The Helicopter Museum.

Press Release 1st January 2009

NEW YEAR, NEW EXHIBITS

To kick start the New Year in style, The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare unveiled its first new exhibits for 2009 this week.

Delivered on the 21^st December and now in the conservation hangar is a rare two seat autogyro, a McCulloch J-2 originally delivered to the Bahrain government for police duties in 1971. Designed by Drago Jovanich and first flown as the Jovair J-2 in Culver City, California in June 1962 the aircraft was intended to meet the demand for a private run-about that could be flown from the average suburban driveway, but failed to live up to expectations. Nevertheless 96 were eventually built by the McCulloch Corporation before production ceased in 1972.

The example acquired by the museum was operated by the Bahrain Public Security Force as BSP-3, but was later sold in the UK and re-registered as G-ORVB. However it was flown very little before being sold again to a buyer in Yorkshire for restoration as G-HEKY. After a period in storage, the aircraft was offered to The Helicopter Museum last November and purchased with the aid of a grant from the Museum, Libraries and Archives PRISM fund.

Chairman of The Helicopter Museum Trustees Elfan Ap Rees said “We are delighted to add this rare aircraft to our collection, especially as it is the only example of the J-2 in the country, extending our reputation as a unique museum with aircraft that can be seen no-where else.”

Meanwhile as part of the Museum’s ongoing education programme the first two of its new interactive workstations have also been opened to the public. Donated by AgustaWestland, the workstations allow visitors to the museum to explore a virtual aircraft using 3C animated graphics, whilst at the same time being able to study the history of helicopters and the aerodynamics of flight. For younger visitors there is also a question and answer heli-quiz.

“We hope the workstations will provide a valuable resource for learning” said Museum Education Officer Rod Wakelam “not only for visiting school groups but for the general public as well.”