New Hangar For Brooklands?

The land the Vanguard and VC10 are on is now owned by Damlier Chrysler, so the aircraft will be moving soon. The Viking, Varsity, Viscount, Vanguard VC10, 1-11 and Concorde will all be moving into what is now the gravel, overflow carpark, between where the Varsity has been and the banked race track, and between the acoustics building and river if you are familier with the site.

The Viking is still being restored in the Wellington hangar, and will join the other aircraft later. Concorde will hopefully be coming this summer and I understand that a building will go up almost immediately for that, or once we raise the £1 million. Think we will be waiting many years to see the others undercover, but it is planned to put a large roof over them. Don’t know whether a ‘normal’ hangar would fit over them all. Not sure if it has been finally decided what the building will look like, but I’ve been told it may have a glass front to it at least, and maybe more than just the front. When I mentioned the Eden project I said it may be similar to that to look at, but it must have a number of alterations to suit our purpose, so it doesn’t get too hot and humid in there. These are only plans at the moment and are likely to keep changing until anything is built.

D-C have said they will supply us with a carpark and grass runway on their land.

Steve

As I understand it the VC10 and Merchantman are to be moved to the front car park with the Viscount. The land that they stand on at the moment is not owned by the museum. This land and some of the old concrete runway has been bought by Mercedes Benz for a ‘heritage Centre and test track’ Brooklands will get a grass runway out of all of these changes. The only area I can think of large enough for a Concorde hangar is the one at the bottom of the old Club banking? Then there will be the problem of enough car parking? The Museum will certainly be a building site for a couple of years!
mmitch.

Thanks for your reply Steve,
I was going to ask the same thing as Robbelc,ie “Where would it go?”. I also have reservations about this ‘Eden project’ type of building.Surely the whole point of that building is to create a moist,tropical,greenhouse like environment for the plants??Not good for aeroplanes at all!I’ve also been lead to understand that it’s best to only let in moderate amounts of light due to the damage that UV can do to the perspex and paintwork.Leave an aircraft out in the sun and you’ll soon have fading paintwork and clouded canopies.
On the face of it,it sounds like another of those projects where the architecture takes precedence over the aeroplanes.I’d be happy to be proved wrong,but it just doesn’t seem like a sensible idea.What’s wrong with a conventional hangar??

I have not been to the museum for a few years but where is this bulding going to go? Except where the VC10 and Vanguard are now there doesn’t seem to be much room for it? The reason I have not been reciently is that the admission price is almost that of Duxford for much less to look at.

Hi Ant,

I believe this is the long term plan. I’m sure I mentioned to you before about all the airliners being put together, Viking, Varsity, Viscount, Vanguard, VC 10, BAC 1-11 and Concorde (fingers crossed), I think the latest plan is to have a building, similar to that of the Eden project in Cornwall. This may be done in stages as money is raised, starting with Concorde (think the contract may say the it has to be kept undercover, same with the Viking that BA still own I think which is still in the main hangar).

This type of building will keep the elements off the aircraft, but also allow large amounts of natural light in which is good for the preservation of the aircraft and for the public.

Steve