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The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum (SYAM) is a volunteer-led museum located at Lakeside in
Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
,
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. It occupies the former site of the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
Station,
RAF Doncaster Royal Air Force Doncaster or more simply RAF Doncaster, also referred to as Doncaster Aerodrome, is a former Royal Air Force satellite station near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The first Aviation meeting in England In 1909, Doncaster ...
. The museum occupies the last remaining original buildings from RAF Doncaster in the shape of a
Bellman hangar The Bellman Hangar was designed in the United Kingdom in 1936 by the Directorate of Works structural engineer, N. S. Bellman, as a temporary aircraft hangar capable of being erected or dismantled by unskilled labour with simple equipment and to b ...
, two wooden Air Ministry 'Billet Huts' (''Buildings 19 and 21'') and various smaller structures. The museum has also erected a more modern ex
Air Training Corps The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British Youth organisations in the United Kingdom, volunteer youth organisation; aligned to, and fostering the knowledge and learning of military values, primarily focusing on military aviation. Part of the ...
Cadet Hut alongside ''Building 21'' to house its
World War Two World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisi ...
Collection. The museum is also home to the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group (YHPG) which relocated from the
Yorkshire Air Museum The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is an aviation museum in Elvington, York, England, on the site of the former RAF Elvington airfield, a Second World War RAF Bomber Command station. The museum was founded, and first opened ...
at Elvington, near York in July 2002. The YHPG display their collection of helicopters among the other SYAM exhibits and have an on-site workshop for continued restoration of their aircraft.


Aircraft on display

The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum has a wide range of aircraft on display from the earliest days of aviation, through to modern military fast jets. There is also a large collection of civil aircraft and gliders. The museum is also home to the largest permanent display remembering and honouring the men and women who fought during the
Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
, with a collection of aircraft on display having been flown during that conflict, or representative of their type. The museum also preserves a large collection of aircraft with links to the local area, many having flown from local airfields such as
RAF Finningley Royal Air Force Finningley or more simply RAF Finningley is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The station straddled the historic county bo ...
,
Doncaster Sheffield Airport Doncaster Sheffield Airport , formerly named and commonly referred to as Robin Hood Airport, was an international airport in Finningley near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, in operation between 2005 and 2022. The site lies south-east ...
and Doncaster Airfield (the former RAF Doncaster). Many of the exhibits have been painstakingly restored by volunteers, notably the
Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) was a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe ...
B.2 XL388 cockpit section,
Bristol Sycamore The Bristol Type 171 Sycamore is an early helicopter developed and built by the helicopter division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The name refers to the seeds of the sycamore tree, ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', which fall with a rotating motion. ...
HR.14 XE317,
Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneere ...
T.7 WA667 and
Cessna 150 The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 19 ...
G-AVAA.


Aircraft with local links

These aircraft listed below are significant to the aviation history of the Doncaster Area having flown from local airfields. *
BAE Systems Hawk The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, subsonic, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. Its aluminum alloy fuselage is of conventional string-frame construction. It was first known as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produc ...
T.1 ''XX238.'' Flown from RAF Finningley with No. 6 Flying Training School between 1993 and the closure of the base in 1996. *
Blériot XI The Blériot XI is a French aircraft from the Aviation in the pioneer era, pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. ...
Replica. Built in 2009 to commemorate the centenary of the 1909 Doncaster Aviation Meeting, the first to be held in England. The replica depicts the aircraft flown by
Léon Delagrange Ferdinand Marie Léon Delagrange (; 13 March 1872 – 4 January 1910) was a French sculptor and pioneering aviator. Early years Léon Delagrange was born on 13 March 1872 in Orléans, France, the son of a textile factory owner. As a teenager ...
. * 2003 Cayley Flyer Replica. Built by BAE Systems at Brough and sponsored by
Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic A ...
, the replica was flown by Sir Richard Branson at Brompton Dale, Scarborough to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the flight of
Sir George Cayley Sir George Cayley, 6th Baronet (27 December 1773 – 15 December 1857) was an English engineer, inventor, and aviator. He is one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Many consider him to be the first true scientific ae ...
's original light in 2003. *
De Havilland Dove The de Havilland DH.104 Dove is a British short-haul airliner developed and manufactured by de Havilland. The design, which was a monoplane successor to the pre-war Dragon Rapide biplane, came about from the Brabazon Committee report which, a ...
''G-ARUM/G-DDCD''. Used by the National Coal Board as an Executive Transport aircraft and regularly flown into Doncaster Airfield. *
Handley Page Jetstream The Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream is a small twin-turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage. The aircraft was designed to meet the requirements of the United States commuter and regional airline market. The design was later improved and b ...
''XX495''. Flown from RAF Finningley. The aircraft was donated to the museum by Bedford College in 2018. * Hawker Siddeley HS.125 Dominie T.1 ''XS735''. Flown from RAF Finningley. *
Piper PA-23 Apache The Piper PA-23, named Apache and later Aztec, is an American four- to six-seat twin-engined general aviation light aircraft, used also in small numbers by the United States Navy and military forces in other countries. Originally designed as the ...
''G-APMY''. United Steel Transport aircraft, Regularly flown into Scunthorpe Steelworks. *
Vickers Varsity The Vickers Varsity is a retired British twin-engined crew trainer operated by the Royal Air Force from 1951 to 1976. Design and development The Varsity was developed by Vickers and based on the Viking and Valetta to meet Air Ministry Spec ...
''WJ903'' (cockpit section). Flown from RAF Finningley. * Taylorcraft Auster AOP.1 ''LB314''. Flown from RAF Firbeck (The museum's original site) during the Second World War. This aircraft was transported by museum volunteers from Denmark in 2018 and is now on display in ''Building 21,'' where it retains its Danish civil registration marks ''OY-DSZ''. * Grumman American AA-1B ''G-BCLW''. Flown from RAF Finningley by one of the flying schools, G-BCLW was written off in 2013 after the propeller contacted the nose wheel spat during a heavy landing and its insurers assessed the damage as uneconomical to repair. G-BCLW was first based at Doncaster Airfield, the museum's current site.


