Jet Age Museum

Jet Age Museum
Location Staverton, Gloucestershire
Type Aviation museum
Website http://www.jetagemuseum.org/

The Jet Age Museum is the trading name of the Gloucestershire Aviation Collection, an all-volunteer, charitable organisation dedicated to the preservation of Gloucestershire's aviation heritage. The aviation museum is located on the north side of Gloucestershire Airport, between Gloucester and Cheltenham. It houses a number of aircraft, aero engines, cockpits and other related exhibits. It is themed on the early development of Jet aircraft, in particular the role played by the Gloster Aircraft Company and other local firms such as Dowty Rotol and Smiths Industries. The museum is also the custodian of the Russell Adams photographic archive.

History

The organisation was formed in 1986 and established as a company limited by guarantee.

The museum first opened to the public at the Gloucester Trading Estate, the former Brockworth aerodrome. With the aid of grants and public donations, it began to amass a collection of aircraft. The museum's first significant public opening began with a temporary exhibition in a hangar adjacent to Gloucestershire Airport. This had to close in 2000 after it was announced the former wartime hangar was to be demolished. The aircraft were dispersed to a number of locations in Gloucestershire including, briefly, at the former GAC 'shadow' factory at Bentham. A workshop was established at Brockworth Court and the remaining airframes eventually made their way back to Gloucestershire Airport, where they remained in open storage.

The museum made a number of unsuccessful bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund to construct a purpose-built facility before finally submitting plans for a building at Gloucestershire Airport. In January 2011 plans were approved for a new to house the museum's collection. [1]

The museum opened provisionally from 24 August 2013. [2] It has continued to open at weekends, and added further exhibits to the 30m x 36m exhibition hall, which also has a cafe and shop area.

Aircraft on display

The following aircraft are displayed in the main hangar:[3]

A number of cockpit sections and engines are also on display. In particular the cockpit section of a Hawker Siddeley Trident and an Avro Vulcan are both open to visitors.

Aircraft stored or under restoration

See also

References

  1. ↑ BBC News Gloucestershire 15 February 2011: Jet Age Museum plans agreed for Gloucestershire Airport
  2. ↑ BBC News Gloucestershire 2 August 2013: Jet Age Museum in Gloucester to open later this month
  3. ↑ Jet Age Museum (2013). "Aircraft". Retrieved 1 November 2013.

Coordinates: 51°53′44″N 2°10′29″W / 51.89553°N 2.17475°W / 51.89553; -2.17475

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