Last verified 2026-08-09 against the gazetteer Compendium. Airframes move — confirm on museum pages before travel.
Where to see the English Electric Canberra in the UK
The gazetteer records 19 English Electric Canberra airframes (including cockpit sections and replicas where noted) across 14 UK collections, in 8 regions: London & Around, East of England, South East England, South West England, Midlands & Lincolnshire, Northern England, Wales, Northern Ireland.
| Museum | City | Region | Airframes recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avro Heritage Museum | Stockport | Northern England | English Electric Canberra WK118 |
| Boscombe Down Aviation Collection | Salisbury | South West England | EE Canberra cockpit |
| Bournemouth Aviation Museum | Christchurch | South West England | English Electric Canberra PR.7 WT532 – Nose section only |
| Gatwick Aviation Museum | Gatwick | South East England | English Electric Canberra B.2 (nose section) WK146 |
| Midland Air Museum | Coventry | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Canberra PR.3 English Electric Canberra T.17A |
| Newark Air Museum | Newark | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Canberra B.2 (Mod) English Electric Canberra PR.7 English Electric Canberra PR.9 (cockpit section) English Electric Canberra T.17 (cockpit section) English Electric Canberra T.19 |
| Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum | Bungay | East of England | English Electric Canberra T.4 WH840 |
| Royal Air Force Museum London | London | London & Around | English Electric Canberra PR.3 WE139 |
| Royal Air Force Museum Midlands | Shifnal | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Canberra PR.9 XH171 |
| Solway Aviation Museum | Crosby on Eden | Northern England | English Electric Canberra T.4 WE188 |
| South Wales Aviation Museum | Barry | Wales | English Electric Canberra |
| Tangmere Military Aviation Museum | Chichester | South East England | English Electric Canberra B.2 WE113 |
| Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh) | Lisburn | Northern Ireland | English Electric Canberra PR.9 XH131 |
| Yorkshire Air Museum | York | Northern England | English Electric Canberra T.4 WH846 |
The short story
A jet bomber so good the Americans swallowed their pride and built it under licence — the first non-US design bought for the USAF since 1918. It flew too high for fighters, set an altitude record of 70,310 feet, photographed the entire Cold War, and served the RAF for fifty-five years. With fourteen museums holding one, it is statistically the hardest aircraft in Britain to avoid.
The English Electric Canberra in brief
| Type | English Electric Canberra (B.2–PR.9 & T.4) |
|---|---|
| First flight | 1949 |
| Era | Early jet age |
| Number built | 1,352 + 403 licence |
| Top speed | 580 mph |
| UK museums holding one | 14 |
| Airframes recorded in this survey | 19 |
Serials are the gazetteer's survey snapshot of what each collection records on charge — restorations move between workshops and reserve hangars, so check the museum page for opening times and current display status before travelling. Every type across all 118 museums is indexed in the Compendium.