The Helicopter Museum

The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare is a truly extraordinary institution — the largest museum in the world dedicated exclusively to helicopters and rotorcraft. Founded in 1978 through the passionate dedication of a group of helicopter enthusiasts, the museum has grown from a small collection to a world-class attraction housing over 100 aircraft spanning the entire history of vertical flight from the earliest experimental machines to the most advanced modern rotorcraft.

The museum occupies a purpose-built facility on the site of the former Weston-super-Mare Heliport, a fitting location for a collection that celebrates the helicopter's remarkable versatility and the breadth of its applications. The collection ranges from pre-war autogyros and pioneering experimental machines of the 1940s and 1950s to helicopters from every major manufacturer and nation, illustrating the parallel development of rotary-wing aviation across the world during the Cold War period and beyond.

Among the headline exhibits are the only surviving examples of several significant aircraft types, including the Cierva W.11 Air Horse — the world's largest helicopter when it flew in 1948 — and various Westland and Bristol designs that represent the golden age of British helicopter manufacturing. Military helicopters from the Korean War, Vietnam, the Falklands, and more recent conflicts sit alongside civilian machines used for air ambulance work, offshore oil rig support, police surveillance, and agricultural applications.

The museum is particularly proud of its Bristol and Westland collections, reflecting the importance of South West England as a centre of British helicopter manufacture. The Westland Lynx, developed at Yeovil in Somerset, holds the world speed record for helicopters — and several significant Lynx variants are among the collection's highlights. Visitors can explore the engineering and design innovations that made British helicopters world leaders in their fields.

Beyond the static collection, the museum offers a compelling programme of flight experiences, with regular helicopter pleasure flights operating from the adjacent heliport during the summer season. Cockpit access is available on selected aircraft, allowing visitors to sit in the pilot's seat and experience the controls of some of aviation history's most significant machines. The museum is a place of passionate expertise, where volunteer staff and retired aviation professionals bring an unparalleled depth of knowledge to their interactions with visitors.