The Preservation of Avro Aviation Heritage

Welcome to this latest edition of Aerodrome and our regular look at the fascinating world of aeroplanes and the historic aviation scene around the UK.

In this latest edition of Aerodrome, we will be reporting on a long overdue return visit to the impressive Avro Heritage Museum and a group of people who are passionately dedicated to the preservation of all things Avro. What makes a visit to this museum all the more poignant is that it occupies a position on the old Woodford aerodrome, the former manufacturing, testing, design and development centre for the Avro and their famous aircraft designs. A purpose built, beautifully presented and maintained building, we will see how the museum's exhibits have altered over the years and why a visit to the Avro Heritage Museum is a must for anyone interested in aviation history, or the industrial/wartime heritage of Britain.

Thanks to our hosts at the museum on the day, we were also afforded a visit to their storage facility and the opportunity to include pictures of two rather famous aircraft within this review, aircraft which are not currently on public display, but hopefully will be in the years to come, if and when the museum's ambitious expansion plans come to fruition. With their impressive Avro Vulcan B.2 XM603 as their aviation talisman, the only Vulcan in the world presented in the iconic Cold War anti-flash white scheme, its Avro heritage all the way in this latest edition of Airfix and Corgi Aerodrome.

An aviation location of national importance

One of the excellent exhibits at the Avro Heritage Museum, this Lancaster fuselage section wasn't in position during my previous visit and allows people to climb inside this famous bomber, obviously when supervised by one of the museum volunteers.

As a proud Northerner with a lifelong love of aircraft and all things aviation, the region's links to British aviation heritage is something I have always held dear and even though the majority of museums, Airshow venues and operational airfields are now quite some distance from the North West, that heritage is still something worth commemorating at every opportunity. As a youngster, I remember that hardly a week would go by without the local Oldham Chronicle including an article and supporting selection of fascinating pictures celebrating the wartime exploits of airmen who called the north their home, or production images of the local factories which produced some of the most important aircraft for the war effort.

The old Avro factory at Chadderton not only became the headquarters of this famous company, but also went on to become one of the largest aircraft manufacturing facilities in Britain following its construction in the late 1930s, and as it was located just a few miles away from my home, was always a source of fascination for me. Producing major components for such famous aircraft as the Manchester, Lancaster and later the Vulcan and Shackleton, completed sections of these famous aircraft would be transported by road the twenty miles or so from Chadderton to Avro’s Woodford airfield facility in Cheshire for final assembly and flight testing.

Pictures of the Avro production lines and sections of Lancaster and Vulcan bombers negotiating bridges and tight turns as they made their way to Woodford appeared regularly in our local press and in addition to this, relatives and family friends could still remember seeing such historic sights first hand and were more than happy to indulge my curiosity. With access to such information as this, is it any wonder that I became a passionate aviation enthusiast. With almost 3,000 Lancasters eventually produced at Chadderton, there must have been plenty of occasions when Avro aircraft traffic jams disrupted daily life on the roads around Manchester during the war years. 

During my teenage years, when it was clear that my love of aviation was not just a phase I was going through, the airfield at Woodford would have particular significance for me, as it was the closest place to my home where I could get close to real aeroplanes. When not convincing my father to take me to the annual Airshow, Woodford was close enough to be reached by bus, so whether it was on my own or with friends to attend an Airshow or one of their regular open days, I would usually visit Woodford several times each year and there was always something interesting to see.

Unfortunately, work, sport and other commitments would soon make my visits to Woodford less frequent and usually only on Airshow day, however, it was clear during these visits that the winds of change were already blowing through the hangar doors at Woodford and continued public access to the airfield may continue for long. It wasn't that their Airshow wasn't a popular event, far from it. Woodford Airshow was a truly international affair, with exotic display aircraft always attracting healthy crowds, but unfortunately, the final three shows were marred by extremely poor, some might say typical Manchester weather, a real run of bad luck for the show's organising team. With the burden of ever increasing costs and legislative pressures, the final Woodford Airshow took place in 2000, a sad end to one of the area's best loved events.

A flight of Nimrods, unfortunately only in company demonstration model form, above a display which offers the chance to hunt an enemy submarine, using Nimrod detection equipment.

