The Helicopter Museum (Weston)
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| The Helicopter Museum | |
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  Shown within Somerset
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| Established | 1989 |
| Location | Weston-super-Mare, England |
| Director | Wendy Cowlin |
| Website | Official website |
Coordinates: 51°20′22″N 2°55′49″W / 51.3395°N 2.9303°W
The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England, is a dedicated museum featuring a collection of more than 80 helicopters and autogyros from around the world, both civilian and military. It is based on the south-eastern corner of the now-disused airfield in Weston-super-Mare.
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[edit] History
The museum originated in 1958 when its founder, aviation writer/historian Elfan ap Rees, began to build up a private collection of rotorcraft documentation and artefacts.[1][2] Over the next ten years his collection grew and in 1969 he acquired his first complete helicopter, a Bristol Sycamore Mk.3.
In 1974 Elfan ap Rees purchased a Bristol Belvedere and formed a volunteer group to restore it. In December 1976 an ex Royal Navy Westland Whirlwind HAS Mk.7 was acquired and added to the collection.[3] In 1977 and 1978 more aircraft were added, including an ex Royal Air Force Bristol Sycamore HC Mk.14 and several rare prototypes: the Fairey Ultra-Light tip-jet driven helicopter, the Thruxton Gadfly HDW.1 two-seat autogyro and the Campbell Cougar autogyro. In the 1978 the museum acquired a small area and some buildings on Weston-super-Mare airfield, including a Second World War armoury building and air-raid shelter. The buildings required extensive repair work but by the summer of 1978 the collection was opened to the public, with nine aircraft and a range of other artefacts on display.
Throughout the eighties, remains from rare helicopters were added to the collection, often preventing them from being scrapped, including the only remaining major parts of the Fairey Rotodyne. Other aircraft acquired in the eighties included two more variants of the Westland Whirlwind, a Westland Scout AH Mk.1 and a Westland Wessex.
On 3 November 1989 the Museum was officially opened by HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York, who arrived in a Wessex HC.4 of the Queen's Flight.[4] The museum continues to restore and display many types of helicopters from various countries and purposes.
[edit] Museum collection
The museum's collection of helicopters now exceeds 80 complete rotorcraft with many more in restoration or only partly complete.[5] The museum features many foreign helicopters, particularly Soviet-era and Eastern European craft, for example the Kamov Ka-26 Hoodlum[6] and the Mi-24 Hind, and more modern ones such as the EH-101.[7]
In 2008, several parts of the XCH-62, prototype of the largest helicopter ever build in the western countries, were sent to the Helicopter Museum to be exhibited there. The XCH-62 was scrapped in 2005 at the US Army Aviation Museum, where it was previously displayed.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ "1969 to 1979 The Early Years". The Helicopter Museum. http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/69-79.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare". Nothing to see here. http://www.nothingtoseehere.net/2009/03/the_helicopter_museum_westonsu.html. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "The Helicopter Museum". Aviation Museums of the World. http://www.aviationmuseum.eu/World/Europe/UK/Weston-super-Mare/The_Helicopter_Museum.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "1980 to 1990 The Formative Years". The Helicopter Museum. http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/80-90.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "Family Outings: The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/family-outings-the-helicopter-museum-westonsupermare-483250.html. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "Eastern European Helicopters". The Helicopter Museum. http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/eastern.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "European Helicopters". The Helicopter Museum. http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/europe.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
- ^ "News", Aeroplane (London: IPC Media Ltd) 37 (4 (432)): 7, April 2009, http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com
[edit] External links
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