Midland Air Museum

Not to be confused with Midland Army Air Field Museum.
Midland Air Museum
The Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre at the Midland Air Museum
Midland Air Museum is located in Warwickshire
Midland Air Museum
Location within Warwickshire
LocationBaginton, Warwickshire
Coordinates52°22′26.18″N 1°28′46.92″W / 52.3739389°N 1.4797000°W / 52.3739389; -1.4797000
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.midlandairmuseum.co.uk Edit this at Wikidata

The Midland Air Museum (MAM) is situated just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, England, and is adjacent to Coventry Airport. The museum includes the Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre (named after the local aviation pioneer and inventor of the jet engine), where many exhibits are on display in a large hangar. It also has a small hangar, and a fenced-off green area where many aircraft are on display in the open.

Aircraft on display

Armstrong Whitworth Argosy AW.650 (ex. registration G-APRL)
Armstrong Whitworth Sea Hawk FGA.6 (ex. serial number WV797)
Avro Blue Steel nuclear missile (seen under Avro Vulcan wing)
Avro Vulcan B.2 (ex. serial number XL360)
Boulton Paul BP.111A (ex. serial number VT935).
English Electric Lightning T55 (ex. serial number 55-713)
English Electric Canberra PR3 (ex. serial number WF992)
BAC Lightning F.6 ex. serial number XR771
Mil Mi-24
Gloster Meteor NF.14 (ex. serial number WS838, on loan from the RAF Museum)
Lockheed F-104G Starfighter (ex. serial number R-756)
McDonnell F-4C Phantom II (ex. serial number 63-7699, on loan from USAF Museum)
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo ex. serial number 56-0312

The museum's two largest aircraft are an Avro Vulcan B.2 and an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy AW.650 (series 101). The restored Avro Vulcan is a delta-winged aircraft that was originally part of the V bomber force and could be equipped with nuclear missiles as part of Britain's role in NATO's nuclear deterrent force during the Cold War. It is on display near the museum's car park, together with an Avro Blue Steel missile, an early design format of such a nuclear missile, and a Boulton Paul BP.111A, an experimental delta-winged aircraft of the 1950s.

The museum also has an English Electric Canberra PR.3, two English Electric Lightnings (the RAF's fastest ever interceptor), two Gloster Meteors (one on loan from the Royal Air Force Museum), an Armstrong Whitworth Sea Hawk FGA.6, a Mil Mi-24 helicopter, and many others.

