Midland Air Museum

[nuuumannn]

Hi Guys, images from the excellent if a little crowded Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport, UK. This museum is one of those great collections in the UK that has grown out of the sheer enthusiasm of a dedicated group of individuals into a genuinely diverse and interesting collection of airframes and stuff that commemorates the local aviation goings on. Coventry Airport housed an Armstrong Whitworth production line so there are displays and aircraft that reflect this, the model section upstairs has some interesting pieces on display. Because Sir Frank Whittle was a local lad, the focus of the collection is military jet aircraft, with a model of the Gloster E.28/39 and an early Whittle gas turbine on show. At a nearby roundabout at Lutterworth is a full scale E.28/39 that also pays homage to the pioneer.

There are many things to like about the museum, but the primary display building however is crowded to the point of distraction - the museum really could do with more indoor storage and exhibition space - and the majority of the aircraft are kept outdoors. Nevertheless it's a great collection and worth the visit.

The second oldest Meteor in existence, F.4 EE531 hemmed in by museum detritus.

MAM 03

The novel little Chichester-Miles Leopard four-seater commuter jet.

MAM 06

SAAB j-29 Tunnan is a rarity outside of Sweden.

MAM 08

Surviving components from a Whitley bomber.

MAM 16

AW.169 Mach 2 supersonic interceptor concept for Specification F.155T.

MAM 20

Boulton Paul P.111A delta wing research aircraft, with a grown up delta behind, Avro Vulcan B.2 XL360 'City Of Coventry'.

MAM 30

Pretty Armstrong Whitworth built Hawker Sea Hawk in Suez Crisis 'Invasion Stripes'.

MAM 36-2

Fairey Gannet T.2 trainer on loan from the FAA Museum, Yeovilton.

MAM 40

F-104G Starfighter in Royal Danish Air Force markings.

MAM 46

Fairey Ultra Light ship based utility helicopter. This is one of a number of prototypes of a cheap alternative to a complex ship borne aircraft.

MAM 55

Wingless Finnish Air Force Folland Gnat F.1 'Kreivi Von Rosen' paying homage to Swedish Count Gustav von Rosen, whose wife's sister Carin married one Hermann Goering, although I doubt that's why the Finnish Air Force choose to commemorate him on their aircraft, a tradition that continues to this day.

MAM 59

Voodoo and Viscount.

MAM 61

Royal Saudi Air Force Lightning T.55.

MAM 70

Finally, the E.28/39 on the roundabout at Lutterworth.

MAM 72

More images here: Midland Air Museum

Thanks for looking.

 

[rochie]

Nice shots Grant, Terry and I visited a few years back, great museum with very friendly staff, they opened a number of aircraft up for us to sit in, including the Vulcan, MiL 24 Hind and the Argosy !

 

[nuuumannn]

Terry and I visited a few years back, great museum with very friendly staff, they opened a number of aircraft up for us to sit in, including the Vulcan, MiL 24 Hind and the Argosy !

Cheers Karl, it is a good museum. During my visit they opened the Victor nose, Vulcan and Argosy, I went in the Argosy and Victor, but not the Vulcan since a coupla days earlier we had been to the Newark Air Museum and I went inside their Vulcan. The Electra nose was also open to view as well.

 

[rochie]

Here's my thread of our visit.

Midland Air Museum

Looks like they've been working on some exhibits

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Grant, and I agree it's a fine museum. Karl and I had a fantastic visit, with the staff very helpful, and we've been meaning to go back there for some time.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks for the post Grant. Nice pics and descriptions.

 

[nuuumannn]

Great pictures Karl. It's one of those places you can keep going back to because things change frequently enough to make it interesting. Thanks Guys. I'm doing a photographic look at the big three independent UK museums (MAM, NAM and YAM, if you must) and I'll be posting more images over the next couple of days.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!