Whenever I travel, I like to seek out local aviation museums. There are often some rare gems to be found. That was definitely the case during my recent trip to Scotland. I was able to visit the National Museum of Flight (NMF), and it was a day extremely well-spent.

The museum is located in East Fortune, a short drive from Edinburgh. The site was formerly a Royal Air Force (RAF) station with roots dating back to World War I. Several of the museum's buildings are rare surviving examples of World War 2-era hangars and facilities. The museum occupies only a portion of the former station. Other areas are home to a small civilian airport and an amateur race track. I saw plenty of activity in all three areas during my Sunday afternoon visit.

Rare Exhibits

I was particularly excited to visit NMF since it was to be my first aviation museum outside of the US. That alone ensured that I would find numerous aircraft that I'd never seen before. I love it when I finally run across an example of an airplane that I've read about and viewed photos of, but never seen in person. I was able to punch that card many times at NMF.

One of the main attractions at this museum is an example of the Concorde supersonic airliner. It is housed indoors, so the airplane remains in pristine condition. I've actually seen another Concorde at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. The big difference here is NMF's refreshing lack of velvet ropes. You can walk all around and under the airplane with few restrictions. Best of all, you can even walk through the interior for a look at the cabin and cockpit. It is actually less cramped than I imagined it would be. It's not exactly roomy, but wide-body airliners can't fly at Mach 2.

Scotland's National Museum of Flight provides a balanced look at the revolutionary and controversial Concorde supersonic airliner.

The Concorde was a controversial airplane throughout its lifetime. While many lauded the technological innovation and speed that the airplane represented, there was also a camp that denounced the noise and massive fuel consumption of the design. NMF's exhibit does a good job of presenting both sides in a balanced an unbiased way. There is also objective analysis of the fatal Concord crash in 2000 and the subsequent factors that resulted in the plane's retirement.

Another very unique aircraft on display at NMF is the Avro Vulcan bomber. Like the Concorde, the Vulcan is a large tailless delta-wing design. It is equal parts elegant and ungainly. Unfortunately, this example is stored outdoors. The airframe is beginning to look rather weather-beaten with dull and peeling paint. It is, however, still a striking display of an aircraft that has long been on my bucket list.

Under Cover

The Avro Vulcan bomber is a rare and extremely unique aircraft. Finally seeing one in-person was very satisfying.

While the Vulcan and a few of the other large aircraft are necessarily kept outdoors, the bulk of the museum's collection is housed within hangars. There is the aforementioned Concorde hangar as well as two additional hangars. One is dedicated to military aircraft and the other holds civilian flying machines of all types. Walking into the military hangar, one is greeted by the sight of a late-model Spitfire perched in a flying pose. Say what you will about the UK's pedigree of oddly proportioned and utilitarian (aka "sometimes downright ugly") aircraft. The Spitfire and few other notable beauties more than make up for any aesthetic shortcomings in other British offerings.

A super-clean cut-away Merlin engine lets you get an inside look at the iconic V-12 powerhouse.

Just below the Spitfire is a cut-away example of a Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engine. It is quite possibly the cleanest and best-displayed Merlin I have ever seen. One quickly senses the extreme complexity of the engine with its two-stage, two-speed supercharger. It's easy to understand why it was often called a "watchmaker's nightmare".

Another notable machine in the military hangar is an English Electric Lightning, a real homegrown hot rod for the RAF. It has many unusual design traits including twin jet engines that are stacked vertically rather than being arranged side-by-side. The Lightning also has sharply-swept wings with squared-off wingtips. It may look a little strange, but it earned a reputation as a fleet-footed brawler during its time in service.

The English Electric Lightning had a lot of unique design traits and was a spectacular performer.

I'll admit that I was slightly disappointed by the scarcity of WWII aircraft in the military hangar. The WWII machines that are there are certainly great. I especially liked seeing the Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet with its Walter rocket motor on display. I just thought that the WWII-era machines were underrepresented.

While I'm mentioning gripes, I'll also include the lighting in the military hangar. There is a repeating soundtrack with the sound of falling bombs and other war-related noises. The only trouble is that the lights are synchronized to change with the sound effects. For example, they'll dim sharply with the sound of explosions. It all adds to the ambience of the room, but it did make photography a challenge. The constantly-changing lighting conditions wouldn't have been a problem if I were a better photographer…I get that. But it sure would have been great if there were a few minutes every hour when the lights were consistently bright.

I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of aircraft in the civilian hangar. There are small airliners, private planes, autogyros, hang gliders--a little bit of everything. Several of the aircraft in the collection reflect the aviation demands posed by Scotland's many outlying islands. One of those aircraft, the twin-engined Britten-Norman Islander is the type used for the world's shortest scheduled commercial flight. The trip between the Scottish islands of Westray and Papa Westray takes somewhere between one and two minutes of flight time, depending on weather conditions!

The Britten-Norman Islander is typical of the utilitarian aircraft that service the Scottish isles.

As I walked around the civilian hangar, I kept being drawn back to the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer. It is a somewhat large passenger/cargo airplane that was designed to operate from short runways. The museum's example spent much of its operational life in Borneo. I'm not sure what it is about the Twin Pioneer that had me so intrigued, but I found myself examining it from every angle. I ran my hands over the myriad dents in the airplane's skin and wondered what story each blemish had to tell. If airplanes had autobiographies, I'm convinced that the tale of this "Twin Pin" would be a real page-turner.

The museum's Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer bears the scratches and scars indicative of an adventurous life.

More than Wings

The parachute shop illustrates the tools and techniques used to care for parachutes during WWII.

NMF contains much more than just aircraft. There are buildings with exhibits that outline the history of RAF East Fortune and the important roles that the base served in both world wars. Another building is dedicated to interactive displays that teach kids the physics of flight. I tried a few of them myself. I did very poorly at estimating the proper lead for a bomb drop. Piloting a huge airship, however, was a piece of cake.

My favorite non-aircraft display is the restored parachute store. This building illustrates how parachutes were meticulously cared for and packed during WWII. It was a process that required specialized equipment and extreme attention to detail.

Great Memories

I'm definitely easy to please when it comes to air museums. Show me a few airplanes and I'm usually happy. Even so, I was especially satisfied with my visit to NMF. The majority of the museum's collection consisted of airplanes that I'd never before seen in person. I also appreciate that the displays allow you to get right up next to the aircraft to check out the details of each. Not all museums are so trusting of their visitors.

On top of all that, I was lucky to have warm, sunny weather during my visit. This allowed me to comfortably study the outside exhibits (especially the Vulcan!) and explore the grounds. I felt like I was completely immersed in history. I don't see how I could have asked for much more. If your future plans include any time in Edinburgh, Scotland (also a fun and history-filled destination), be sure to set aside at least half a day to take in the National Museum of Flight.

Terry is a freelance writer living in Buffalo, NY. Visit his website at TerryDunn.org and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. You can also hear Terry talk about RC hobbies as one of the hosts of the RC Roundtable podcast.