Thanks to a Biffa Award grant of £547,277, Aerospace Bristol will restore a 103-yearold hangar, making it publicly accessible for the first time. Visitors will witness ‘Conservation in Action’ as volunteers undertake important aerospace conservation and restoration projects.

Visitors to Aerospace Bristol will soon be able to enjoy live conservation work taking place on historic Bristol aircraft such as the Bristol Freighter, Fighter, and Bolingbroke. ‘Hangar 16M’, a 103-year-old grade-II listed building on the historic Filton Airfield, is to be restored and repurposed as a Conservation in Action workshop.

Restoration of the hangar – which, until recently, was home to the GWAAC air ambulance helicopter – has been made possible by Biffa Award: a multi-million pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to communities and environmental projects across the UK.

Lloyd Burnell, Executive Director of Aerospace Bristol, said:

“This fantastic grant from Biffa Award has given us the opportunity to repurpose the building to become an exciting new part of the visitor experience, engaging visitors with engineering marvels from our aerospace heritage, offering exciting hands-on learning opportunities and stories to inspire future generations. Most museum conservation work is undertaken behind ‘closed doors’, unseen by the public. But as a result of bringing conservation into public view, visitors will not only learn more about the Aerospace Bristol story, but also how vital heritage skills are saving the nation’s past.”

Aircraft and engine restoration works will be undertaken by volunteers, who have already played a pivotal role in making Aerospace Bristol a reality. Over 150 former engineers and community volunteers spent thousands of hours restoring objects that are now on display at Aerospace Bristol, which opened to the public in October 2017. The new facility and Conservation in Action project will allow many of these volunteers, and new members of the volunteer team, to put their skills to good use and share their knowledge with a new generation of engineers and innovators.

Jess Stone, Aerospace Bristol volunteer and Airbus Undergraduate Engineering Apprentice, said:

“It’s really exciting that a new generation will be able to get involved in exciting engineering projects and gain hands-on experience working with aircraft and engines. This is an amazing opportunity for young people to learn from the older generation, who have so much experience and knowledge of Bristol aircraft.”

Maurice Thompson, Air Cadet Squadron Leader, Bristol & Gloucestershire Wing, said:

“It’s absolutely fantastic that Cadets will soon have the opportunity to see aircraft being worked on in a stunning historic hangar. I can’t wait to visit, as I know they’ll be excited and inspired to learn more about the workings and mechanics of aircraft.”

Gillian French, Biffa Award Head of Grants, said:

“It’s fantastic to see this iconic building being given a new lease of life. We are thrilled to support this project that will allow people to witness, and take part in, real life conservation work.”

Restoration work on the hangar is set to begin early this year, to be completed in Autumn 2019.

www.aerospacebristol.org

Aerospace Bristol is celebrating its 1st birthday today. Situated on the historic Filton Airfield, the museum opened its doors twelve months ago and has quickly established itself as one of Bristol’s must-see family attractions. A remarkable 160,000 people have already visited Aerospace Bristol; embarking upon a journey through more than a century of Bristol’s aerospace achievements and stepping aboard the last Concorde ever to fly.

Lloyd Burnell, Executive Director of Aerospace Bristol, said: “We always knew there was huge enthusiasm and passion for Concorde, and great pride in our aerospace heritage, but the incredible number of visitors – 160,000 in just twelve months – and the fantastic feedback we’ve received, has exceeded all expectations. We’re now looking forward to the next phase of the museum’s development and to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Concorde flight in 2019.”

Aerospace Bristol is planning a year-long ‘Concorde50’ celebration, with a programme of special events, opportunities to share Concorde memories, and the chance to support the charity in its mission to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Over 6,000 schoolchildren have already taken part in the museum’s national curriculum-linked science, technology and engineering workshops, with younger visitors also enjoying fun children’s trails around the exhibition, hands-on interactive exhibits, and even an aviation-themed outdoor play area.

Find out more about Aerospace Bristol at www.aerospacebristol.org.