List of aircraft on display

Aircraft Civil registration/
Military Serial/
British Aircraft
Preservation Council (BAPC) Number 		Notes
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy AW.650 (series 101) G-APRL Often open for viewing
Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.14 WS838 On loan from the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford
Armstrong Whitworth Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV797 Royal Navy
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley N1498 Remains; fuselage section etc. - the only substantial Whitley remains in existence
Avro Vulcan B.2 XL360 Royal Air Force
Beagle B.206 G-ASWJ
Boulton Paul P.111A VT935
Bristol Beaufighter Possibly T5298 Cockpit section
British Aerospace Sea Harrier FA.2 ZE694 On loan from BAE Systems
CMC Leopard G-BRNM
Crossley Tom Thumb BAPC.32 Stored
Dassault Mystere IVA 70 French Air Force, on loan from the USAF Museum
de Havilland Dove 2 G-ALCU Painted as G-ALVD
de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ579 Nose section
de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2 XN685
de Havilland Vampire F.1 VF301 Only Mk.1 Vampire in the UK
de Havilland Vampire T.11 XD626 Stored
de Havilland Vampire T.11 XE855 Fuselage pod on display in Robin Hangar
de Havilland Canada U-6A Beaver 58-1062
Druine D.31 Turbulent BAPC.126
English Electric Canberra PR.3 WF922
English Electric Canberra T.17A WH646 Nose section
BAC Lightning F.6 XR771
English Electric Lightning T.55 55-713
Fairey Gannet T.2 XA508 On loan from Fleet Air Arm Museum; only remaining Mk.2 Gannet in existence
Fairey Ultra Light G-APJJ
Flettner Fl 282V-10 28368 Partial aircraft; frame with rotor head and wheels,under restoration.
Folland Gnat F.1 XK741 Currently painted to represent GN-101 of the Finnish Air Force; fuselage only with replica wings currently in store.
Gloster Javelin FAW.5 XA699 Royal Air Force
Gloster Meteor F.4 EE531 Second oldest Meteor in existence
Gloster Meteor F.8 VZ477 Nose section
Hawker Hunter F.6A XF382 Royal Air Force, on loan from the USAF Museum
Hawker Siddeley 125 series 1 G-ARYB Fuselage and partial port wing; 2and prototype, working hydraulics.
Humber Monoplane BAPC.9 Replica
Kaman HH-43B Huskie 62-4535 United States Air Force, undergoing restoration, one of only two in the UK
Lockheed T-33A 51-4419 Former French Air Force painted to represent a T-33 of the United States Air Force, on loan from the USAF Museum
Lockheed T-33A Unmarked Former French Air Force 17473 painted in Italian Airforce colours, on loan from the USAF Museum
Lockheed F-104G Starfighter R-756 Danish Air Force, on loan from the USAF Museum
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo 56-0312 United States Air Force, on loan from the USAF Museum
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo 57-0270 On loan from the USAF Museum; nose,in store, (not viewable)
McDonnell F-4C Phantom II 63-7414 On loan from USAF Museum; dismantled, fuselage being restored.
McDonnell F-4C Phantom II 63-7699 On loan from USAF Museum
Mignet HM.14 "Flying Flea" G-AEGV
Mil Mi-24 Red 06
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21SPS 959 East German Air Force
North American F-86A Sabre 48-0242 United States Air Force, owned by M.A.M.
North American F-100D Super Sabre 54-1174 Former French Air Force aircraft painted to represent a United States Air Force F-100, on loan from the USAF Museum
Parnall Pixie IIIa G-EBJG Stored
Panavia Tornado GR.4 ZA452 Royal Air Force,owned by M.A.M.
Percival Prentice T.1 VS623 Royal Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra 1H0408 Marked as 1706 of the Polish Air Force
SAAB J29F Tunnan 29640 Swedish Air Force, only example in the UK
Slingsby Cadet TX.1 BGA.804 Stored
Vickers Viscount 708 F-BGNR Air Inter markings, owned by the Midland Air Museum..
Westland Whirlwind Series 3 G-APWN Bristow markings
Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 XK907 Storage area - remains of nose section
Wheeler Slymph G-ABOI Stored

Former residents on the British Aircraft Preservation Council register

Engines on display

The Midland Air Museum has a number of aero engines on display with a dedicated section on the work of Frank Whittle.

Piston engines

Gas turbine engines

Rocket engines

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Sold to the South Wales Aircraft Preservation Society between 1979 and 1981.[2]
  2. ^ Formerly owned by J. P. Berkeley.[4]
  3. ^ Formerly owned by J. P. Berkeley.[4]
  4. ^ Formerly owned by J. P. Berkeley.[4] Moved to the Torbay Aircraft Museum between 1981 and 84.[5]
  5. ^ Formerly owned by J. P. Berkeley.[4] Moved to the North Weald Aircraft Restoration Flight between 1981 and 84.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Wright 1979, p. 188
  2. ^ Wright 1981, p. 187
  3. ^ a b c d Wright 1981, p. 188
  4. ^ a b c d Wright 1979, p. 189
  5. ^ a b Wright 1984, p. 249
  6. ^ Wright 1981, p. 189

Bibliography

  • Wright, Alan J., Civil Aircraft Markings 1979. Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton, Surrey, UK. ISBN 0-7110-0930-9.
  • Wright, Alan J., Civil Aircraft Markings 1981. Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton, Surrey, UK. ISBN 0-7110-1104-4.
  • Wright, Alan J., Civil Aircraft Markings 1984. Ian Allan Ltd, Shepperton, Surrey, UK. ISBN 0-7110-1374-8.
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