The Helicopter Museum
Weston-super-Mare
May 13, 2026
The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare is the world's largest dedicated rotorcraft collection, with more than 100 aircraft mostly packed in a large hangar.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Opened in April 2026, the new Weston Aviation Heritage Hangar celebrates more than 90 years of aviation history on the site. Its relatively small collection is particularly well presented for photography, in marked contrast to the main museum, where the helicopters are packed so tightly together that obtaining good photographs can be extremely difficult.

Among the highlights are the Bristol Sycamore and Belvedere, both built at the nearby Oldmixon factory, and G-LYNX, which established the helicopter world speed record of 400 km/h in 1986 during a flight over the Somerset Levels just south of Weston. Remarkably, the record still stands 40 years later.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Bristol 171 Sycamore 3 (G-ALSX). It served as a company demonstrator and participated in the 1953 Dutch flood relief.
Bristol Sycamore HR.14 (XL829). Built in Weston-super-Mare in 1957, it was the last Sycamore to be delivered to the Royal Air Force and one of the last to be withdrawn from service.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Bristol Belvedere HC.1 (XG454).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Westland Lynx (ZB500 registered G-LYNX). It is the current holder of the Helicopter World Speed Record at 249.09mph (400.87Km/h).
Slingsby Sedbergh TX.1 (VX275). A dual-seat training glider, built in 1948, it was the first T21 glider acquired by the Air Training Corps (ATC). Flown by 621 Volunteer Gliding Squadron and by Air Cadets flying at the gliding school when based here at Weston airfield.

Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 (XD163 'X').
Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 (XK940) '911').
Westland Whirlwind HCC.12 (XR486).
Westland WS-55 Whirlwind Series 3 ( G-AODA). Named "Dorado", it flew for Bristow Helicopters from 1955 until 1990, logging over 7,600 flight hours before its retirement.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Westland Wessex Series 60 (G-17-6 registered G-AVNE c/n WA/561) is a 16-passenger civil transport helicopter.
Westland Wessex HAS.3 (XM328 'PO-653').
Westland Wessex HAS.1 (XM330) ex RAE.
Westland Wessex HCC.4 (XV733).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Westland Dragonfly HR.5 (WG719).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Westland WS.51A Widgeon (G-AOZE).
Westland Wasp HAS.1 (XT443 'AU-422') ex HMS Aurora. Westland Scout AH.1 (XP165).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Westland WG-13 Lynx (XW839) the 5th prototype with a first flight made on June 19, 1974, it is now the oldest surviving complete Lynx.
Westland Lynx 3 (ZE477).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: AgustaWestland EH-101 (ZH647).
Westland WG-30 Series 100 (G-BGHF).
Westland WG-30 Series 300 (G-HAUL).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Mil Mi-4 (9147) ex Czech Air Force.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Mil Mi-8PS (618 painted '07 Red') ex Polish Army.
PZL SM-1 (2007 painted '07 Yellow') ex Polish Air Force.
PZL SM-2 (3006 painted '05 White') ex Polish Air Force.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Mil Mi-24D 'Hind' (96+26 previously NVA 421) ex German Air Force.
Kamov Ka-26 'Hoodlum' (DDR-SPY).
Mil Mi-2 'Hoplite' (SP-SAY).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Sud Djinn SO.1221S (FR108 'CDL') ex ALAT.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Sud Aviation Alouette II (A-41 'OT-ACB') ex Belgian Air Force.
Aerospatiale Super Frelon SA.321F (116 registered F-OCMF) ex AdlA.
Bolkow Bo.102 Helitrainer(D-HMQV).
Bolkow Bo.105M (81+00) ex Heer.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Agusta A.109A-2 SEM (MM81205 'GF-128') ex Guardia di Finanza.
Aerospatiale SA.365N Dauphin 2 (F-QWAP).
Bell 206A-1 (MM80927 'CC-49') ex Carabinieri.
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Brantly B.2B (G-ATFG).
Bell 47H-1 (G-AZYB)
Westland-Bell Sioux AH.1 (XT190) ex Army Air Corps.
Hiller UH-12C (G-ASTP).
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Bell UH-1H Iroquois (66-16579) ex USAR.
Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (67-16506) ex USAR.
Piasecki HUP-3 Retreiver (51-16622 '622' registered N6699D) ex USN.
Vertol H-21C Shawnee (FR41) ex ALAT under restoration.

Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Cierva C.30A (AP506).

Hafner RII Revoplane (BAPC.10). The experimental single-seat Hafner R II is the world's oldest surviving helicopter. Its origins date back to 1928, when Raoul Hafner first set out his helicopter design concepts while studying at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna. The R II represented an important step in the development of practical rotary-wing flight and remains a remarkable survivor from the pioneering era of helicopter aviation.
Raoul Hafner's R II helicopter, rebuilt in 1931 with a 40 hp Salmson engine, was an important step in early rotary-wing development. After limited success in Austria, testing moved to Heston Airport in England in 1932, where Hafner collaborated with autogyro pioneer Juan de la Cierva. Redesigned rotor blades and a modified rotor head improved control, although the underpowered R II could do little more than briefly hover.
Hafner went on to develop the successful R III autogyro before creating the Rotachute and rotor-equipped jeep during World War Two. Joining the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1944, he led the development of the Bristol Sycamore and later the Belvedere helicopter.
The R II was rediscovered in storage in 1961 and, after several museum loans, was reunited with its original rotor blades in 1979. Donated by Hafner's widow in 1996, it finally arrived at The Helicopter Museum in June 2000.

Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare
Left to right: Westland WG30-200 (G-ELEC).
Westland Sea King HAS.6 (ZA133 'CU-831').
Westland 30 Series 100 (G-BKGD).
AgustaWestland EH-101 (ZJ116 '101').