In later years, a government decision to scrap the Nimrod MRA4 project at an advanced stage of its development saw the Woodford site receiving national press coverage for all the wrong reasons, and the distressing sight of these advanced maritime patrol aircraft being unceremoniously cut up and sold for scrap with some haste. With the end of the Nimrod project, aircraft production and testing at Woodford ended and this historic airfield site was sold by British Aerospace in 2011. In a move which came as little surprise to many in the area, approval for the site to be developed as a major new housing project was granted in 2014, but not everything of Woodford's aviation heritage would disappear under new gardens and patios.

Thanks to the determination and foresight of a committed group of historians, enthusiasts and former employees, and with fantastic support from both British Aerospace and the housing developers themselves, a deal was struck to enable the aviation heritage of this famous airfield to be preserved for the region and the nation. The Avro Heritage Museum has become a testament to the hard work and dedication of these people, a venue which not only preserves and promotes the heritage of this site, but also of the wider aviation industry across the region.

The Avro Heritage Museum

A model display illustrating the modular construction of a wartime Avro Lancaster at the Woodford factory site.

Without doubt, the aviation legacy of the Avro Aircraft Company is famous the world over and for those people who played their own small part in creating this proud heritage, they have always seen the preservation of this history as vitally important. The Avro Heritage Trust was established to locate, secure and preserve as much original Avro related material and artefacts as possible, growing from modest surroundings in the old personnel block at the Woodford factory site. Their original Heritage Centre was staffed and administered by a small team of volunteers and at that time wasn't usually open to the public. Even though the collection was continually growing, viewing and research requests were strictly by prior appointment only.  

The closure and subsequent sale of the Woodford site was clearly the cause of much consternation amongst Heritage Centre volunteers, however, a generous commitment by BAE Systems to fund the establishment of a permanent home for the collection soon lifted their spirits. For the first time, this commitment offered the prospect of a much more appropriate facility for the collection, one which would preserve the heritage of the Avro company at the Woodford site and be more accessible to members of the public.

Based on land near the former Woodford airfield fire station, the now established Avro Heritage Museum is a permanent home for some of the most important artefacts in the history of British aviation, but rather than simply house the collection in a renovated old fire station, BAE Systems supported something which was much more ambitious, a beautiful, modern museum building. Not only does this serve as a purpose built centre for the preservation of Avro's rich aviation heritage on their former airfield, it's also a successful resource and educational centre which will serve the community for many years to come.  

This modern and extremely attractive facility is now an established museum site, regularly welcoming visitors to discover their engaging exhibitions and displays, attending talks and lectures, to enjoy a cockpit experience, or just to marvel at Avro Vulcan XM603 only yards from where she was built. During our recent visit, our guide for the day was more than happy to share some exciting news regarding the future of the museum and how a planned expansion will allow more Avro aircraft to be displayed for our viewing pleasure in the years to come.

Personal recommendations are always valued by fellow enthusiasts when planning a visit to any place of interest and in my opinion, a visit to the Avro Heritage Museum is always an experience to look forward to. Spotlessly clean with ample parking available, the museum itself is exceptional, with fascinating artifacts waiting to be discovered around every corner. Even in the weather takes a turn for the worse (which of course it never does in this part of the world), Vulcan XM603 makes for the best rain shelter in the world and another reminder of those great Woodford Airshows of years past.

View of the museum's main exhibition space, taken from the balcony leading to the cafe. Aircraft timelines and original murals certainly add much to the visit experience.

As always, the most important feature of an attraction like this are the people behind it and if you want to meet a team of warm, friendly and knowledgeable people who are determined to help you enjoy your visit, then this is the place for you. It really was a pleasure spending time in their company, as they made it feel like a real home from home.

Opened to the public back in November 2015, the Avro Heritage Museum is a self-funding registered charity, relying on revenue from visitors, shop sales and generous donations for their continued operation, in addition to receiving support from businesses and individuals who are equally concerned about the continued preservation of Avro heritage. 

Once you've found a spot in the large car park, the museum entrance is modern and inviting and once inside, a world of aviation delights awaits, with the main exhibition area benefitting from a clever and thoroughly engaging Avro aircraft timeline just below the ceiling and a collection of aviation murals on the walls, which whilst being impressive to the casual visitor, will be very familiar to many former Avro/Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace employees - they were taken from the walls of the canteen at the former Woodford factory site.

When you need a break, the on-site cafe is clean and well stocked, and as you enjoy some refreshment, you will also notice the impressive display arranged on the cafe wall, one which features a picture of every single Vulcan built at Woodford.

