Jet Age Museum, Gloucester Airport

Date of visit: April 2022.

The Gloucestershire Aviation Collection (working name Jet Age Museum) is an aviation museum located on the north side of Gloucestershire Airport on the Meteor Business Park, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucestershire.

Founded in 1986 to preserve Gloucestershire's aviation history the museum is an all‑volunteer charitable organisation which over the years has amassed a unique collection of aircraft and artefacts charting the regions aeronautical heritage. The museum is themed on the early development of the jet aircraft, in particular the role played by the Gloster Aircraft Company and other local firms such as Dowty Rotol and Smiths Industries.

Museum Entrance
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Between 1986 and 2013 the museum had several temporary locations, but through fundraising activities was able to build a permanent home at its present location. The new Phase 1 building opened its doors to the public in August 2013 with the new Phase 2 building being completed in 2019.

It was at Brockworth, the site of the former Gloster factory‑airfield located between Gloucester and Cheltenham, that Britain's first jet powered aircraft the experimental Gloster E.28/39 left the ground during taxi trials on the 8th April 1941 (its official flight was at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire on the 15th May 1941). The turbojet which powered the Gloster aircraft was designed by the British engineer Sir Frank Whittle. His son Ian is a patron of the museum.

Main Display Hangar
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To commemorate the flight of the Gloster E.28/39, the Jet Age Museum volunteers have built a full‑size replica of the aircraft which can be seen in the main display hangar. The original aeroplane can be seen at the London Science Museum.
Alongside the Gloster E.28/39 the museum has a delta‑winged Gloster Javelin and five different marks of Gloster Meteor, the first jet aircraft to enter service with the RAF.

The museum has an outstanding document and photographic collection and is also the custodian of the Russell Adams photographic archive. Adams who formed a photographic section to assist with research and development for the Gloster Aircraft Company was regarded as the worlds leading aerobatic photographer.

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Main Hangar Exhibits

Gamecock (J7904)
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