Aircraft at RAF Museum London

The national museum of the Royal Air Force, on a historic airfield site in north London. Aircraft spanning the whole story of the RAF, from First World War biplanes to modern jets, across several themed hangars.

Inside the museum: the hangars

The collection is arranged across several large hangars, each telling a different part of the RAF story:

Hangar 1 — RAF Stories & First to the Future, marking the RAF's first hundred years.
The Grahame-White Factory, a preserved early aircraft factory covering the earliest days of flight up to the RAF's formation in 1918.
The Historic Hangars, packed with Second World War and Cold War aircraft.
The Bomber Hall, home to heavy bombers and Battle of Britain aircraft.
RAF in an Age of Uncertainty, covering the service from the 1980s onward.

Aircraft highlights to look for

Signature aircraft to try to log include:

the Avro Lancaster "S-Sugar", a bomber that flew well over 100 wartime night sorties
a Hawker Typhoon — for many years regarded as the only complete surviving example
WWII fighters — Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Luftwaffe types including a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and a Heinkel He 111
jet-age aircraft such as a Gloster Meteor and a Folland Gnat in Red Arrows colours
a Westland Sea King search-and-rescue helicopter

📄 Log your visit: take our printable Museum Aircraft Log Sheet — columns for type, manufacturer, registration/serial, variant, country, era, hall/location, seen, photographed and notes. Not every aircraft has every detail, so leave blanks rather than guessing.

Making the most of your visit

It's an indoor, largely step-free site that's easy to reach in north London — a great all-weather day out. The Bomber Hall and Historic Hangars give the best massed-aircraft photos; watch your white balance under the hangar lighting, and get in close to record serials and squadron codes. It's very family-friendly, with plenty of space and hands-on exhibits.

Plan your visit

Opening times, admission prices, events and accessibility change through the year — and which aircraft are on display can change too. Always check the museum's official website before you travel.

Visit the official RAF Museum London site →

Highlights compiled from the museum and published references (Wikipedia: Royal Air Force Museum London). Displays change — confirm current exhibits and visitor info on the official RAF Museum site. Last verified: 14 August 2026.

Keep exploring

All UK aircraft museums · UK airport spotting guide · Beginner's guide · Logging sheets & downloads