Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, opened by a group of aviation enthusiasts

in 1982, is situated in a corner of the old Tangmere airfield, famed as an

RAF fighter station from 1918 until Fighter Command left in 1958.

The aim of the group was to promote public awareness of the

United Kingdom’s military aviation heritage, to educate present and future

generations in military aviation and to serve as a memorial to airmen and

airwomen who gave their lives in the service of this country. Since 1982

it has been managed and run entirely by volunteers and in 2017 was

awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

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Now one of the UK’s leading aviation museums, it is home to an impressive

display of historic aircraft with a unique collection of aviation memorabilia stretching

from the First World War through to the Cold War.

The Museum has some excellent aircraft and powerplant exhibits including the World Air Speed record-breaking Gloster Meteor F.4 Special (flown by Group. Captain E.M. ‘Teddy’ Donaldson in 1946) and Hawker Hunter Mk3 (flown in 1953 by the Museum’s late President Neville Duke). Both these aircraft are on loan from the

RAF Museum.

Examples of the English Electric Lightning, Hawker Hunter and Supermarine Swift

are also in the Museum. Visitors can sit in a Hawker Hunter cockpit, removed

from a fuselage in 1955 to enable a two-seater cockpit to be fitted.

Come and see a replica of the first Spitfire to fly. Built by volunteers, supervised

by Jeffrey Quill and the son of R J Mitchell, Dr Gordon Mitchell. Take in the

Lysander, used to take SOE agents in France during the Second World War

This particular replica was built for the film “Allied” starring Brad Pitt and

Marion Coltillard.

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Amongst the many attractions, there are numerous interactive displays and

aircraft cockpits for visitors to experience. Speak to the volunteers and listen

to the stories they have to talk about those who fought for King and then

Queen and Country. Hear and read about those who lost their lives in service,

those who came back.

Light refreshments may be purchased in the Museum’s Cockpit Café. For coach

drivers there is a voucher for coffee and lunch.  This is a museum with something for all members of the family to enjoy.

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Memorial Garden

The Museum has a memorial garden, situated behind the Museum’s Cockpit Café, which you may like to visit. Many people are here in the garden, including a memorial to SOE agent Noor Inayat Khan. There are also memorials to some of those killed in the main raid at Tangmere on 16 August 1940.

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Outside

Along the flight line outside are two Harriers, one

a Sea Harrier that saw service in the Falklands and

the other a GR3 was one of the two Harriers to

take part in the 1969 race across the Atlantic

against a Phantom. There is also a Phantom in

the line-up in the car park.