Aerospace Bristol

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Aerospace Bristol
Aerospace Bristol logo.jpg
Bristol Aerospace - museum (geograph 6089810).jpg
Gloucestershire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Gloucestershire
Established17 October 2017
Location Filton, England
Coordinates 51°31′23″N2°34′44″W / 51.523°N 2.579°W / 51.523; -2.579
TypeAerospace museum
Website aerospacebristol.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Side view of the renovated "Belfast" hangar (October 2017) Side of the Belfast hangar (geograph 5572909).jpg
Side view of the renovated "Belfast" hangar (October 2017)

Aerospace Bristol is an aerospace museum at Filton, to the north of Bristol, England. The project is run by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust and houses a varied collection of exhibits, including Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the final Concorde to be built and the last to fly. [1]

Contents

The museum

The museum is situated on Filton Airfield and the main exhibition is housed in a First World War Grade II listed hangar, [2] A second hangar from the same era, also Grade II listed, is used as the workshop and storage area for items undergoing restoration, [3] with Concorde exhibited in a new, purpose-built hangar. The exhibits cover over 100 years of aviation history through two world wars, exploring the role of aircraft in these conflicts, through the drama and technological advances of the space race and on to the modern day.

The Concorde Trust, 2007 to 2012

The Concorde Trust was formed in 2007 and produced applications for support for a new museum that would house one Concorde aircraft. [4] [5]

History

2003

Concorde Alpha Foxtrot (G-BOAF) flew into Filton in November. [5] She remained out in the open for 14 years until the construction of a dedicated exhibition building was completed.

2012 to 2014

In December 2012 the Bristol Post reported that BAE Systems, who were selling Filton Airfield for development, would be contributing the site – including the listed hangars – and £2.4 million in funding, for a new museum for which other corporate sponsors and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant would be sought. [6] [7] [8]

In 2014, the trust was awarded a grant of £4.7 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Plans were begun for construction of a visitor centre, later named Aerospace Bristol and due to open in Summer 2017. [9] [10]

2016

On 26 May, Aerospace Bristol held a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the new Concorde hangar. [11] On 15 September, Princess Anne became the patron of Aerospace Bristol for the next two years. [12] On 13 October, she visited the site to attend a 'topping out' ceremony celebrating a major milestone in the construction. [13]

2017

On 7 February, Concorde Alpha Foxtrot was moved into the purpose-built hangar at Aerospace Bristol. [14] On 8 March, a Sea Harrier was delivered to the museum site, airlifted by an RAF Chinook, for display in the exhibition. On 16 August, the Red Arrows performed a flypast in Concorde formation whilst members of the public formed the shape of Concorde on the ground. On 17 October, Aerospace Bristol opened its doors to the public.

2023

South Gloucestershire Council wrote off up to £315,900 of a ten-year £470,000 loan to the Bristol Aerospace Collection Trust, and made a £154,000 grant over four years to help restore the number of school visits, in what was termed a "rescue package" following the COVID-19 pandemic. [15]

Exhibition

Bristol Boxkite replica Bristol Boxkite.jpg
Bristol Boxkite replica
Bristol Bloodhound surface-to-air missile Bristol Bloodhound at Filton.jpg
Bristol Bloodhound surface-to-air missile
Concorde G-BOAF Alpha Foxtrot displayed with a Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 jet engine G-BOAF Alpha Foxtrot.jpg
Concorde G-BOAF Alpha Foxtrot displayed with a Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 jet engine

The collection contains over 8,000 artefacts. There are several Bristol-built aircraft, some original, some modern replicas, including Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, a Bristol Scout, a Bristol Fighter and a Bristol Bolingbroke, the Canadian built version of the Bristol Blenheim bomber, which is under restoration. There are examples of Bristol motor vehicles as well as many scale models. Also on display are a number of Bristol aircraft engines, from both the piston and jet eras.

The exhibition is themed around seven eras of aviation, with a separate hangar that celebrates the story of Concorde and its local connection: [16]

See also

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References

  1. "Home". Aerospace Bristol. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  2. Historic England. "Triple Hangar at ST 60 806, Filton Airfield (1391563)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  3. Historic England. "Hangar at ST 598 805, Filton Airfield (1391562)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  4. "How Aerospace Bristol was created and SWWE branch AGM". Association for Project Management. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 Beacham, Rhiannon (1 May 2012). "How vital is it to get a roof over the Filton Concorde?". BBC News. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  6. "British Aero Collection Trust gets connected for fundraising with Advanced NFP's Donor Strategy CRM solution" Archived 6 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine . charitytechnews.co.uk.
  7. Sauvebois, Marion (6 December 2012). "Bristol aviation museum project a step closer". Gazette Series. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  8. Marion Sauvebois. "Bristol Aero Collection Trust £13 million museum project backed by BA". Gazette Series.
  9. "Take-off at last for Bristol's £16m Concorde museum at former Filton airfield" Archived 11 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine . The Bristol Post, 28 November 2014
  10. "Concorde wins £4.4m funding". Southwest Bristol. 28 May 2013
  11. "Taking off - Aerospace Bristol to start construction for the new home for Concorde!". Aerospace Bristol. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  12. "HRH The Princess Royal becomes Patron of Aerospace Bristol". Aerospace Bristol. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  13. "HRH The Princess Royal attends topping out ceremony for Aerospace Bristol". Aerospace Bristol. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  14. "Final Concorde to ever fly moves into new hangar". ITV News. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  15. Postans, Adam (20 February 2023). "Council's £470K Aerospace Bristol bailout causes 'grave concerns'". Bristol Post. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  16. "Exhibition". Archived from the original on 25 October 2016.