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 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 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 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 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 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 ; 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 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 . 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. With Cranfield’s full the US Mutual Defense Assistance agreement, enquiries began in Program were ferried to Sculthorpe 1976 with the aim of arranging an in Norfolk for scrapping. Along exchange for one of the top priorities with several other organisations, on our ‘wants’ list. MAM applied for one of each type Four German collections were on offer: Dassault Mystère

A unique Whittle W2B-type engine discovered under a tarpaulin in a Coventry scrapyard in April A brace of Lightnings – F.6 XR771 and T.55 ZF598. VIA AUTHOR 1975, where it had lain for 30 years. VIA AUTHOR

Lorry-bound, the Boulton Paul P.111A negotiating a roundabout close to Coventry Airport, July 13, 1975. VIA AUTHOR

May 2017 FLYPAST 101 MUSEUMS MIDLAND AIR MUSEUM

Powered by the unique Coventry- Midland’s Humming Bird built Double Mamba, T.2 XA508 arrived at MAM on The Fl 282B V20 under test at September 26, 1982. COVENTRY Holtenau, 1944. KURT LASTIG VIA STEVEN CRANE HIRE COATES

The 20th prototype Flettner Fl 282B Kolibri (Humming Bird) was used for trials, IVA, Lockheed T-33A and North New-found friends at the US including shipboard development fl ying, at Kiel’s Holtenau airfi eld in northern American F-100 Super Sabre. They Defense Property Disposal Service Germany. It was captured at Travemünde, eastwards along the Baltic coast were to be held on indefinite loan asked if we would be interested in a near Lübeck, in mid-1945, moved to Britain by July and issued to the College of from what was then the USAF US Army U-6A, otherwise known as Aeronautics at Cranfi eld on August 1, 1946. In cut-down form it transferred to Museum. the de Havilland Canada Beaver. It the Midland Air Museum in May 1975. Despite the engineering team’s had been operated on intelligence- previous experience, dismantling gathering missions along the Berlin 10-ton F-100D 54-2174 with none Wall. Ramstein Air Force Base kindly of the specific equipment required offered to ship the Beaver from proved quite a challenge. After the Mannheim inside a Boeing CH-47 three-hour journey to Sculthorpe, Chinook as a ‘training exercise’ – one of the specially made tools which, as a means of transport, was broke – so it was back to Coventry hard to beat. to make a new one in a school In March 1982, the special workshop. Eventually the fuselage relationship strengthened further arrived safely in March 1978, when it was agreed that the then followed by the wings a month later. Defense Security Assistance Following in May and June 1979 Agency would assist with other respectively were T-33A 51-4419 surplus aircraft on the same terms. and Mystère IVA 70, and in March Ten years later, that support, aided 1981 Kaman HH-43B Huskie by Tom Brewer from Dayton, Ohio’s 62-4535, with intermeshing National Museum of the USAF, had Space restrictions at Cranfi eld meant that the Fl 282 was stripped down, but the all-important rotors like the Fl 282, arrived from led to the arrival of no fewer than intermeshing rotors were retained. VIA STEVEN COATES Woodbridge, Suffolk. 11 aircraft and one cockpit section,

Squeezing FAW.5 XA699 under the bridge at Cosford, heading for the museum, September 19, 1981. VIA AUTHOR

