The Bristol Aeroplane Company (formerly British and Colonial Aeroplane Company) began building primitive Bristol Boxkites in a former tram shed and became famous for the production of the war-time Blenhein and Beaufighter, the Brabazon airliner prototypes, the Britannia and Freighter and the Belvedere and Sycamore helicopters. The helicopter divisions of Bristol, Fairey and Saunders-Roe were merged with Westland to form Westland Helicopters in 1961.

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Bristol Belvedere HC Mk.1, XG452, C/n. 13347.
Built as the 5th prototype it first flew in February 1960 at Weston-super-Mare. The Belvedere, a tandem rotor heavy transport helicopter, was powered by two Napier Gazelle 100 turboshaft engine. G452 undertook a series of record breaking flights to Libya via Rome, Malta, and Idris in June 1960, taking only 13 hours 57 minutes. The museum aircraft was declared "surplus to operational requirements" by the RAF in 1967. Parts from a variety of sources, including Singapore, were located to aid the restoration. XG452 represents the only British tandem rotor helicopter to enter series production. The Belvedere is currently under going major restoration.

Bristol Type 171 Sycamore Mk.3, G-ALSX, C/n. 12892.
Built in 1951 at Filton, near Bristol and first flown on 30th April 1951, the aircraft was initially allocated as a company demonstrator. The 5 seat general purpose helicopter is powered by a single Alvis Leonides 173 9-cylinder radial piston engine. G-ALSX was the seventh production Sycamore and in 1951 it was used for aircraft carrier landing trials on HMS Triumph. It also played a significant part in the relief work during the Dutch flood disaster of 1953. In April 1991 it was allocated to the Apprentice Training School at Westland Industrial Products Ltd. for restoration as a training project and was then returned to the museum for restoration of the cockpit area.

Bristol Type 171 Sycamore HC Mk.14, XG547, C/n. 3387.
The Sycamore Mk.14 was the final fully developed variant of this British helicopter Built in 1956 at Weston-super Mare, as a 5 seat utility helicopter it was the third helicopter to be built at Oldmixon and today is the oldest survivor. Power is provided by an Alvis Leonides 173 9-cylinder radial piston engine. It was first flown on 25th May 1956 and operated in Cyprus with No.284 Squadron at Nicosia in 1956, and also in the SAR role in Libya. When it returned to the UK it was allocated to the Central Flying School Helicopter Wing at RAF Ternhill. In 1994-95 XG547 underwent a corrosion clean-up and repaint before going on display at the airfield where it first flew some 40 years previously. This aircraft is currently on temporary loan to the RAF.

Bristol Type 171 Sycamore HC Mk.14, XL829, C/n. 13474.
Built in Weston-super-Mare in 1957 and the last Sycamore to be delivered to the Royal Air Force and one of the last to be withdrawn from service. It was flown, in a support role, with the SAS, at El Adem, in Aden, from December 1958 and then with the Khormaksar Search and Rescue Flight until March 1964 and transferred to the RAF's Metropolitan Communications Squadron on VIP communications duties. The four-door cabin was modified for this role and extra fixed steps were fitted to the fuselage port side, to aid access. From 1970, No.32 Squadron started replacing its five Sycamores with Whirlwinds and in December 1971 XL829 was acquired by the City of Bristol Museum and was flown from Northolt to Bristol Lulsgate airport before transfer, by road, to the City Museum. There it remained in storage until 1978 when it was put on display at the newly-opened Bristol Industrial Museum at Prince's Wharf. Due to redevelopment of the museum it was transferred to the Helicopter Museum in October 2007.