Now let's take a look at some of the significant aircraft exhibits I was fortunate to see during my visit, both those on display and those hopefully soon to be.

Avro Vulcan B.2 XM603 - A vision in anti-flash white

For many locals and the wider aviation enthusiast community, the most famous aviation resident at Woodford and therefore the Avro Heritage Museum is Avro Vulcan B.2 XM603. Constructed at Woodford during 1963, this aircraft made its first flight wearing a smart all-over white anti-flash paint scheme, prior to being delivered to the Royal Air Force and No.12 Squadron at Coningsby at the end of that same year. The aircraft was to see extensive service both in the skies above Britain and on many overseas deployments whilst on duty with the RAF, operating in the colours of Nos 50, 101 and 44 Squadrons during her service career.  

Reflecting the changing mission profile for Britain's Cold War Vulcans, XM603 was forced to shed her high altitude anti-flash white scheme when advancements in Soviet missile technology saw Vulcan operations move from high to low altitude strike missions, trading white for the disruptive camouflage scheme which marked the later careers of RAF Vulcans. She was finally retired from RAF service in early 1982, however, even though she didn't see service during the Falklands War, she did continue to provide invaluable service support to the nation.

No longer required by the RAF, Vulcan XM603 was sold to British Aerospace and earmarked for preservation at their Woodford airfield site, arriving back at her birthplace in March 1982. Although no longer in service, the aircraft continued to do sterling work in support of Royal Air Force operations, serving as a trials mock up aircraft for Vulcan K.Mk.2 tanker conversion work. With the Falklands War requiring the Victor Tanker fleet to operate in support of South Atlantic operations, Vulcans converted to the airborne refuelling role were needed to provide support in UK and European skies. XM603 was also forced to act as a spares aircraft during this time, giving up vital components to allow the RAF’s ageing Vulcan fleet to continue flying.

Following her arrival at Woodford, XM603 was soon returned to her original and highly distinctive V-Bomber white anti-flash scheme, maintained by volunteer members of the Heritage Trust, but with the ongoing support of BAE Systems. Always appearing to be kept in extremely good order, the aircraft became something of a local aviation celebrity, clearly visible from the airfield perimeter and always a star attraction at the annual Woodford Airshows.  

The first thing you see when approaching the Avro Heritage Museum site, Avro Vulcan B.2 XM603 certainly makes for an impressive gate guardian.

The North's largest metal umbrella, Vulcan XM603 has provided this service in this part of the world for many a year.

Indeed, many local enthusiasts will have fond memories of sheltering under the wing of XM603 on Airshow day, either using her as a sun shade on the rare occasion when it made an appearance, or more likely as a huge metal umbrella. With the engines still in serviceable condition at that time, there were ambitious plans to taxi the Vulcan down the length of the runway at the Airshow in 2000, however, this did not materialise and heralded a significant downturn in the fortunes of Vulcan XM603.

With the future of the Woodford site becoming increasing uncertain and access to the airfield and its famous Vulcan becoming ever more restricted, members of the Heritage Trust were unable to care for their beloved Cold War leviathan and the aircraft slipped inexorably into a state of disrepair. Still visible from the perimeter of the airfield, pictures began to circulate showing the aircraft in an increasingly sorry state, even appearing to have been condemned as unsafe, with high metal fencing preventing anyone from getting too close to her.

The future for XM603 appeared bleak back then, and it seemed almost inevitable that a collapse of her undercarriage would be the precursor to a date with the scrap man and another significant piece of Britain’s aviation heritage being lost forever.  Thankfully, that didn't prove to be the case and with the sale and development of the Woodford site came a commitment to find a permanent home for Vulcan XM603 and despite her distinctly dishevelled appearance, her future seemed to be much more positive.

Time for a Vulcan spruce-up

The North's Avro Vulcan XM603 under foreboding skies, who would have ever thought such a thing! 

Once the new Avro Heritage Museum was open to the public, discussions started to take please regarding plans to give the Vulcan some much needed TLC, particularly as she was their most impressive exhibit, however, there was a significant stumbling block - money, or more specifically, the lack of it. Preparing and re-painting this 40 ton aviation behemoth was clearly going to be a logistical nightmare and would come with a hefty price tag. Fortunately, the work of the museum and their plight with this particularly famous aircraft attracted some influential admirers and several local business people stepped in to completely fund the project.  

