Close the the English town of Carlisle, bordering Scotland, is an expanding collection of mostly vintage military aircraft, which includes an iconic Cold War-era bomber. The “V bomber” – the Vulcan – was actually one of Solway Aviation Museum’s earliest major acquisitions. It’s popular and now open for ticketed guided tours by volunteers.
To kick off your tour of the Vulcan, you climb through a trapdoor entrance via a ladder – certainly a very different experience. You’ll see and feel for yourself where the five crewmen were stationed in the cramped, but pressurized cockpit section. Other cockpits are open, too – one being an English Electric Canberra and another the commercial airliner Hawker Siddeley Trident.
The whole organization was started by five members of the Royal Observer Corps (ROC), who were keen on aviation. They raised funds and helped out at Carlisle Lake District Airport with loading and unloading baggage from visiting aircraft. As well, they got more hands-on and trained as Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)-approved fire fighters.
In exchange for that work, they obtained use of a meeting room in the airport. Through a lot hard work, the number of volunteers grew to 108, which means the museum has been able to continue its expansion.
After finding a Hawker Hart at a school in nearby Wigton, they went on renovate a de Havilland Vampire into flying condition. Now, it’s the only airworthy one in the United Kingdom and still flies at airshows operated by the Vampire Preservation Group.
Their most iconic purchase, however, was made in 1983, when the group brought the Vulcan, which was then flown from RAF Waddington directly to Carlisle Lake District Airport for the handover. As a major draw, the “flying triangle” the Avro Vulcan bomber was the third and longest-serving member of Britain’s trio of “V-bombers.” The other aircraft were the Vickers Valiant and the Handley Page Victor.
The Vulcan was designed to carry nuclear weapons deep into enemy territory. It first flew in 1952 and was in service from 1956-84. It could also carry missiles and was used for conventional bombing, most famously Operation Black Buck, when, in 1982, a lone Vulcan flew from the UK to bomb the main runway at Stanley in the Falkland Islands after the Argentine invasion.
The current project underway is their work restoring for display at the Solway Aviation Museum a Blackburn Beverley, a former Royal Air Force (RAF) transport aircraft. It entered service in 1956 and was used as for heavy transport in locations like Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Aden. It delivered humanitarian aid in Vietnam, too.
Being the only complete example left, this specific Beverley was dismantled over a three-month period by volunteers and moved from Fort Paull, near Hull, to what they now call “Beverly Hills.” Slowly, the huge pieces are prepared for re-assembly, which is expected to happen within the next few months. After that, it’ll be yet another key exhibit for the public to enjoy.
More from us: INTERVIEW: HMS Victory and the ‘Big Repair’
Opening times at the Solway Aviation Museum are mostly weekends, including Friday. Into the main part of the summer, it’ll be open on Mondays, with the museum returning to its regular operating hours later in the season, until November 1, 2026.
For those interested in visiting, prices are as follows: seniors, £5; adults, £8; children £5; and families with two children, £20.