Our collection policy

With one of the City of Coventry’s most famous sons – Sir Frank Whittle – being regarded as the Father of the Jet Age, it is no coincidence that the Museum’s strongest theme is the development of the jet and jet-powered aircraft.

Local aviation history is strongly featured in the Wings Over Coventry gallery on the mezzanine floor of the main hangar, showcasing products from local manufacturers, particularly Armstrong-Whitworth, Armstrong-Siddeley (and successors Bristol-Siddeley and Rolls-Royce, Humber, Alvis and Dunlop.

Notable exhibits

The story of the jet is an international one and our range of jet aircraft exhibits reflect that, ranging from the Swedish SAAB J29 Tunnan, Dassault Mystère IVA, the English Electric Lightning, right through to the mighty American McDonnell-Douglas F-4C Phantom II.

The incredible variety of designs produced by the British aircraft industry in the 1950s and 1960s is represented at the Museum – from carrier-borne types such as the Hawker Sea Hawk, de Havilland Sea Vixen, Fairey Gannet and Sea Harrier to RAF fighters such as the Vampire, Meteor, Hunter, Javelin and Lightning. The jet bomber force is represented too, most notably by the English Electric Canberra and the huge Avro Vulcan 4-engined nuclear bomber. We also have several military trainers including the American Lockheed T-33, the Polish PZL Iskra and the British Vampire T.11.

Exhibits at the museum

Other exhibits

In addition to aircraft, the museum is home a large collection of aircraft engines including:

• Jumo 004, used in the German Me-262 jet fighter of WWII
• Rolls Royce Griffon, used in the Avro Shackleton
• AS Double Mamba, used in the Fairey Gannet
• BS Orpheus, used in the Folland Gnat
• Rolls Royce Avon, used in several Cold War types including the English Electric Canberra and Lightning
• Rolls Royce Spey, also famously used in several Cold War types including the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod and British versions of the McDonnell Phantom
• Gyron Junior, used in early versions of the Blackburn Buccanneer
• General Electric J79, an American engine used in the Phantom, Starfighter and other Cold War era Amreican fighters
• Turbo-Union RB199, used in the Panavia Tornado
• Rolls Royce Dart, used in the AWA Argosy (and displayed inside it)
• Rolls Royce Derwent, a development of the Whittle centrifugal engine used in the Gloster Meteor

A variety of missiles and other weapons are also on display, including:

• Avro Blue Steel nuclear missile, 1000lb bomb and WE-177 tactical nuclear bomb, all displayed by the Vulcan
• Red Dean, Red Top, Fireflash and Firestreak missiles
• Skyflash missile
• Thunderbird missile, situated outside the museum entrance

Additionally, there are a number of aircraft and other artefacts in storage.

Cockpit Tours

Our friendly volunteer guides will be more than happy to share their knowledge about any of the types at the museum, but some aircraft are often open to the public to experience. These include the Vulcan and Argosy, which are frequently open.

For more information, visit our Cockpit Tours page.