Before long an elaborate scaffolding arrangement had been placed around this delta delight and once everything had been checked and re-checked, the entire structure was effectively shrink wrapped to protect the aircraft and volunteers working on her from the elements. Speaking of volunteers, a request was made via the museums social media sites for people willing to sign up for some Vulcan hard labour and they were astounded by the response they received. In a clear illustration of the affection the British public still have for the Vulcan and particularly how local people view this particular aircraft, they had no shortage of offers. 

Before long, a small army of people began the significant task of sanding, stripping and filling this mighty aircraft and after many weeks of effort in all weathers, the Vulcan was ready to be painted, a smart new coat of gloss white paint, similar to the scheme the aircraft wore when she left Woodford for the first time back in 1963. Once again, the substantial cost of this work was kindly met by the owner of a local business, without who's support this exciting aviation project couldn't have been completed and certainly not in such a short space of time. With the paint now dry and all markings and stencilling applied, it was time to dismantle the scaffolding and to admire what had been achieved.

Pride of the collection, the museum's Vulcan is probably the main reason why many visitors make the trip to the Avro Heritage Museum. In this part of the world, she's something of an aviation celebrity.

Following an official unveiling ceremony which took place just days earlier, Avro Vulcan XM603 was allowed back on public view for the first time following completion of the refurbishment work on Friday 28th October 2016, looking resplendent in her new plumage and ready to receive her adoring public. As if majestically standing guard, protecting the aviation legacy of her birthplace, she is currently the only surviving Vulcan preserved in this distinctive anti-flash white scheme, markings synonymous with Britain’s nuclear deterrent V-Bomber force during the Cold War years.  

As the most significant exhibit at the Avro Heritage Museum, Avro Vulcan B.2 XM603 serves as a poignant reminder of the rich aviation heritage the North West of England can boast and all the many aircraft types which bore the name of Alliott Verdon-Roe.

Vulcan XM603 continues to benefit from additions and improvements, with the museum team recently adding working strobes and lighting to the aircraft, along with ongoing work restoring the cockpit. It's intended that visitors will soon be able to book accompanied inspections of the aircraft’s cockpit, a new feature which may already be available at the time of posting this feature - please check with museum staff for details prior to visiting.

Avro Vulcan XM603 really is a credit to the museum and as she is now the subject of a series of organised photography nightshoots, will continue her good work in attracting visitors to this fantastic museum. 

'Dougal' moves across Manchester

An image supplied courtesy of the engineers at GJD Services, this picture shows Avro Shackleton WR960 during her dismantling at the former Museum of Science and Industry Air & Space Hall after it closed to the public.

During my visit, I was fortunate enough to be allowed access to the museum's storage facility, a restricted access building adjacent to the main museum site. Used to store some of the aircraft and artifacts destined for museum display once their expansion plans have come to fruition, I certainly wasn’t expecting such a treat, but was delighted to be able to greet an old aviation friend and make the acquaintance of a new one.

Aerodrome readers will no doubt remember a couple of editions posted previously which reported from the Air & Space exhibition of Manchester's Science and Industry Museum, once looking at the museum and its aviation exhibits themselves and once following its closure and the task of dismantling and transporting the aircraft onwards to new homes. Housed in a historic old market hall, this may have been a strange place to house a major display of historic aircraft, but it did prove to be a popular attraction in the region, until a need to renovate the building created a problem.

For its sheer presence alone, Avro Shackleton AEW Mk.2 WR960 ‘Dougal’ was without doubt the most impressive exhibit at the Air & Space Museum and always left visitors wondering how on earth they managed to get it in there. With the announcement of the museum's closure, the most pressing question was how were they going to get it out and where was she going to end up? 

An aircraft type which can trace its lineage back to the famous Avro Lancaster bomber, another high profile product of Lancashire's aviation industry, the Shackleton was a long-range maritime patrol aircraft, used primarily on anti-submarine operations, but was also required to perform a number of other essential roles. Entering RAF service in 1951, the majority of Shackletons were powered by the mighty Rolls Royce Griffon engine and had the distinction of being the last aircraft in an illustrious line of four engined propeller powered bomber/patrol aircraft to see Royal Air Force service. 

Just like a huge and extremely heavy Airfix kit, someone will have the difficult task of putting this Shackleton back together in the future, if museum expansion plans come to fruition.

