I love aviation history. I've visited most of the great US and UK av museums-- and some small airfields, with wonderful old historic hulks...

Now I'm journeying to the Netherlands and Nord Rhein in Germany. Any suggestions, Flyertalkers?

Best--

There is the Aviodome at Lelystad Airport in the Netherlands - http://www.aviodome.nl/

Another part of UK air history that may not be so obvious or easy to get to is some of the WWII airfields. I found my first one quite by accident while following a public footpath using the excellent UK Ordinance Survey maps.
Some have turned into farms but still have parts of concrete runways left.
Some have interesting uses such as 'runways' for radio controlled aircraft.
Some are still in use by the military....mind the barbed wire...it's a good clue
I've never found a guide book to these but really enjoy visiting them.

W.r.t. airfields in the UK, the Imperial War Museum Duxford is a preserved airfield/museum very close to Cambridge. I'm told it's very interesting although I still haven't made it out there.

i strongly second duxford, been there twice. their air show [twice a year iirc] is awesome, its a day trip from london..while there see the imperial war museum, & the raf museum, both can be reached on the tube w/ a little walking.

however, on your trip, if you can detour to brussels, there is a war museum which has 50 or so planes [saw a mosquito there] & a large collection of other military items...there is an old car museum about 100 yds away...both are worth the time....

i suggest you google for them in the areas you are visiting...

i'll add, just for the heck of it, comments on us museums...

i like, pensacola navy, dayton usaf, savannah mighty 8th, hartford new england air [next to the airport, go early before flight 2 hrs is about right]...
march afb, 2 in chino for a day in so cal...

enjoy.

Also, check out the little-known museum in Santa Monica (right on the municipal airport). Some really well-restored WW II warbirds, including a very nice P-51 and P-47, ME-109, etc. Nice little film shows, etc. Admission free (IIRC) but donations accepted.

I've been there twice, and enjoyed it immensely both times.

Thanks for all these fine comments. I've enjoyed Dux very much, also the Naval museum near the coast. I'm taking off shortly but will reply Re: US museums soonest.

Best--

In addition to Duxford there is the RAF Museum in Hendon,North London that is easy to get to from Central London

Not in North Rhine, but the Sinsheim Museum close to Mannheim is the only one with a Concorde and a Concordski (Tu-144) side-by-side! The museum is about an hour south of Frankfurt.