Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh)

Station briefing

About this museum

The Ulster Aviation Society's two WWII hangars at Maze Long Kesh hold 50-plus airframes and the definitive Shorts collection — fitting, since Belfast's Short Brothers were the world's first production aircraft company. Tours are member-guided, unhurried and repeatedly reviewed like great theatre, with individual volunteers name-checked. Northern Ireland's best-kept aviation secret, which the society itself cheerfully admits needs more promotion.

Listed inventory: 63 airframes.

60+ on charge~22 Trainers, light types & microlights~11 Helicopters & gyroplanes~10 Incl. Harrier, Phantom & Sea Hawk~6 Strike & maritime, incl. Buccaneer5 Nose sections~3 Shorts-built types

Notable airframes

Buccaneer S.2B XV361
Grumman Wildcat, recovered from the lough
AV-8B Harrier, the newest arrival
Phantom FG.1 of 892 NAS

Star of the show

The Shorts family — SC.1 vertical take-off research aircraft included — plus a Buccaneer, Phantom, Wildcat, and a newly arrived AV-8 Harrier that has the reviews buzzing.

Visitor intel

Visits are typically pre-arranged tours or open weekends: check the website first, don't just turn up. Enter via Gate 3, Halftown Road. Bring a flask outside event days.

Visitors liked

“The whole museum is very interesting. Both planes and helicopters with steps to view the cockpits and knowledgeable staff with interesting facts makes this place a worthwhile visit.”— C Hamilton
“A very interesting tour around all the aircraft, from start to finish. Also being allowed to get into the pilot’s seat in some of the planes, The guide was Maurice , who was very knowledgeable about all things aeronautical.with plenty of stories.”— Gary Burrows
“Fantastic tour with Liam last weekend. Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who showed us around a seriously diverse and interesting collection. Of course, the parachutes were my favourite - great to see some Irvin items in there!”— Andy Smith

Public map reports · excerpted for reference · not reviews collected by this gazetteer

In The Hangar

The collection in profile

28 types held here that we have drawn and built in 3D. Choose one to turn it over, or see all 127 in The Hangar.

Visitor questions

Frequently asked

What are the opening times for Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh)?

By appointment (tours 11am/2pm). Verify current opening times with the museum before travelling.

How much does Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh) cost?

Adult admission is listed as By appointment. Check the museum's current prices before travelling.

Which aircraft can you see at Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh)?

The listed collection includes BAE Harrier GR.9 (ZD465), BAE Hawk T.1A (XX260), Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B (XV361), de Havilland Vampire T.11 (WZ549), Embraer EMB-312 Tucano (7th prototype) (G-BTUC). Aircraft move between displays, so confirm current holdings before travelling.

Does Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh) have parking or a cafe?

Parking is recorded on site; a cafe or restaurant is recorded. Check current facilities with the museum before travelling.

Order of battle

Airframe checklist

Tick them off as you go. Identities are as held in the gazetteer survey — verify against the museum’s own labels if something has moved.

	Type	Identity
	Aero Composites Sea Hawker	EI-BUO
	Aerosport Scamp (unflown)	—
	Air & Space 18A autogyro	EI-CNG
	BAE Harrier GR.9	ZD465
	BAE Hawk T.1A	XX260
	Beagle A.61 Terrier (ex Auster AOP.10 WJ363)	G-AVCS
	Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B	XV361
	Bristol Sycamore HR.14	XJ918
	Cameron N-90 hot air balloon (basket)	G-TANK
	Chargus Cyclone hang glider	BAPC.263
	Clutton-Tabenor FRED Series 2	G-BNZR
	de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T.10	—
	de Havilland Devon C.2 nose section	VP957
	de Havilland Vampire T.11	WZ549
	Eipper Quicksilver	—
	Embraer EMB-312 Tucano (7th prototype)	G-BTUC
	English Electric Canberra B.2 cockpit section	WF911
	English Electric Canberra PR.9	XH131
	Eurowing Goldwing	G-MJWS
	Evans VP-2	G-BEHX
	Fairchild F-24W-41A Argus II	HB612
	Fairey Gannet ECM.6	XA460
	Fairey Swordfish	HS503
	Ferguson Flyer 1911 replica	G-CJEN
	Fieseler Fi 103 (V-1) full-scale replica	BAPC.403
	Fouga CM.170R Super Magister	218
	Gloster Meteor T.7½ (Martin-Baker ejection-seat test aircraft)	WA634
	Grumman Wildcat V	JV482
	HAPI SF-2A Cygnet (unassembled kit)	—
	Hawker Hunter FGA.9 nose section	XE643
	Hawker Sea Hawk FB.5	WN108
	Hunting Jet Provost T.3A	XM414
	Hunting Jet Provost T.4 nose section	XR700
	Learjet 45 test airframe (Short-built)	—
	McCandless gyroplane	—
	McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1	XT864
	Miles Messenger 4A	RH371
	Monnett Monerai glider	BGA.2988
	Panavia Tornado F.3/GR.4 composite cockpit section	—
	Panavia Tornado GR.4	ZG771
	Percival Sea Prince T.1	WF122
	Pitts S-1A Special wreckage	N80BA
	Reims FR.172H Rocket (Irish Air Corps)	203
	Robinson R22	G-RENT
	Rogallo hang glider	BAPC.266
	Rotec Rally 2B	G-MBJV
	Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1	XX637
	SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1	XZ389
	Short 330	G-BDBS
	Short SB.4 Sherpa	G-14-1
	Short SB.5	WG768
	Short SD.2 Stiletto target drone	—
	Short Tucano T.1 ('Enniskillen' Spitfire scheme)	ZF378
	Slingsby Cadet TX.1 (under restoration off-site)	XN239
	Sud Aviation Alouette III (Irish Air Corps)	202
	Supermarine Spitfire IIa replica	BAPC.369
	Team Himax 1700R	G-MZHM
	Westland Gazelle AH.1	XZ332
	Westland Lynx AH.7	XZ666
	Westland Puma HC.1	XW222
	Westland Scout AH.1	XV136
	Westland Sea King HAS.6	XV701
	Westland Wessex HC.2	XR517

Show all 63 airframes

Inventory last verified 2026-10-08: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4 · source 5 · source 6 · source 7. Aircraft move between sites; report corrections to the compiler.

Visit

Location & contact

Address: Gate 3 - Maze Long Kesh, 94 Halftown Rd, Lisburn BT27 5RF
Phone: 07486 709651
Website: www.ulsteraviationsociety.org/
Hours: By appointment (tours 11am/2pm)
(from your local clock — verify before travel)
Gazetteer: NI-01 · Northern Ireland · the situation map