The Museum of Berkshire Aviation is a small museum on the site of the former Woodley Aerodrome near Reading. This excellent little museum is steeped in history, once the centre of a thriving aircraft industry with Miles and Handley Page aircraft being built here. The museum has recently opened its new extension, giving it almost twice the space to show off its collection of aircraft and artifacts.
The Miles M.100 Student, was the only aircraft of this type built. It crashed at Duxford on August 24th 1985. Designed in 1953 as a jet trainer for the RAF and Royal Navy (carrier bourne) in competition with the Jet Provost. However, lack of resources delayed it until too late for consideration. Interestingly, the pilot who crashed at Duxford was pronounced “clinically dead” for 20 minutes. Peter Hoar later recovered and went on to Captain Airbus aircraft for many years.
The Fairey Jet Gyrodyne was a British experimental compound autogyro built by the Fairey Aviation Company that incorporated helicopter, gyrodyne and autogyro characteristics. The Jet Gyrodyne was the subject of a Ministry of Supply research contract to gather data for the follow-up design, the Fairey Rotodyne. Scheduled for scrapping in 1961, the Gyrodyne was saved and is displayed at the museum as XJ389.
This Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer 3 was first used by No. 16 EFTS and then by No. 11 EFTS before being sold to BOAC for use by their Speedbird flying club. Registered as G-AKKY it flew until being withdrawn from use in November 1964. G-AKKY languishing for many years during which time the fuselage and centre section was destroyed. The remaining parts were bough and the replica constructed around these.
This is thought to be the most complete Miles Martinet in existence in the world. MS902 was originally used by the RAF station flight at Reykjavik in Iceland before being sold to a local flying club in 1949. Sadly in 1951, the aircraft came to grief in the far North East of the country where it remained until 1977. The intention was eventually to put it on display in Iceland however, the museum went to Iceland and negotiated the return of this historic aircraft to Woodley.
The gem in the Museums crown, the first production Herlad. Flown by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh during his tour of ten South American countries in 1962, the Herald has seen more than 14,000 man hours during her loving resoration by the Herald Society.
This Fairey Gannet T.5 came from Wales Aircraft Museum at Cardiff Airport in 1996. Unfortunately the aircraft has had to be hidden behind this fence as the years of British weather are now taking their toll on this venerable old aircraft and her undercarriage is no longer considered safe. What I would do to hear those engines roaring into life!
Mini link trainer.
Nimbus turboshaft engine from a Westland Wasp.
Concorde helmet, 12P Mk4 partial pressure type. Specially fitted to the crew during prototype testing and later converted for high altitude testing in the Tornado.
If you are in the area this museum is a must. PLease visit and help the museum preserve the history of aviation in Berkshire.
Hope you enjoyed the report!
By: RPSmith - 24th December 2008 at 18:19
Like other posters this is a Museum that I need to re-visit. Thanks for the photos.
The glider behind the Jet Gyrodyne (photo 4) is, I think, the Broburn Wanderlust, ex Bagley’s Barn, Farnborough recently mentioned in another thread.
Roger Smith.
By: Wallace - 24th December 2008 at 07:18
So that’s where the Student went to. I’m sorry to hear of the accident.
I remember it at Glasgow Airport in the care of Captain Mc.Intosh.
By: galdri - 24th December 2008 at 00:24
This is thought to be the most complete Miles Martinet in existence in the world. MS902 was originally used by the RAF station flight at Reykjavik in Iceland before being sold to a local flying club in 1949. Sadly in 1951, the aircraft came to grief in the far North East of the country where it remained until 1977. The intention was eventually to put it on display in Iceland however, the museum went to Iceland and negotiated the return of this historic aircraft to Woodley.
Really great to see the old girl looking so nice. It is certainly a far cry from the remains we sent to Woodley. As I was (and is) involved with it´s former owner, The Icelandic Historical Aviation Society, I can assure you that by the time it went to Woodley all ideas of restoring it to display condition in Iceland had been abonded. In fact I´m not even sure such ideas ever existed. When it was rescued from it´s crash site I think it was more to safe it for a later date than to actually restore it.
