Must see Aircraft museums

[Ivan]

Which aircraft museums do you guys find worth the trip (and the reason why)

Lelystad Aviodome, Holland, reason: old schiphol terminal, Connie
Duxford, UK, reason: Concorde (and probably more)
Simsheim, Germany, reason: Tu-144 even though the interior has been ripped out

Slightly further abroad
Monino, Russia, reason: just search airlines.net and you know why
Datangshan, Beijing (close to), reason: Chinese Monino, Warbirds hangar

[TacitBlue]

In the USA:

Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio- lots of unique aircraft including the XB-70, and Tacit Blue.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC- The original Wright Flyer, Spirit of St. Louis, Bell X-1

The SAC (Strategic Air Command) Museum, Omaha Nebraska- SR-71, Mig-19 brought here by a Chinese Defecter, B-52, lots more.

SAC probably wouldnt be worth the trip to the middle of nowhere, but I've been there several times, so I mentioned it anyway.

[flyboy 28]

Mid Atlantic Air Museum is fantastic. Also one in upstate New York where you can walk through old airliners. DC-3's, DC-2's, Connies, etc.. I don't know if they let you do that anymore though. When we went when I was four they did.. Things have changed though.

[Hagar]

Depends what you're interested in. Here's a few I can recommend in the UK.

RAF Museum, Hendon. http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/index.cfm
Within easy reach of the centre of London. Lots of interesting exhibits covering the history of military aviation from the early days to the present. Free admission.

Further afield.
RAF Museum Cosford. http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/index.cfm
The reserve collection. Even rarer aircraft including German WWII types & prototypes like the TSR.2. Free admission.

Imperial War Museum, Duxford. http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/ Lots more to see than Concorde. Mainly warbirds. Worth visiting on an air show day if possible.

Science Museum Wroughton. http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/wroughton/
Reserve collection of the Science Museum in London. Lots of rare stuff here displayed in 5 huge hangars. Limited opening but I think admission is free.

Tangmere Aviation Museum. http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/
Well worth a visit if you're in my part of the country. What's left of the famous BoB fighter station. Interesting WWII exhibits plus the record-breaking jets based here in the 1950s.

PS. Forgot the Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport. http://www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk/ Has the reputation of the friendliest museum in the country.

[C]

The Shuttleworth Collection http://www.shuttleworth.org
Reason: The oldest flying aircraft in the UK (1909 Bleriot 11). Oldest flying British aircraft (1912 Blackburn monoplane). Unique collection of WW1 aircraft (Sopwith Pup, SE5a, Bristol fighter (oldest airworthy RR engine), Avro 504, and until recently the only German WW1 airworthy aircraft, the LVG C.VI). Unique airworthy aircraft such as the Parnell Elf, Avro Tutor, Hawker Tomtit, Westland Lysander, Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hind. In addition to this, most of the "core" of the collection has been in the trust hands for the best part of half a century. And a superb collection of DH Moths. And a Spitfire. And a Sea Hurricane

Oh, and another truly unique aircraft, which one could not forget...

DH 88 Comet, G-ACSS, star of Microsoft Flight Simulator, A Century of Flight...


I think I'll stop at that!

[Craig.]

RNAS Yeovilton. One of the first flying concordes.
Aircraft carrier recreation. Huge list of modern and older military planes.

Raf cosford. Good museum, but if you can get to hendon much better.
Middle wallop. very nice museum great view of the army base for weekday flyings.

[Rifleman]

Nothing in the world can beat Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome for the old classic and lesser known A/C from the pioneering days of aviation. They still fly 'em here all summer long each and every weekend, weather permitting !

[RichieB16]

I think a great museum that is in the US that is commonly forgotten is the Evergreen Aviation Museum which is in McMinnville, Oregon.  Granted, its a small town and a new museum-but it has a very nice collection.

The center piece of the collection is the Hughes H-4 "Spruce Goose" but they have many other aircraft including a flying B-17.

It is truly one of the best air museums on the west coast.

http://www.sprucegoose.org/

[Ben_M_K]

EAA Museum! ------> XP-51, Pioneer Airport, etc...

[beaky]

In the USA:
USS Intrepid (NYC): fabled aircraft carrier, just crammed inside and out with incredible stuff, like the SR71, and now a Concorde on a barge alongside. The submarine Growler is right next door- a Cold War sub with early nuclear cruise missiles in watertight hangars.
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (Dutchess County, NY): like a 1920s airfield that time forgot, with hangars full of an incredible variety of vintage machines, and many airworthy WWI and Golden Age aircraft, some of them original airframes, like their Jenny. In addition to weekend displays, they offer rides in a pair of New Standard D25.

[ATI_7500]

Simsheim, Germany, reason: Tu-144 even though the interior has been ripped out

Speyer, Germany: Not too far away from Sinsheim; An-22

[Ivan]

Speyer, Germany: Not too far away from Sinsheim; An-22

I count Speyer/Simsheim as one museum even thoug they have two locations

[ATI_7500]

Argh, I thought this was a typo at first, but the museum is called Sinsheim.

[Wing Nut]

Oshkosh Air Museum
Museum of Flight - Warner-Robbins, Georgia
8th Air Force Museum - Savannah, Georgia
Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago, Illinois
USAF Museum - Dayton, Ohio
USS Alabama - Mobile, Alabama

The Smithsonian goes without saying...

[Woodlouse2002]

Don't get me wrong, but I didn't think that the Smithsonian was an aircraft museum, more just a museum with an aircraft in it.

And if the Smithsonian is an aircraft museum, then what on earth is the Liberdade doing there?