Jet Age Museum

The Jet Age Museum is the trading name of the Gloucestershire Aviation Collection, an all-volunteer, charitable organisation dedicated to the preservation of Gloucestershire's aviation heritage. The aviation museum is located on the north side of Gloucestershire Airport, between Gloucester and Cheltenham. It houses a number of aircraft, aero engines, cockpits and other related exhibits. It is themed on the early development of Jet aircraft, in particular the role played by the Gloster Aircraft Company and other local firms such as Dowty Rotol and Smiths Industries. The museum is also the custodian of the Russell Adams photographic archive.

Jet Age Museum
Location within Gloucestershire
LocationStaverton, Gloucestershire
Coordinates51°53′44″N 2°10′29″W
TypeAviation museum
Websitehttp://www.jetagemuseum.org/

History

The organisation was formed in 1986 and established as a company limited by guarantee.

The museum first opened to the public at the Gloucester Trading Estate, the former Brockworth aerodrome. With the aid of grants and public donations, it began to amass a collection of aircraft. The museum's first significant public opening began with a temporary exhibition in a hangar adjacent to Gloucestershire Airport. This had to close in 2000 after it was announced the former wartime hangar was to be demolished.[1][2] The aircraft were dispersed to a number of locations in Gloucestershire including, briefly, at the former GAC 'shadow' factory at Bentham. A workshop was established at Brockworth Court and the remaining airframes eventually made their way back to Gloucestershire Airport, where they were placed in open storage.[3][4] In 2005, an Avro Anson in the collection was sold for restoration.[5]

The museum made a number of unsuccessful bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund to construct a purpose-built facility before finally submitting plans for a building at Gloucestershire Airport. In January 2011 plans were approved for a new to house the museum's collection.[6][7] One year later, an agreement was reached for a 45 year lease of the land the building sits on.[8]

The museum opened provisionally from 24 August 2013 and officially in May 2014.[9][10] A Gloster Meteor was added in 2013 and a Gloster Javelin purchased from RAF Leeming in 2014 was moved to the museum a few months later.[11][12][13] With these acquisitions, the museum had a significant number of aircraft on display outside and as a result announced a fundraising campaign for an extension in 2019.[14]

Collection

Aircraft on display

Aircraft cockpits

Aircraft stored or under restoration

See also
  • List of aerospace museums

References
  1. "Air museum's cash plea". BBC. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  2. "Jet Age Museum in Gloucester to open later this month". BBC. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  3. "Jet museum's funding appeal is taking off". Gloucester Review. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  4. "Under Restoration". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  5. "Vintage plane back at WWII base". BBC. 23 August 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  6. "Jet Age Museum plans approved for new Gloucester home". BBC. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. "Jet Age Museum plans agreed for Gloucestershire Airport". BBC. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  8. "Jet Age Museum in Gloucester to reopen". BBC. 11 February 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  9. "Jet Age Museum in Gloucester to open later this month". BBC. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  10. "Jet Age Museum in Gloucester officially opened". BBC. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  11. "Gloster Meteor lifted from Imjin Barracks by helicopter". BBC. 22 April 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  12. "Gloucestershire Jet Age Museum buys Gloster Javelin". BBC. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  13. "Gloster Javelin arrives at Jet Age Museum". BBC. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  14. Wood Sarah (13 February 2019). "Museum aims high with £1 million funding target". Punchline. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  15. "Gloster Gamecock reproduction". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  16. "Birth of the jet age: Gloster E28/39". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  17. "Gloster Meteor F8 Serial WH3644". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  18. "Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF13 WM366". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  19. "Gloster Meteor T7 VW453". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  20. "Gloster Meteor T7 Serial WF784". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  21. "Gloster Javelin FAW9 Serial XH903". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  22. "Hawker Hurricane V6799 SD-X". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  23. "Open Cockpits". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  24. "Additional Exhibits". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  25. "Airframe Dossier - Hawker Hunter F.4, s/n XE664 {1} RAF, c/n HABL003007 {1}". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  26. "Airframe Dossier - Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.2, s/n XW264 RAF, c/n 41H-212003". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  27. "Airframe Dossier - de Havilland-Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B, c/n 2321, c/r G-AWZU". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  28. "Horsa Cockpit". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  29. "Armstrong-Whitworth Meteor NF14 Serial WS807". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  30. "ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA". Jet Age Museum. Archived from the original on 4 March 2000. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  31. "Airframe Dossier - English Electric Canberra TT.18, s/n WK126 RN, c/n R3/EA3/6640, c/r N2138J". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  32. "Gloster Gladiator N5914". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  33. "Gladiator". The History Journal. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  34. "Airframe Dossier - Gloster Gladiator II, s/n N5914 RAF, c/n Unknown". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  35. "Gloster Javelin FAW.4 XA634". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  36. "Hawker Typhoon Cockpit/Fuselage". Jet Age Museum. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
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