    
A very large aeroplane indeed, bearing in mind the lack of available space within Manchester’s Air & Space Museum and the placement of the many columns needed to hold up the roof, an Avro Shackleton is probably the last aircraft visitors expected to see on display during their visit. She certainly made for an impressive sight and served as a stunning centrepiece for this famous collection of aircraft.

Avro Shackleton WR960 was constructed as an MR.2 variant at Avro's Woodford factory during 1953 and went on to make her first flight early the following year. She entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1954 and during her service career would spend time representing Nos 8, 42, 205, 210 and 228 Squadrons, in addition to a spell on charge with the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment. In 1972, WR960 returned to Woodford for conversion to Airborne Early Warning (AEW) configuration, the same configuration in which she was displayed in the museum.

As the British government of the day announced their intention to scrap the famous aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in the 1970s, the Royal Navy were concerned that their ships would lose the vital airborne early warning support provided by the ship's Fairey Gannets, a development they were not at all comfortable with. To alleviate their fears, a project was devised whereby radar units from their retiring Fairey Gannets would be removed and adapt to fit inside Royal Air Force Avro Shackletons. Although this vital service would in future be provided by land based aircraft, it was thought that the impressive endurance of the Shackleton would greatly enhance the effectiveness of the Navy’s future airborne early warning capabilities. 

Twelve Shackleton airframes were eventually converted to AEW Mk.2 standard and operated in the colours of No.8 Squadron, originally based at RAF Kinloss from early 1972, but following completion of significant runway strengthening works at nearby RAF Lossiemouth, moving there from August 1973. The aircraft would remain at Lossiemouth until the unit finally disbanded in 1991.

It's somehow fitting that this impressive aircraft ended up back at Woodford and hopefully, it won't be too long before she's on public display once more.

Avro Shackleton AEW Mk.2 WR960 benefits from a rather distinctive piece of fuselage artwork, one which tells an interesting story about the AEW Shackletons of No.8 Squadron. All twelve of the Squadron’s aircraft were named after characters from either ‘The Magic Roundabout’ or ‘The Herbs’ children’s TV programmes of the 60s and 70s, with WR960 proudly wearing the name ‘Dougal’ after the sugar loving dog from ‘The Magic Roundabout’.  

There doesn’t appear to be a definitive reason why these aircraft were named after these particular characters, but it does seem to have a tenuous connection with Avro Shackleton T.4 VP293, an aircraft which saw service with the Royal Aircraft Establishment. This particular aircraft apparently had a tendency to noticeably bounce on landing, something which subsequently earned it the nickname ‘Zebedee’, after the talking jack-in-a-box character from ‘The Magic Roundabout’ programme. 

Could it have been that some members of RAF No. 8 Squadron spent time on secondment with the RAE during that time and became aware of VP293's unofficial nickname, bringing the tradition to their current Shackleton fleet. Whatever the reason, the unusual artwork on ‘Dougal’ and the story behind its origins only serves to further endear these mighty aircraft to anyone discovering the tale, not to mention their links to such aircraft as the wartime Lancaster.

It one piece, hopefully it won't be too long before museum visitors have the opportunity to admire this magnificent aircraft once again.

Historically viewed as a convenient and rather successful stop-gap airborne early warning arrangement for Britain at that time, the Shackletons of No. 8 Squadron would eventually go on to provide the nation with almost 19 years of continuous AEW service, with the final AEW Shackleton aircraft only retiring in June 1991. With her connections to Avro at Woodford and consequently the Avro Heritage Museum, it was fitting that following the dismantling operation at MOSI, Avro Shackleton WR960 was transported the short distance into the care of the museum, just a stone's throw from where she was constructed and test flown some 68 years earlier.

As you can see from the photographs included here, Manchester’s Shackleton is still held in storage at Woodford and still in her dismantled state. Speaking with museum officials, they're hoping that plans to allow expansion works at the main museum site to get underway will see the Shackleton reassembled and moved onto public display in the future, where she will serve as another significant aviation exhibit for the museum, and another example of Avro heritage preserved for the nation.

Avro 707C WZ744 - The most interesting of the miniature Vulcans

I definitely didn't expect to see this during my recent visit to the Avro Heritage Museum.

One aircraft I was definitely not expecting to see during my recent visit to the Avro Heritage Museum was the famous research delta Avro 707C WZ744. This long-time resident at the RAF Museum Cosford was one of a series of aircraft designed and produced as part of the Avro Vulcan programme, build to yield important research data as engineers explored the flight parameters their ambitious new aircraft design would need to overcome.