Falklands Collection

The aircraft listed below have links to the
Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
and are on display at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum. *
Westland Wessex The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34. It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main changes from Sikorsky's H-34 was the rep ...
HU.5 ''XS481''. ''XS481'' was transported to the south Atlantic onboard the ''
Astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
'' as an attrition replacement for the Wessexes lost during the sinking of the ''
Atlantic Conveyor ''Atlantic Conveyor'' was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War. She was hit on 25 May 1982 by two Argentine air-launched AM39 Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors. ''Atlantic ...
''. ''XS481'' arrived at the Falkland Islands after the Argentine surrender and saw no action during the war, however it was used in the immediate aftermath . *
Westland Gazelle Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, Nairobi, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland ne ...
AH.1 ''XX411'' of
3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, Royal Marines, was formed in 1968 in Singapore by the amalgamation of three Commando Air Troops and the Brigade Flight. The squadron moved to Plymouth in 1971 and the two remaining UK Commando Air Troops became p ...
, was shot down on the first day of the British landings by
small arms A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...
fire off
Port San Carlos Port San Carlos is located on the northern bank of the inlet known as Port San Carlos, off San Carlos Water on the Western coast of East Falkland, in the Falkland Islands. It is sometimes nicknamed "KC" after former owner Keith Cameron. The po ...
and Pilot Sergeant Evans was killed. The airframe was recovered on 20 October 1982 and returned to
Middle Wallop Middle Wallop is a village in the civil parish of Nether Wallop in Hampshire, England, on the A343 road. At the 2011 Census the population was included in the civil parish of Over Wallop. The village has a public house, The George Inn, and ...
for potential repair but was assessed as a structural loss. *
Aermacchi MB-339 The Aermacchi MB-339 is a military jet trainer and light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Italian aviation company Aermacchi. The MB-339 was developed during the 1970s in response to an Italian Air Force requirement that sought a re ...
''4-A-116''. One of three Argentinian MB-339s captured by British forces during the Falklands War and the only one returned to the UK. Displayed at the
Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintings ...
for a short period before being used by
Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
and painted in a white scheme. Recently returned to its original Argentinian markings. * Bell Huey UH-1H Iroquois ''AE-406''. Flown by the ''Aviacion de Ejercito Argentino EA'' (Argentinian Army Aviation) and captured by British forces during the Falklands War. *
Westland Scout The Westland Scout is a light helicopter developed by Westland Helicopters. Developed from the Saro P.531, it served as a land-based general purpose military helicopter, sharing a common ancestor and numerous components with the naval-orientat ...
AH.1 ''XV139''. Flown during the Falklands War by 656 Squadron AAC, ''XV139'' was operating at Port Harriet House on 9 June 1982 when Argentine troops launched a Blowpipe missile, which missed it by less than 25 yards. *
Westland Sea King The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome eng ...
HAS.6 ''XV677''. Transported to the Falkland Islands on board ''
Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner. Built for the Cunard Line, the ship was operated as a transatlantic liner and cruise ship from 1969 to 2008. She was laid up until converted into a floating hotel, operating sin ...
'' (''XV677'' was the second helicopter to land on deck after modifications were completed). Arrived at Port San Carlos on 2 June 1982. ''XV677'' flew in the Falklands with
825 Naval Air Squadron 825 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Naval Air Squadron which was re-commissioned on 10 October 2014 and currently flies the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2. It was a carrier-based squadron that was formed on 8 October 1934 from th ...
as a Sea King HAS.2. Subsequent modifications and upgrades after the War brought the aircraft up to the HAS.6 standard. ''XV677'' was also the first Sea King helicopter to enter preservation in the UK when it arrived at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in July 2006. * FMA IA-58 Pucara ''A-533''. Arriving to Goose Green on 15th May 1982 as a replacement for the Pucará's lost during the SAS
Raid on Pebble Island The raid on Pebble Island was a raid by British Special Forces on Pebble Island's airfield during the Falklands War, and took place on the night of 14–15 May 1982. Pebble Island is one of the smaller Falkland Islands, lying north of West Fal ...
, ''A-533'' was captured by British forces at Stanley Racecourse at the end of the war. Returned to the UK for evaluation and given the UK Military serial number of ''ZD486''. The aircraft was scrapped in the 1990's, with the cockpit section being preserved for display. ''A-533'' arrived at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum for display in September 2024.


See also

*
List of aerospace museums This is a list of aviation museums and museums that contain significant aerospace-related exhibits throughout the world. The aviation museums are listed alphabetically by country and their article name. Afghanistan * OMAR Mine Museum, Kabul - inc ...


References


Notes


Bibliography

*


External links


Official website
* List of museums in South Yorkshire Aerospace museums in England {{UK-aerospace-museum-stub