It marked the culmination of Mitchell’s quest to “perfect the design of the racing seaplane” and represented the cutting edge of aerodynamic technology. It is one of the major technical achievements in British aviation between the two world wars. Not only did the aircraft win the 1931 Schneider Trophy, but also, two weeks later, became the fastest vehicle on earth, setting an absolute speed record of 407.5 mph. This was the third consecutive win for the British, and the Schneider Trophy was permanently awarded to Great Britain.
This is the aircraft in which John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown made the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in June 1919. The Vimy had been designed in 1917 as a bomber, but when the First World War ended this example was converted with extra fuel tanks to attempt the crossing. The pair left Newfoundland on 15 June and landed at Clifden in Connemara, Ireland some 16 hours later to become national heroes.
It joined the Science Museum London in 1919 and is remains on display in the ‘Flight’ Hall.
Built 1926. Sole survivor of a series of experimental tailless designs from the late 1920’s.
After a record-breaking national tour, the Soyuz TMA-19M descent module that safely carried astronauts Tim Peake, Yuri Malenchenko and Tim Kopra back from the International Space Station in 2016.
One of several experimental aircraft designed by Sheffield-born John Stringfellow (1799-1883). In 1848 Stringfellow achieved the first ever powered flight using an unmanned 10 ft wingspan steam-powered monoplane, built in a disused lace factory in Chard, Somerset. Employing two contra-rotating propellers on the first attempt, made indoors, the machine flew ten feet before becoming destabilised, damaging the craft. The second attempt was more successful, the machine leaving a guide wire to fly freely, achieving some thirty yards of straight and level powered flight.
In 1842 William Samuel Henson (1812-1888) patented a design for a steam-powered monoplane which he called an ‘Aerial Steam Carriage’. The machine was never built but Henson and his partner, John Stringfellow, later constructed this scale model of the machine with which they carried out trials in 1845. Henson and Stringfellow planned to set up an airfreight company, the ‘Aerial Steam Transit Company’, to transport goods around the world. However sustained flight was never achieved and, in 1847, Henson abandoned his plans and emigrated to the United States. Although its flights were limited, this was the first powered aircraft to be built, albeit a model, that in any way approached a rational design.
Photos Rob Vogelaar
Stored aircraft see Science Museum Wroughton