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Museums / The Helicopter Museum
United Kingdom / Somerset / Weston-super-Mare

The Helicopter Museum

At a former helicopter manufacturing and testing airfield, this specialist museum assembles rotorcraft from Britain and abroad. It connects the Weston factory legacy to military, experimental and civil helicopter development, including the G-LYNX world-speed-record aircraft. Its collection places particular emphasis on rotary-wing engineering, British helicopter production, Royal Flight service, international rotorcraft and experimental aircraft. The museum reports more than one hundred rotary-wing aircraft in its collection, but that total is not a count of aircraft currently available to visitors. The Weston Aviation Heritage Hangar includes the Sycamore, Belvedere and record-setting Lynx, with restoration displays changing as work progresses. The aircraft records are selected documented collection entries rather than a complete inventory. An aircraft may be temporarily away from the museum, held in storage, undergoing restoration, or represented by a replica or partial airframe. An unknown display status does not mean the aircraft can be seen during a visit. Confirm opening arrangements and specific aircraft access with the institution before traveling.

Helicopter MuseumMore than 100 rotary-wing aircraft in collection7 documented aircraft/exhibitsOpen Public
Museum-specific photograph from the official website of The Helicopter Museum
Museum-specific image sourced from the official visitor page (Helicopter Museum Exhibits).Photographer not stated by source · Source: The Helicopter Museum official visitor website; photographer/rights holder not stated · Owner-authorized use; provenance retained
Museum story

The museum

At a former helicopter manufacturing and testing airfield, this specialist museum assembles rotorcraft from Britain and abroad. It connects the Weston factory legacy to military, experimental and civil helicopter development, including the G-LYNX world-speed-record aircraft.

At a former helicopter manufacturing and testing airfield, this specialist museum assembles rotorcraft from Britain and abroad. It connects the Weston factory legacy to military, experimental and civil helicopter development, including the G-LYNX world-speed-record aircraft.

Its collection places particular emphasis on rotary-wing engineering, British helicopter production, Royal Flight service, international rotorcraft and experimental aircraft. The museum reports more than one hundred rotary-wing aircraft in its collection, but that total is not a count of aircraft currently available to visitors. The Weston Aviation Heritage Hangar includes the Sycamore, Belvedere and record-setting Lynx, with restoration displays changing as work progresses.

The aircraft records are selected documented collection entries rather than a complete inventory. An aircraft may be temporarily away from the museum, held in storage, undergoing restoration, or represented by a replica or partial airframe. An unknown display status does not mean the aircraft can be seen during a visit. Confirm opening arrangements and specific aircraft access with the institution before traveling.

Collection character

What defines the collection

rotary-wing engineering, British helicopter production, Royal Flight service, international rotorcraft and experimental aircraft

Collection focus: Civil aviation · Cold War · Experimental aircraft · Helicopters · Indoor galleries · Military aviation · Restoration
Civil aviationCold WarExperimental aircraftHelicoptersIndoor galleriesMilitary aviationRestoration
Visitor experience

What to expect

The museum reports more than one hundred rotary-wing aircraft in its collection, but that total is not a count of aircraft currently available to visitors. The Weston Aviation Heritage Hangar includes the Sycamore, Belvedere and record-setting Lynx, with restoration displays changing as work progresses.

Collection guide

What the museum holds

More than 100 rotary-wing aircraft in collection

The inventory below separates what the museum or its sources say the institution holds from the smaller set of aircraft histories already connected to the Air Archive.

7Documented records
4Recorded on display
0Air Archive links
2Research sources
Collection highlights7 cataloged entries
  • Bristol Belvedere helicopterOn Display
  • Bristol Sycamore helicopterOn Display
  • Sedbergh two-seat gliderOn Display
  • Westland Lynx G-LYNX world speed record helicopterOn Display
  • Handley Page / Piasecki H-21 Flying Banana (restoration)Restoration
  • Bell UH-1 Huey helicopterUnknown
  • Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopterUnknown
Open full museum-listed inventory (7 entries)
AircraftStatusIdentity
Bristol Belvedere helicopterOn Display—
Bristol Sycamore helicopterOn Display—
Sedbergh two-seat gliderOn Display—
Westland Lynx G-LYNX world speed record helicopterOn Display—
Handley Page / Piasecki H-21 Flying Banana (restoration)Restoration—
Bell UH-1 Huey helicopterUnknown—
Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopterUnknown—
Museum collection records are source-backed; catalog inclusion does not by itself guarantee that an airframe is currently visible to visitors.
Research trail

Sources

Open 2 sources