The Helicopter Museum
Latest News


West’s Largest Helicopter represented in
World’s Biggest Helicopter Museum

The Helicopter Museum has taken delivery of parts recovered from the Boeing XCH-62 Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH), cancelled as a project in 1975 and eventually scrapped at Fort Rucker in Alabama in October 2005. Designed to carry external loads of up to 20,000 kg (20 tons) around the battlefield, the HLH featured a 27 m (89 ft) long fuselage with tandem rotors each spanning some 28 m (92 ft), and stood around 12 m (38 ft) high.

Plans to move it in the autumn of 2005 had to be abandoned due to the cost and the level of corrosion but, hearing of its likely fate, Helicopter Museum Chairman Elfan ap Rees moved quickly to try and save the huge helicopter and, with the help of the US Army Aviation Museum director Steve Maxham, managed to salvage some key components including the 5.5 m (18 ft) long main landing gear and nose wheels for display in the UK museum. The landing gear will now go on display alongside a much smaller XCH-62 predecessor, the Piasecki HUP, to give visitors a scale to relate to the dimensions of the HLH.

Shipment of the parts was organised and sponsored jointly by manufacturer Boeing and Columbia Helicopters, civil operators of the BV234 Chinook, with support from the UK Museum, Libraries & Archive Council PRISM fund and Helicopter INTERNATIONAL and HeliData News publisher Avia Press Associates.

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The Helicopter Museum unveiled its first new exhibits for 2009.

The rare two seat autogyro, a McCulloch J-2 was 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-ORBV. 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. 

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As part of the Museum’s ongoing education programme the first two of its new interactive workstations have 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.

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New Archives and Lecture Theatre taking shape

Following on from the completion of the new conservation and engineering hangar work has now started on a new archives and lecture theatre. The new addition to the museum building will allow for the extensive archives collection to be stored in environmentally controlled conditions. It will also be possible for students of aeronautical engineering to research the development of helicopter design in a

The museum is also advertising a post of collections manager. This role will be to lead and motivate the conservation and archive Volunteers.

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Belgian Army Alouette II joins the collection

After 20 years on loan to The Helicopter Museum a Bristol Sycamore Mk.14 (XG547) has been exchanged for an example of the world’s first production jet-powered helicopter marking another another first for the UK aviation museum scene.

Originally built at Weston-super-Mare in 1956 the Sycamore was purchased in the mid 1970s from the Royal Air Force. The Royal Military Museum in Brussels has been seeking a Sycamore Mk.14 as three aircraft were operated by the Royal Belgian Air Force during the late 1950s – early 1960s. The museums example was exchanged for a Royal Belgian Army SA318C, Alouette 2 helicopter (Serial A-41).

The example is in first class condition and was actually built just over 40 years ago in 1967.   Powered by the Turbomeca Astazou 11A engine, it served with the Belgian Army in a reconnaissance and training role before being retired in 2005.  The helicopter arrived at Weston on 19th February and is already on display.

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Air & Space 18A Lands at the  museum

Arriving on 21st November 2007 the Air and Space 18A autogyro, G-BVWL/SE-HIE, was acquired from the Museum of Flight, at East Fortune in Scotland from where it was transported by two Members of the Friends. It was manufactured in 1966 and imported from Sweden to the UK, by a Scottish autogyro enthusiast and stored, near Forfar, until transferred to East Fortune in 2004.

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Bristol Sycamore Mk14 joins the collection

The newest addition to the museum was a Bristol Sycamore Mk14 helicopter, previously displayed at the Bristol Industrial Museum and the last to be retired from Royal Air Force service in December 1971. This aircraft, XL829, was originally built at Weston-super-Mare and is therefore returning home.  It is expected that XL829 will replace an existing Sycamore Mk14 on loan to The Helicopter Museum, which is due to go to an overseas museum in exchange for another future exhibit.

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Conservation and Engineering Hangar

Work is now completed on the extension to the existing display hangars at The Helicopter Museum after the initial work started at the end of October 2006. The first phase of extension follows the pattern of the existing hangars, providing a 670sq.m increase in floor area. The newly-created space will ibe used as a Conservation and Engineering hangar where skills training and many of the conservation activities  will take place.

The cost of the basic new building has been met from The Museum's own funds, to which the Friends of the Helicopter Museum make a significant contributions. Additional finance needed to fit out the interior to transfer some of the existing conservation facilities will come from Heritage Lottery Funds.

The new hangar was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on 20th July 2007.

To see more photos of the Royal Visit please click on the photo on the right

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Messerschmitt joins The Helicopter Museum

 The Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset has taken delivery of its newest exhibit on 2nd May, a helicopter built by the former Messerchmitt Bolkow Blohm (MBB) company in Germany.

The aircraft, a Bo105M, is an example of the world’s first light twin-engined helicopter and the first German helicopter design to enter large scale production, when aircraft manufacturing in Germany resumed after the Second World War. Donated by MBB’s successor company, Eurocopter Deutschland, the Bo105 was handed over to THM Chairman, Capt. Elfan ap Rees, on 19th April in a ceremony at Donauworth, where more than 1400 were built between 1970 and 1997 for both military and civil customers.

The helicopter going on display at THM is serial 81+00, the last of 100 Bo105M ordered by the German Army for the observation and communication role and originally delivered exactly 23 years ago in May 1984.  it was retired from service in 2002 and is the first complete example to go on display anywhere in Great Britain.  Transport to the UK has been sponsored by McAlpine Helicopters whilst refurbishing the two Allison-MTU Model 250-C20B turboshaft engines has been sponsored by H & S Aviation of Portsmouth.

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For a list of press releases for 2009 please click on the link below to open

Press Releases 2009

The following link will take you to a selection of photos that are available for download

Click Here to View the Photo Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 








 


 




Please Contact :

The Helicopter Museum
Locking Moor Road
Weston-super-Mare
Somerset, BS24 8PP
England

Tel. 01934-635227
Fax. 01934-645230


Click here to email the museum.