Visitors to Aerospace Bristol will be able to see the Sycamore up close on Tuesday 10th July and Wednesday 11th July, before watching it take off at 1pm on Thursday 12th July.

Filton, Bristol, 10th July 2018: It’s not just football that’s coming home! The world’s only flying Bristol Sycamore helicopter is making a return to the city for three days only. The Sycamore is on display at the new Aerospace Bristol museum this week and will be available for visitors to view from Tuesday 10th July until Thursday. The unique example of a flying Sycamore will then take-off, as museum visitors look on, at 1pm on Thursday.

A total of 180 Bristol Sycamores were built at Filton and Weston-super-Mare, but the particular example visiting Aerospace Bristol this week is the only one in the world that is currently capable of flying. Built in 1957, this particular Sycamore served with the German Armed Forces before being decommissioned in 1969. It is now operated by the Flying Bulls (www.flyingbulls.at).

The Bristol Sycamore was developed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company at the end of the Second World War and named in reference to the seeds of a Sycamore tree, which fall with a rotating motion. It was the first British helicopter to receive a certificate of airworthiness and to serve with the Royal Air Force.

Featuring rotor blades constructed entirely from wood, the prototype Mk 1 lifted off for its maiden flight in 1947 and the Mk 2 followed in 1949. With a top speed of 200 km/h and a range of around 430 km, the Bristol 171 was ahead of its time and used for sea and mountain rescue, passenger and freight transport, and surveillance flights.

Opened in October 2017 and situated on the historic Filton Airfield, Aerospace Bristol is a new family attraction that tells the story of Bristol’s remarkable aviation heritage. The museum’s star attraction is Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the last Concorde ever to fly, with visitors able to step aboard Concorde, glimpse into the cockpit, and enjoy a stunning show projected on to the fuselage of the supersonic jet.

www.aerospacebristol.org

OVER 300 school children have taken part in a Royal Air Force event to encourage interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) today (Tuesday 22 May).

Students from schools in Bristol and surrounding areas took part in a range of activities including coding and building rocket cars. The event was held at Aerospace Bristol on the historic Filton Airfield with many of the STEM challenges themselves located underneath the wings of the Concorde. The aerospace museum is also home to the Sea Harrier which last year was successfully airlifted to its new home by an RAF Chinook.

The students were guided by the RAF Youth and STEM Team and their partners from Hands on Science. The students were also assisted by local RAF Engineers from Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) based at MOD Abbey Wood.

The event was part of the RAF’s national youth engagement programme which has been expanded for the Air Force’s 100th year and is expected to reach up to 2 million students aged between 9-15 years old. The aim of the programme is to build interest in STEM careers and inspire a new generation to help write the next chapters in the RAF’s story.

Amber Nyakunu, 11, from Holy Cross Primary School in Bedminster, said:

“My favourite activity was programming the robot. We had to use teamwork to complete the challenge and get the job done. After today, I would say I’m much mor interested in science and engineering.”

Air Marshal Julian Young, Chief of Material (Air) at DE&S and the Defence Engineering Champion, said:

“In 2018, both the year of the RAF’s Centenary and the Year of Engineering, DE&S is proud to join with our RAF colleagues to encourage our local young people from Bristol to take an interest in the exciting and rewarding field of Engineering. Through Engineering you can shape the future of the world we live in: my hero Brunel demonstrated this some 160 years ago, and the Concorde at Aerospace Bristol is a fantastic more recent example.

“Creative thinking and problem solving in technical matters are key to our country’s future, and as a responsible employer we have a duty to help address the skills shortfall in engineering across the UK.”

Amy Seadon, Learning & Community Engagement Manager at Aerospace Bristol, said:

“It was fantastic to see so many children taking part in hands-on STEM activities alongside Aerospace Bristol’s real-world examples of aerospace engineering. Through our exhibition and National Curriculum-linked learning programme, the museum aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in science and technology and we wer delighted to work with the RAF and Bristol schools on this special event.”

www.aerospacebristol.org