South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Doncaster
January 5, 2023
The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum (SYAM) is a volunteer-run museum situated on a part of the original RAF Doncaster opened in 1919 and occupies one of the original RAF hangars. After World War Two Doncaster airfield as it became known was utilised by only civilian aircraft. In 1992 the airfield was closed.

The museum's aircraft collection listing appears very large, however there are a great number of cockpit only exhibits, a feature which I detest equating it to an aircraft beheading. I recognise that chopping the nose off an aircraft and scrapping the rest saves space and SYAM is so packed with exhibits of all sorts that space is very limited. On the plus side considerable restoration is carried out onsite by a number of volunteers for which they should be commended. Some of the exhibits are on display outside are closely protected by waist high metal fences making good photography difficult. But, not nearly as difficult as trying to get decent images of the aircraft inside the main hangar which are so packed in and surrounded by aviation clutter that it is almost impossible to see some of the aircraft.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Westland Whirlwind HAR.1 (XA870 '911').
Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 (XJ398) 202 squadron markings.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 (XP345) UN and 84 Squadron markings.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Bristol Sycamore HR.14 (XE317) built in 1954.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Westland Wessex HU.5 (XS481 'VY').
Westland Scout AH.1 (XP190).
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: SARO Skeeter AOP.12 (XM561 painted XM651) ex Army Air Corps.
Aerospatiale-Sud Gazelle AH.1 (XX411) ex Army Air Corps.
Westland-Bell 47G-3B-1 Sioux AH.1 (XT242) ex Army Air Corps. Composite with XW179.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 (XX669 'B' later 8997M) ex Birmingham UAS.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Gloster Meteor T.7 (WA662) ex Royal Aircraft Establishment since 1950, to RAE Llanbedr from 1981.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 (WB733 registered G-ATDE) built in 1950. Composite with WG422.
Slingsby T-30B Prefect TX.1 (WE987).
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T.11 (XE935).
de Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide 6 (G-AHED) built under licence by Brush Coachworks in early 1946 for the RAF as RL946. It was transferred in December 2022 from the RAF Museum who had it in storage since 1969.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Hawker Siddeley Dominie T.1 (XS735 'R').
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Scottish Aviation Jetstream T.1 (XX495 'C') ex 45 Squadron RAF.
de Havilland DH-104 Dove 8 (G-DDCD/G-ARUM). Originally registered G-ARUM when with the National Coal Board until January 1984 then re-reistered G-DDCD and cancelled in 1998.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Hawker Hunter F.51 (E-424 ex RDAF, painted as 'WV314/B') in 92 Squadron markings.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Hunting Jet Provost T.3A (XM350 '89' later 9036M).
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: English Electric Lightning F.3 (XP706).
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Aermacchi MB.339A (0767 '4-A-116'), ex Aerostación de la Armada Fuerte 'ARMADA' (Argentine Navy).
Piper PA-23 Apache (G-APMY).
Westland Sea King HAS.6 (XV677 'CU-269') ex Royal Navy.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1 (XV281 later BAPC484). Built 1967 as the last of six pre-production Harriers designated as the P.1127. Crashed on approach to Gutersloh, West Germany following an engine fire in October 1980 and written off. Arrived at museum in September 2017.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 (XV752 'B') in 3 Squadron markings.
Douglas DC-3 Dakota (N4565L). Damaged by Hurricane Charley at Ipswich in 1987. Arrived at museum in August 2007.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Westland Whirlwind HAR.9 (XN386 'ED-435') ex HMS Endurance Flight markings.
Westland Lynx HAS.3S(ICE) (XZ246 'EE-434') in HMS Endurance Flight markings.
de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 (WK626 later 8213M).
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Building 21:
Mignet HM.14 Pou du Ciel 'Flying Flea' (G-AEJZ).
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Building 21:
Blackburn B.2 (G-ADFO/G-ACBH) composite.

Museum workshop:
Auster J1.N (G-AHPP).
Westland Scout AH.1 (XV139 was painted 'XV137') ex Army Air Corps under restoration. It saw active service in the 1982 Falklands war.
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
Left to right: Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1 (XW666) ex RAF signals intelligence (reconnaissance) aircraft with 51 Squadron. Nose only remains after its crash on May 16, 1995, after completing major servicing work at RAF Kinloss after take-off and fire the pilot ditched the aircraft in the Moray Firth.
Decapitated Hunters (front to back)
Hawker Hunter FGA.9 (XG297 'Y') 20 Squadron markings, Hawker Hunter GA.11 (WT741 '791') 738 NAS markings and Hawker Hunter T.7 (N-302) ex KLu, ex RDAF.
Decapitated Canberras (front to back)
English Electric Canberra PR.7 (WH779 'CK'), Canberra T.19 (WJ975), Canberra T.17 (WJ565), Canberra T.4 (XH584), Canberra PR.7 (WT536) and Canberra B(I).6 (WT319).