102 FLYPAST May 2017 with three other airframes awaiting Community project Britain’s first jet, the Gloster E28/39, building was signed on October 30, collection – more than any other UK As a voluntary organisation, the provided an opportunity to launch an 1986, with completion plans for the museum. museum’s most important and appeal for funds to erect a hangar/ following February. In January 1986, a Royal Danish valuable resource was its members. workshop at MAM. The Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Air Force Lockheed F-104G But by the early 1980s the sheer Centre was designed to provide a Starfighter became available. It flew pace of development demanded Jet pioneer clean, uncluttered exhibition space in on April 30, 1987 as cargo inside additional manpower. Thankfully, After the festivities, the then Lord for the Meteor, Vampire, T-33 and an RDAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules. the Thatcher Government had Mayor confessed he had no idea that J29, complemented by engines Once again, the museum’s central introduced the Community Sir Frank Whittle had been born in and other relevant exhibits. With location on an operational airport Programme, providing temporary Coventry – which showed how much the benefit of hindsight, it’s now proved invaluable. Not every offer work for the long-term unemployed. effort would be needed to win public clear that the little Boulton Paul could be taken up, however, and a In 1983, the first of three such recognition for the ‘Father of the Jet delta, which contributed much to former Pakistan Air Force North schemes began, MAM employing Engine’ and create a permanent and aerodynamic and control system American F-86 Sabre at Peshawar 20 people on a mix of site work and fitting tribute to him. It was left to research, should also have been proved just a little too far away. restoration. Roger Smith to have a commemo- accommodated within it. Research meanwhile revealed It was the start of a seven-year rative plaque erected at Whittle’s Sir Frank Whittle had given his that batches of RAF Hunter F.6s partnership, a unique collaboration birthplace. blessing to the project back in 1981, had been funded by the US. One that finally led to the opening of The museum’s Blériot-based with five of his contemporaries, Sir of them, Coventry-built XF382, a dedicated aircraft restoration Humber Monoplane replica had Rolf Dudley-Williams, Sir Arnold was located at Brawdy in Wales workshop at Edgwick in Coventry been installed as the centrepiece Hall, Sir Stanley Hooker, Sir Arthur and quickly dismantled during city centre in 1985, largely staffed of the terminal at Birmingham Marshall and Lord Kings Norton, November 1986, before being by a team made redundant with the Airport in October 1984. During agreeing to be patrons of the fund- brought to Coventry. closure of Hawker Siddeley’s facility the preparations, MAM developed raising appeal. The official opening Across Europe, the USAF had used at Bitteswell, near Lutterworth. an excellent relationship with the was conducted by Lord Kings Norton, retired jets for battle damage repair The first project was former airport’s owners, West Midlands former chairman and managing training. In 1991 MAM expressed Southend Historic Aircraft Museum County Council (WMCC). director of Power Jets. an interest in three McDonnell Saab J29F 29640, which included At a meeting with WMCC in At the end of its first quarter- types: Voodoo TF-101B 56-0312 some re-skinning. The Meteor F.4 December 1985 the museum applied century, the Midland Air Museum had at Alconbury and Phantom F-4Cs came next – the start of a 12-month for financial support to create the Sir a collection of nearly 50 aeroplanes, 63-7414 at Woodbridge and 63-7699 restoration – followed by Coventry- Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre. rebalanced a city’s appreciation of its at Upper Heyford. The fact that built FGA.6 To everyone’s great relief, on April industrial heritage and led the way ’699 was also a genuine Vietnam WV797. 2, 1986, just a few hours before in securing local recognition for the ‘MiG-killer’ was a great bonus. The Edgwick team’s final task was WMCC ceased to exist, a cheque for most significant ‘Coventrian’ of the Understandably, they were not Percival Prentice T.1 VS632, which £110,000 was handed over – worth 20th century. in the best condition, but the had come from Chelsea College at half-a-million pounds at today’s rates. Looking back to the beginnings museum believed this might be the Shoreham, Sussex, in 1982. Its wings At long last, MAM’s ambitious aim of that grassroots preservation only opportunity to preserve such had been removed outboard of the could be realised. movement, although some of the aircraft in Britain. In due course, undercarriage, but MAM obtained Back in 1976 the museum plot had early pioneers have fallen by the MAM acquired all three, together replacements. been a mere 150 x 180 yards (137 wayside, those that remain can be with the forward fuselage of F-101B An event in Coventry city centre x 164m) but a decade later it had justifiably proud of an incredible 57-0270 for conversion to a ‘hands- in 1981 to celebrate the 40th moved to an adjacent 4.5-acre site. A achievement. on’ exhibit. anniversary of the maiden flight of construction contract for the Whittle www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk

View of the original museum site, circa 1983. VIA AUTHOR

A view of the Whittle centre shortly after its opening. MAURICE BUTLER

Argosy 101 G-APRL, donated by Air Bridge after negotiations lasting ten years, fl ew into Coventry on February 20, 1987. VIA AUTHOR

May 2017 FLYPAST 103