This aircraft was the only two seat, dual control equipped variant of this proof of concept series, which were essentially one-third scale single engined versions of a full sized Vulcan. Looking at the aircraft closely, you can see how its design incorporates such features as a thick delta wing, wing root mounted engine intakes and lack of horizontal stabilizers, all features which would eventually be incorporated in the design of the Avro Vulcan, initially also including the straight delta wing the 707s featured.

All the aircraft in this series were intended to provide research data in support of the Vulcan project, particularly around the low speed handling of the aircraft in this unique configuration, however they would all go on to be used to provide flight research data away from the Vulcan program, as Britain attempted to keep pace with the latest aviation developments across the world. A total of five Avro 707 aircraft would eventually be built, with 707C WZ744 being the only one produced as a two seat trainer variant.

A rare opportunity to look inside the cockpit of this unique aircraft, one which has links to the Vulcan development program.

The Avro 707C was the only two seat variant of this development aircraft series.

This aircraft would make her first flight at RAF Waddington on 1st July 1953, but was later flown to Avro's Woodford factory where she completed her flight trials procedure. Once at Woodford, she was presented in the silver paint finish she still wears to this day. In September 1953, she was famously flown to the Farnborough Airshow in formation with three of the other 707 research aircraft and two Vulcan prototypes, a unique formation of delta configured aircraft which must have been a sight to behold.

Later that same year, the aircraft operated with the A&AEE at Boscombe Down, where she was used to familiarise test pilots engaged in flight research studies into the handling challenges associated with delta winged aircraft. She would later be used by the RAE in trials aimed at perfecting fly-by-wire control technologies and to examine flight stability parameters of aircraft similarly configured.

Underlining the successful use and hard-working nature of this and all the other 707 research craft, WZ744 was forced into retirement in September 1966, following the end of her airframe flying fatigue life. She would later pass through the care of several Royal Air Force stations, before arriving by road to take its place amongst the Station Collection at RAF Cosford in April 1973. 

In a relatively recent development, Avro 707C WZ744 was put up for disposal by the RAF Museum, with the reason given that it was a duplicate airframe, therefore throwing its immediate future into some doubt. Thankfully, the aircraft was secured by the Avro Heritage Museum, yet another Avro aircraft type coming home to Woodford and saved for preservation in the name of Britain's aviation heritage.

A real piece of British aviation history, WZ744 will be cherished by the museum volunteers and hopefully placed on permanent public display in the not too distant future.

Looking at the images featured above, you can clearly see the widened forward fuselage needed to accommodate the second pilot position, a design feature which made this aircraft unique amongst the Avro 707 research aircraft airframes. Excited to be allowed to get so close to this historic aircraft, my guides during this part of the visit were only too pleased to open the storage facility shutters to allow me to take some natural light photographs, in addition to allowing me the opportunity to take some cockpit pictures of this fascinating aircraft. To say this was a pinch me moment would be something of an understatement.

There is just so much to discover and admire about a visit to the Avro Heritage Museum that no review feature could ever hope to do it justice. The best thing to do is to plan a trip up north and discover its many delights for yourself, but prepare to spend a good few hours at Woodford, because there's a lot to pack in. I also hope that the museum trustees are successful with their ambitious plans for expansion, with the hope that on a future visit, I will be able to see both the Shackleton and 707C displayed within the main exhibition hall. I'm also looking forward to my white Vulcan nightshoot early in the New Year - any excuse to come back.

Finally, can I take this opportunity to extend my grateful thanks to everyone I met during my visit, from the chaps allowing me several cockpit experiences, to those allowing me access to the reserve aircraft collection. Thank you one and all and keep up the great Avro heritage preservation work.

To plan your visit and to check all the latest event and opening time details, please head to the Avro Heritage Museum website.

A final look at the museum's beautiful Vulcan, a reason to visit the Avro Heritage Museum just by itself.

I’m afraid that’s all we have for you in this latest edition of Aerodrome, but please keep checking back throughout the year as we endeavour to bring you a series of topical aviation related reviews and features from around the country. As always, if you would like to comment on anything blog related or to suggest a subject you would like to see covered in a future edition, please do drop us a line at aerodrome@airfix.com, where we would be only too pleased to hear your views.

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The next edition of Aerodrome is scheduled to be published on Friday 8th December, our final edition of the year.

Thank you so much for your continued support of our Aerodrome blog.

Michael

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