First Steps in Both 1924 and 1926

MUSEUMS MIDLAND AIR MUSEUM Museum in the Making viation heritage is now a Society (MAPS) five decades ago. First steps in both 1924 and 1926. multi-million-dollar global A classified advertisement in With no fewer than 3,530 Royal MAPS had its first airframe, Aphenomenon, but half a the Coventry Evening Telegraph Aircraft Factory RE.8s built in and one with local provenance, century ago things were very invited enthusiasts to a meeting on Coventry during World War One G-EBJG having flown from a field different. At its peak in the 1930s May 24, 1967, at which 17 founder – nearly 90% of the total – it’s near Nuneaton from 1935. James Warwickshire had 45 airfields members agreed to join forces to fitting that the new society’s first continued to support the society, a and landing grounds within foster the area’s heritage. acquisition should be a propeller converted pigsty on his farm being its boundaries and the region Significantly, many of them from the famed observation used as a store until 1988. made a massive contribution to were already active with projects biplane. Carried through the city’s At first, the generosity of donors manufacturing in both world wars. of their own. Carl Butler had two streets, it caused quite a stir content to pass on redundant Coventry alone could boast Mosscrafts, MA.1 G-AFHA and reminiscent of a medieval passion airframes was the main method an output of more than 14,000 MA.2 G-AFJV; John Coggins had play! of gaining potential exhibits, aircraft. Yet in the 1960s there a collection of Percival Prentices; The newly formed MAPS and several gliders found their was little or no evidence of this Ken Wooley had Foster Wickner attracted others with links to the way into the growing collection great industrial heritage: it was as Wicko G-AFJB; and Roy Nerou locality’s past. James Rowe’s – including relatively familiar though it had never happened. had Klemm L.25 G-AAHW, among family farm at Stratford-upon- types, such as the Slingsby Britain’s grassroots preservation others. They were followed by Avon had served as a landing Cadet and Grunau Baby, while movement was still in its infancy the likes of Joe Wood and Don ground for the town during the the experimental Nyborg TGN.III when Roger Smith, a 19-year- Burgoyne, both of whom had built 1920s and 1930s. In August 1967 sailplane was a true one-off. old apprentice draughtsman at and ‘flown’ Mignet ‘Flying Fleas’ he donated the remains of Parnall The priority was to raise funds Dunlop Aviation, founded the G-AEBT and G-AECN, respectively, Pixie III G-EBJG, which took part in and attract new members by Midland Aircraft Preservation in the mid-1930s. the Lympne Light Aeroplane Trials visiting airshows with a sales and Top right Founder members of MAPS with their ﬁ rst aircraft, Parnall Pixie III G-EBJG, in August 1967. Left to right: Roger Smith, Dave Phillips, Gordon Riley, Mick Abbey and Rick Clarke. COURTESY COVENTRY EVENING TELEGRAPH Above The BBC TV studios at Pebble Mill, Birmingham, on November 26, 1973. Left to right: Spitﬁ re replica, Humber Monoplane, Meteor F.4 and Flying Flea. MAURICE BUTLER 98 FLYPAST May 2017 To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Midland Air Museum, John Berkeley describes how this pioneering collection in the Making got started followed soon after, still in its wartime camouflage and gathering dust in a Royal Aircraft Establishment hangar at Lasham, Hampshire. At £175, and with dismantling and transport costs to cover, the search began for a sponsor. Fortunately, the Birmingham telephone directory turned up a car dealership in Moseley named Meteor Ford – and, freshly repainted, EE531 became the centrepiece of a forecourt publicity stand. Society chairman After five years MAPS decided express an interest. A response display in the summer of 1973. Bob Ogden bought the wings of to take a more proactive approach would come by post with a Neither of the two jets had been Flying Flea G-AEGV, discovered towards acquisitions. The first fixed price, probably based on declared surplus by the MoD. The in a garage in Northampton, ‘target’ was de Havilland Vampire the aircraft’s empty weight. Vampire and the Meteor were and donated them to MAPS. F.1 VF301, serving as a ‘gate No competitive tendering, just the oldest surviving operational Members built a new fuselage guardian’ at Debden in Essex. a simple ‘take it or leave it’ examples of their breed in the UK, and the aircraft became the ideal The procedure back then was to transaction and, in the case of and an important step had been travelling exhibit, capable of being contact the Ministry of Defence VF301, an asking price of £100! taken towards the future direction transported in a van. (MoD) office in Harrogate and Gloster Meteor F.4 