Fleet Air Arm Museum The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation . It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft , aero engines , models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships ( especially aircraft carriers ) , and paintings and drawings related to naval aviation . It is located on RNAS Yeovilton airfield , and the museum has viewing areas where visitors can watch military aircraft ( especially helicopters ) take off and land . It is located north of Yeovil , and south of Bristol . Exhibits . The museum ' s main display is divided into four areas : Hall 1 . Contains a display about the development of naval aviation from the early days of airships and fabric - covered wooden biplanes to modern jet aircraft and helicopters , including the front section of the fuselage of Short 184 " 8359 " , built locally by Westland aircraft in Yeovil and flown at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 before being put on display at the Imperial War Museum , where it was damaged during World War II when the museum was hit by a bomb . Displayed in an unrestored condition . Currently contains the following aircraft : Hall 2 . Mainly devoted to World War II , with a side room containing a Kamikaze exhibit , which contains an Ohka ( Yokosuka MXY - 7 Ohka II ( BAPC 58 ) ) , models of Japanese aircraft and final letters from Kamikaze pilots . Two aircraft fom the Korean War are also displayed . . By the entrance to Hall 3 there is a collection of models of British aircraft carriers , illustrating the history of aircraft carrier design . The aircraft on display include : Hall 3 . Instead of a traditional museum hall , the whole hall has been converted into a mock - up of the fleet carrier HMS Ark Royal as it would have appeared in the 1970s . The entrance to this hall is by a simulated helicopter ride from Hall 2 . The hall itself is a simulation of a section of the flight deck of HMS Ark Royal and aircraft are displayed as if they are on the deck . Two large screens show the takeoff and landing of aircraft such as Blackburn Buccaneer s and F4 Phantom s . There is also a series of rooms simulating the carrier ' s island . The aircraft include : Hall 4 . It was flown to Yeovilton on March 1976 and opened to the public in July of that year . It has been on display ever since . The aircraft on display as of November 2013 : Other displays . In addition to the four main exhibition halls , there are a number of smaller displays . These include : Reserve Collection . The museums collection includes a number of aircraft which are currently being restored and are not on display , although public access is allowed at least once a year . These are housed in Cobham Hall , a climate controlled building across the road from the museum . Aircraft include : Engines on display . [ [ File : Clerget 9B FAAM . JPG | thumb | [ [ Clerget 9B ] ] rotary engine on display ] ] The museum possesses a number of aero engines located throughout the halls . Other activities . Restoration . The museum also carries out various restoration projects . the last project was a Corsair KD 431 which in the summer of 2006 was unveiled as it would have appeared in 1944 . Visitors can see into ( but not enter ) the restoration workshop between Hall 3 and Hall 4 . Archives . The Fleet Air Arm Museum is the home to an archive of material related to naval aviation . Visitor facilities . The museum ' s shop is one has the most extensive selections of naval merchandise in the area . The selection includes various themed books and documentaries such as " Sailor " . There is an outside " adventure playground " for children in the museum ' s grounds , as well as two cafés . External links . [ [ Category : Aerospace museums in England ] ] [ [ Category : Military aviation museums in England ] ] [ [ Category : Naval museums in England ] ] [ [ Category : Museums in Somerset ] ] [ [ Category : Fleet Air Arm ] ]