Aviation Collection at Farnborough Library

The Aviation Collection is housed at Farnborough Library. Whilst the majority of the collection is for reference use only, loans are possible in some circumstances.

The Aviation Collection consists of over 5000 books, pamphlets, directories and yearbooks. A recent donation from QinetiQ in Farnborough has added material from the early days of aviation, especially technical manuals and reports, and some stock from the Royal Aircraft Establishment in Farnborough.

The journal collection includes many back files from the 1970s to date with a few earlier runs including some from the 1930s.

There are news cuttings files, videos and a small collection of photographs and postcards. In recent years the focus of the collection has been British civil aviation and RAF history, but the collection is still strong in other areas such as world aviation, early aviation history, the story of individual aircraft such as the Spitfire or Concorde.

There are also memoirs from wartime pilots and histories of the development of the RAE/DERA at Farnborough itself. Information is available on the biennial Farnborough International Air Show.

The Collection has links with the National Aerospace Library Farnborough and Hampshire Library users can access the NAL's research facilities - Tuesday-Friday,10am-4pm.

Also with the FAST Museum with its large collection of historical flying artefacts and many documents and photographs. Together, the three collections form FALCon, the Farnborough Aviation Libraries Consortia.

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  Piston Aero-Engines of the Great War

  This 2-disk CD-Rom set comprises an amazing collection of original aero engine manuals and reports, some not published for over 50 years, from the combat aircraft that flew in the Great War and just after - British, French, German, Italian and Austrian.  

  Purchase from the online shop >>>

   

Ten current aviation periodicals are stocked

• Aeronautical Journal
• Aeroplane
• Aerospace International
• Air International
• Aviation News
• Aircraft Illustrated
• Aviation Week & Space Technology
• Flight International  Online Archive 1909-2008
• Sailplane & Gliding

In addition, through our links with the National Aerospace Library, access to articles in many other aviation journals can be obtained. See their list

Links

• Farnborough International Air Show
• Imperial War museum
• AERADE
• National Aerospace Library Farnborough
• Royal Aero Club extensive aviation archives of the Royal Aero Club
• Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates, 1910-1950 , includes photographs and personal details.
  Access via Ancestry Online which is available in many of our libraries