The Army Flying Museum, previously known as the Museum of Army Flying,
is a British military aviation museum about the history of flying in the
British Army. It is located beside the
Army Air Corps Centre in
Middle Wallop, close to
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
in
Hampshire, England.
Remit
The Army Flying Museum covers the history of Army aviation from the Balloon sections of the
Royal Engineers, through the establishment of the
Royal Flying Corps in 1912 and
Air Observation Post (AOP) Squadrons, and the establishment of the
Army Air Corps in 1957 from the merger of the
Glider Pilot Regiment
The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War, which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European theatre of World War II, European theatre in support of All ...
and the AOP Squadrons. It contains flight simulators, an outdoor play park with interactive aviation themed play pieces, and a control tower based on that at Middle Wallop.
The museum raised funds for 'Project Eagle', a two-phase development program. Phase 1, which was completed on 1 September 2017, is a memorial to more than 5,000 personnel who died in the service of British Army Flying from early pioneers to the modern Army Air Corps. Phase 2, from November 2018 to April 2019, instituted a
Heritage Lottery Fund supported £2.59 million refurbishment. In addition to capital improvements, an activity plan was instituted to operate until summer 2021, to included community and volunteer activities, training and education.
Displays
The collection of aircraft includes fixed wing and rotary aircraft. These include a restored
Westland Lynx serial XX153 that was used to set two former world helicopter speed records in 1972, and an
Aérospatiale Gazelle,
Westland Scout,
Westland Lynx,
Bristol Sycamore, the
Saunders-Roe Skeeter, and a replica of the
rotabuggy
The Hafner Rotabuggy (formally known as the Malcolm Rotaplane and as the "M.L. 10/42 Flying Jeep") was a British experimental aircraft that was essentially a Willys MB combined with a rotor kite, developed with the intention of producing a way of ...
.
The exhibit of military gliders of the
Glider Pilot Regiment
The Glider Pilot Regiment was a British airborne forces unit of the Second World War, which was responsible for crewing the British Army's military gliders and saw action in the European theatre of World War II, European theatre in support of All ...
includes the
Airspeed Horsa and
Waco CG-4.
The museum has an example of the
Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka
The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored Soviet self-propelled, radar-guided anti-aircraft weapon system (SPAAG).
Etymology
The acronym "ZSU" stands for ''Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka'' (russian: Зенитная Самоходная Ус� ...
, captured from the
Iraqi Army during the first
Gulf War; the Shilka is a
self-propelled,
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
guided
anti-aircraft weapon used during the
Cold War.
Fixed wing
*
Airspeed Horsa
*
Taylorcraft Auster V
*
Auster AOP.6
The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service.
History
The Auster AOP.6 (Auster Model K) was designed as a succe ...
*
Auster AOP.9
The Auster AOP.9 was a British military air observation aircraft ("Air Observation Post") produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the Auster AOP.6.
Design and development
The Auster AOP.9 was designed as a successor to the Auster AOP. ...
*
Britten-Norman Islander AL.1 ZG993
*
Cessna O-1 Bird Dog - United States Army
*
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
*
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller-driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used f ...
*
General Aircraft Hamilcar
*
General Aircraft Hotspur
*
Miles Magister
The Miles M.14 Magister is a two-seat monoplane basic trainer aircraft designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft. It was affectionately known as the ''Maggie''. It was authorised to perform aerobatics.
The Magister ...
*
Sopwith Pup
*
Rotabuggy
The Hafner Rotabuggy (formally known as the Malcolm Rotaplane and as the "M.L. 10/42 Flying Jeep") was a British experimental aircraft that was essentially a Willys MB combined with a rotor kite, developed with the intention of producing a way of ...
*
Waco Hadrian - United States Army
* Prospector EP.9
Rotorcraft
*
Aérospatiale Alouette II
*
Bristol Sycamore
*
Bell 47G-4
*
Bell AH-1 Cobra - United States Army
*
Agusta-Bell Sioux AH.1
*
Bell UH-1 Iroquois - Former Argentine Army captured in 1982
*
Saunders-Roe Skeeter
*
Westland Gazelle
*
Westland Lynx AH.1 XX153
* Westland Lynx AH.7
*
Westland Scout
References
External links
*
ArmyFlying.com— museum official website
{{Coord, 51.1502, -1.5726, display=title
Aerospace museums in England
Military aviation museums in England
Army museums in England
Museums in Hampshire
Andover, Hampshire