One minor correction. The aircraft was never owned by a Flying Club. A gentilman by the name of Steindor Hjaltalin bought the aircraft from the occupation forces in 1946 along with a Proctor and a Hudson. The Hudson was his “executive jet”. The Proctor was intended, among other things, as initial training aircraft for his daughter. The Martinet was was to be a “complex” trainer for the daughter to ready her for the Hudson. For reasons unkown to me, the Martinet was never put into use in it´s intended role and it flew very rarely from 1946 until 1949. In 1949 three young guys got to an agreement with Mr. Hjaltalin to fly the aircraft provided they payed for fuel and inspections. One of these guys is my former mentor, Mr. Magnus Norddahl, and he flew the aircraft quite a lot. He has told me that they never owned the aircraft because of the simple fact that they didn´t have any money to pay for it, and Mr. Hjaltalin knew it!!
By: avion ancien - 23rd December 2008 at 23:20
I think I contributed to that thread actually.
I just remember it from a discussion with a local chap eons ago when I lived in the Staverton area. The original rumour was that a Miles Master had been found in a hedge and when I did some asking around someone said it was a Martinet prototype and it was in fact stuck in an orchard. Again, I was told the engine/prop was all that was left after the rest had rotted away.
I may of got my wires crossed about part of it being used in the restoration but I was told that a few bits from Staverton did end up at the museum.
Now that you mention it, this rings bells with me too. Perhaps those bells are being rung by your post on the earlier thread! Hopefully Martin43 will be able to say whether any of the Staverton orchard Martinet Trainer has gone into the Woodley Martinet. In the meantime, perhaps David Burke can elaborate on his penultimate post by indicating who is “the group” and what are the “problems relating to where [the engine mount, engine and propellor] are now”.
By: avion ancien - 23rd December 2008 at 23:11
Avion Ancien – Look under FlyPast June/July circa 1984 and you will find a picture of the engine/propeller and engine frame of said machine just prior to recovery.
Not readily to hand! Could you oblige by scanning and posting the picture?
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd December 2008 at 22:46
One of the aviation museums in the UK I have not visited….ever!!! Need to put that right in 2009………… Some real “gems” there.
Planemike……….
By: David Burke - 23rd December 2008 at 22:32
Avion Ancien – Look under FlyPast June/July circa 1984 and you will find a picture of the engine/propeller and engine frame of said machine just prior to recovery.
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd December 2008 at 22:27
I think I contributed to that thread actually.
I just remember it from a discussion with a local chap eons ago when I lived in the Staverton area. The original rumour was that a Miles Master had been found in a hedge and when I did some asking around someone said it was a Martinet prototype and it was in fact stuck in an orchard. Again, I was told the engine/prop was all that was left after the rest had rotted away.
I may of got my wires crossed about part of it being used in the restoration but I was told that a few bits from Staverton did end up at the museum.
By: avion ancien - 23rd December 2008 at 22:05
I heard rumour that part from the Martinet prototype dumped in an Orchard at Staverton made it into this restoration?
I think that to be a most unreliable rumour.The Staverton airframe was Martinet Trainer JN668/G-AKOS. As far as I am aware, the most that survived of that is a piece of the rear cockpit skin. But I’d be delighted to be proved wrong! There was a thread concerning this subject some months ago. No doubt someone can provide a link to it.
By: David Burke - 23rd December 2008 at 20:52
It’s being restored as a Martinet as it was one when it crashed in Iceland and thats it’s history. The engine and propellor of the Martinet trainer was recovered by the group in 1984 but I think there might be some problems relating to where they are now.
By: Arabella-Cox - 23rd December 2008 at 20:48
/kicks self. 🙁
I’ve been meaning to visit the museum for years and considering I’m spending Xmas in Aldershot it would of been a perfect excuse to get out.
Nice to see the Martinet in good shape although a Master II would of been my choice.
BTW, I heard rumour that part from the Martinet prototype dumped in an Orchard at Staverton made it into this restoration?
By: Rlangham - 23rd December 2008 at 20:42
Nice Martinet, is it planned to fully restore it?
By: WB981 - 23rd December 2008 at 20:13
Its a long time since I visited and it certainly looks like I need another visit there.
Just one question. Was the EON Primary on display or is it still stored in the ISO?
By: WP840 - 23rd December 2008 at 19:42
Wow, I visited here once about 10 years ago and it’s looking like I’m going to be returning asap!
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December 23, 2008 at 7:38 pm