Hangar Project 2025/26

Why are we carrying out this project?

The theming of our Collection hangars has gone unchanged for a significant period of time. Although our aircraft and vehicles are constantly being taken out for air shows and other activity - the fantastic benefit of ours being a working Collection - their core positions within set hangars have not been reviewed for some time.

We feel there is a better way to order and theme the Collection exhibits to improve your customer journey through our hangars, and to better tell the story of a Collection as unique as ours.

What you'll see...

From early October, you'll start to see our engineers and volunteers emptying a hangar at a time to make space to move exhibits into their new themed locations. Cabinets and larger exhibits (excluding aircraft and vehicles) will be temporarily moved to part of our engineering hangar whilst we 'shuffle' the bigger exhibits, before being returned to their new locations. 

Aircraft and vehicles will be manoeuvred onto the airfield or the hard standing area in front of the hangars before being taken back into their new positions. No aircraft will be left outside overnight.

You'll start to see refreshed interpretation plinths and barriers thanks to our fantastic volunteers ready and waiting with their paint brushes. Then, new self guided tour sheets will be produced to help explain the theming once the exhibits are mostly in their new positions, with new directional signage following once everything is in place. You'll also see updated interpretation panels for the exhibits.

During this time, we appreciate your patience whilst the Collection hangars look a little different each week - sometimes each day! Interpretation plinths and complimentary information boards may not be with their exhibits for a time - but rest assured they will be reunited. Directional signage will also be at odds with the new themes until everything is in situ later in the winter.