Lashenden Air Warfare Museum

he Lashenden Air Warfare Museum is one of the longest established aviation museums in the country, having been formed in 1970.

The museum collection was started by members of the Maidstone branch of Royal Air Forces Association in the late 1960’s. The museum itself came into being when the airfield owner, Mr Freeman, offered the Maidstone branch of the Royal Air Forces Association a building for use as a museum in early 1970. The museum opened to the public Easter 1970 taking on the name of Lashenden Air Warfare Museum (Lashenden being the wartime name of the airfield). The museum’s first aircraft arrived just before Easter 1970, this being the very rare Fieseler Fi 103R-4 Reichenberg piloted V1 flying bomb.

The museum became a registered charity (Charity No. 279883) in 1977 & is operated through a Board of Trustees. It’s aim is to advance the education of the public by establishing and maintaining a museum for the exhibition to the public of aircraft and relics, mainly from the Second World War and to preserve the aviation and military heritage of this country for the public benefit & to raise money for RAF & associated charities & to this end it has adopted the RAF Ex POW Association & the Guinea Pig Club as it's main charities for support.

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