EE531 of the museum. “In a bid to bring the society’s problems to a much wider audience, four aircraft were moved to the BBC TV studios in Birmingham for a live Pebble Mill at One transmission on November 26, 1973” May 2017 FLYPAST 99 MUSEUMS MIDLAND AIR MUSEUM Dismantling the Vampire F.1 at Debden in March 1973. GORDON RILEY ‘Flying Flea’ G-AEGV in the MAPS workshop in Coventry. VIA ROGER SMITH The Meteor F.4 on display with a Ford dealership sponsor in Moseley, Birmingham, during August 1973. GORDON RILEY Finding a home Country Festival. Following the its responsibility for recording Cranfield University) had amassed Having accumulated nine engines event, the society was offered and preserving the city’s aviation a remarkable variety of airframes, and 15 airframes – some more storage and workshop facilities on heritage to MAPS. This was the start some of which had already found complete than others – a permanent the site, an arrangement that lasted of a unique affiliation that played a their way into major museums. base became an urgent need during for the next five years. Without it vital role in its future, supported by Thanks almost entirely to the those first five years. Lock-up MAPS could not have continued to individual councillors, a succession generosity of Professor Denis garages and converted pigsties were expand and develop. of Lord Mayors and the local press. Howe, a stream of aircraft and simply no longer fit for purpose. In a bid to bring the society’s The original site on the edge of major components transferred to Many possibilities had been problems to a much wider audience, the airport was small but afforded Coventry. explored, as far afield as Halfpenny four aircraft were moved to the BBC an uninterrupted view of the main Among them were all that Green (now Wolverhampton Airport) TV studios in Birmingham for a live runway. It was opened to the public remained of several early British and the old Stratford aerodrome. Pebble Mill at One transmission on as the Midland Air Museum (MAM) jets, such as the outer wing of Lord Brooke at Warwick Castle November 26, 1973. Disappointingly, for the first time on April 2, 1978. Gloster E1/44 TX150 and the cockpit offered the use of a small site in although the switchboard was canopy of the sole Supermarine the town centre, but it would have jammed with offers of help, none College graduates 545, XA181. The cost, 44 years ago, provided no scope for expansion. came from within the Midlands. MAM’s long-term objectives included was £15! Thanks to Roger Smith being Then, after strenuous canvassing, establishing a museum centred on Parts from a BAC TSR.2, Bristol employed there as a surveyor, the Coventry City councillors the life and work of Sir Frank Whittle; 188 XF923, Meteor F.1 EE223 and National Agricultural Centre at commissioned a report on the and creating a broad, well-balanced others followed, together with more Stoneleigh near Kenilworth came society’s proposal to establish collection throughout the 1970s and substantial acquisitions: the first was to the rescue. In August 1972, a museum at Coventry Airport. 1980s. Fairey Ultra-Light Helicopter G-APJJ, MAPS displayed several aircraft The project won approval and Early in its existence the College the last of six produced from and engines at the first Town and the council formally transferred of Aeronautics at Cranfield (now 1955. Like the Flea, this diminutive 100 FLYPAST May 2017 rotorcraft was an ideal travelling anxious to negotiate a deal but, exhibit. unfortunately, none were able to The Flettner Fl 282B Kolibri of offer something suitable. 1941 was the world’s first helicopter A third Cranfield airframe to enter operational service, and presented a different challenge. The Cranfield’s example, ‘CJ+SN’, the sole Midlands-built Boulton Paul 20th prototype, was almost certainly P.111A delta-wing jet, VT935, posed the sole survivor. Although generally a real problem. Although having complete back in 1945, shortage of a span of only 25ft 8in (7.82m), it space at Cranfield led to the removal couldn’t be dismantled. of its rear fuselage and cropping of Various means were explored, its intermeshing rotor blades. including slinging it beneath a When collected in May 1975, only USAF Sikorsky HH-3E ‘Jolly Green the bare forward fuselage frame Giant’ helicopter – but, eventually, on its undercarriage remained, permission was granted for a together with the all-important rotor dawn move along the M1 and M45 head. motorways on a Sunday in July 1975. Because of the Flettner’s significance and rarity, every effort Special relationship was made to return it to Germany From the early 1970s, former French to be professionally restored and Air Force aircraft funded under exhibited.

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