After a long and difficult gestation period the EMAp finally settled into a site adjacent to the perimeter of the airport which is easily accessed from Castle Donnington village. It opened on this site in 2001.
With a diverse collection of aircraft on display it has recently added the cockpit and front fuselage of former RAF VC-10 XV 108 to its collection. This is from an aircraft recently scrapped at Bruntingthorpe.
G-BEOZ
Armstrong Whitworth AW 650 Argosy 101 c/n 6660. Built for ‘Universal Airlines’ as N895U, it first flew on 16th. December 1960. Returned to the UK in the early 1980’s, it worked for ‘Air Bridge Carriers’ (ABC) who were based at the nearby airport. Now displayed in ‘Elan’ livery it was donated to the EMA in 1987 by ABC.
Part of the fuselage has been converted into a cinema.
Whilst stored in the rear fuselage, is part of the fuselage of Beagle- Auster (B-A) Terrier 2 registered G-ASDL.
Originally built in the 1950’s as an Auster T7 for The Army Air Corps with the military serial of WE 558. It was sold to B-A in 1961.
Originally the Blackburn NA 39, then named the Blackburn Buccaneer which then became the Hawker Siddeley (HS) Buccaneer when HS took over Blackburns in 1960.
XV 350
A former Royal Navy S2B model delivered in 1967. It served with the MoD (Procurement Executive) and the A&AEE from 1969.
It spent some time in the USA working with the US Navy before being retired in 1993. It is the only aircraft of its kind in preservation carrying this livery.
ZF 588
English Electric Lightning F53. Built for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) as its 53-693 being delivered in May 1969.
It served the RSAF until 1985 when it was one of 22 bought back by British Aerospace as part of the deal with the RSAF to buy Tornado’s.
At one time it was thought that the RAF would form an additional squadron using the ex RSAF machines but it came to nothing.
Displayed in the colours of an RAF F6 in 74 Squadron markings.
XL 569
Hawker Hunter T7. It first flew in March 1958 serving with several RAF Squadrons and Training Units. Its final ‘posting’ was to RAF Abingdon from where it was purchased by the ‘Aeropark Volunteers Asssociation‘ (AVA).
XT 604
Westland Wessex HC2 for the RAF. First few in 1966 being a Napier Gazelle powered development of Sikorsky’s S-58.
Operated in the UK by 103 and 208 squadrons and in the Middle East by 78(Bahrain) squadron. Stored in 1995 at RNAY Fleetlands from where it was acquired in 2002.
XG 588
Westland Whirlwind 3. Built as a piston engined machine for the Royal Navy where it served in the Pacific. Retired and sold to Bristow Helicopters, converted to Rolls Royce Gnome turbine power and registered as G-BAMH. It was later Bermudan registered as VH-BEP. It came to the Aeropark in 1986 and is painted to represent an RAF Air Sea Rescue machine.
XX457
Aerospatiale SA 341B Gazelle AH1. One of 212 built for the British Army and Royal Marines. Delivered in 1976, It crashed and rolled over on a flight from Middle Wallop in 1987, was written off and became an instructional airframe.
It now carries the marking TAD 001.
XD 382
De Havilland Vampire T11 built in 1953. This aircraft was rebuilt using the wings and tail from XD 382 and other parts from XD 447 which arrived at the Aeropark in 2009.
XW 664
BAe Nimrod R1 Developed from the De Havilland Comet airliner and the Nimrod MR2 the Nimrod R1 was a specialist reconnaissance and electronic intelligence gathering variant.
Delivered in 1972 to 51 squadron at RAF Wyton, the squadron relocated to
RAF Waddington in 1995 from where the aircraft flew until retirement in 2011. It arrived at the Aeropark in July of that year.
The massive tail mounted radar frames Meteor TT20 target tug WM224.
G-FRJB
The Britten Sheriff. (John Britten was half of Britten Norman Ltd (BNL) who found major success with the Islander).
He left BNL in 1976 and started work on the Sheriff. Unfortunately John died in in 1977, work came to a halt and the aircraft was never completed. It came to the Aeropark in 1986.
An unusual feature was that the engines originally were to be mounted behind the wing in pusher mode.
G-ANUW (I think)
De Havilland DH. 106 Dove which has a long, long way to go !
WM 224
Gloster Meteor TT20. It was built as a NF11 (Night Fighter) and joined the RAF in 1952 flying first with 228OCU and later 29 Squadron. It was converted to a Target Tug in 1961. This involves removing all its weaponry and fitting a winch above the starboard wing. At one time it was in a museum at North Weald before coming to the Aeropark in 2003.
WH 740
English Electric Canberra T17 was originally built as a B2. Delivered to the RAF in 1952 it was one of 15 similar aircraft loaned to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1958 and saw action in Malaya during the ‘Confrontation’. It returned to the RAF in 1962 and was converted to T17 configuration. Operated by 360 Squadron before becoming an instructional airframe at RAF Cosford from where it joined the Aeropark.
XM 575 (G-BLMC)
Avro Vulcan B.2. Delivered in 1963 to No. 617 (Dambuster) Squadron which was based at RAF Scampton. At that time it carried the Blue Steel stand off weapon. Converted to free fall bombs in 1969, it continued with 617 squadron and went on to serve Nos. 101, 50 and 44 squadron’s before retirement in 1982 coming to the airport in 1983.
XJ 714
Hawker Hunter FR10. This is an amazing aircraft being built out of parts of fellow Hunters WT 684, XF 383, XM 126, XG 226, PH-NLH and ET-272 and you cannot see the joins !!!
WV 382
Hawker Hunter GA11 of the Royal Navy was built as an F4 for the RAF in 1955. Stored for some time it re emerged in RN service in 1962. Operating from Lossiemouth and Brawdy with 738 squadron in the 1960’s it eventually went to Kemble for modification.
Next to a Fleet Requirements Unit at Hurn and then Yeovilton and finally, It went back to Kemble for storage in 1976.
XP 568
Hunting Jet Provost T4 was built for the RAF in 1962. At one time it served with the RAF College at Cranwell before being struck of charge at RAF Shawbury in 1970. It then went to the RAF Hatfield Technical College in 1971. It came to the Aeropark in 2008.
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