On my way up to Scotland, the first stop was the Helicopter Museum at Weston-Super-Mare. It is located on the ex-RAF Locking airfield. As it's name suggests this museum is dedicated to helicopters, and includes Gyrocopters. It is housed in a single large hanger, and the number of exhibits makes it very difficult to get photos. Most of these photos were taken on my phone at its widest angle. I counted almost 65 different helicopters, but I'm pretty sure I missed some.
Amongst the largest at the museum are the EH-101 represented by G-EHIL and G-OIOI the "Heliliner". Another heavyweight is the Aerospatiale Super Frelon F-OCMF.
XV733 is one of only 2 Westland Wessex HCC4 built for the Royal Flight, and regularly transported HRH Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals between 1969 and 1998.
Bristow helicopters was a large operator that supported North Sea Oil Operations using a variety of helicopters including the Super Puma (G-TIGE). Early on they also operated Westland WS-55, the civil version of the RAF Whirlwind G-AODA
Smaller helicopters were squeezed in throughout the hanger, and included this OH-6A Cayuse of the US Army as well as this McCullock J2 autogyro G-ORVB
This SA365 Dauphin F-WQAP was the first production aircraft of this popular French design.
A ground-breaking design of it's time, this Piaswcki HUP-3 was one of the predecessors of the Chinook. This example was operated by the Royal Canadian Navy.
Eastern block helicopters were represented by a Mil Mi-24 96+26 originally operated by the East German Airforce, but used by the German Air Force for a while after reunification. There is also a Czech Air Force Mil Mi-4 09147 and Polish Air Force Mil Mi-1 2007 here,
This Westland Dragonfly WG719 was used by the Royal Navy in the 1950s and the Bristol Belvedere XG454 was operated by the Royal Air Force in the 1960s, and both show how far helicopter design has advanced.
The Westland 30 was a civilian helicopter developed from the military Lynx. G-BGHF is the first prototype, whilst a production aircraft G-BKGB of British International Helicopters is displayed outside
This is a great museum and not to be missed if you love your helicopters.
Thank$ m8
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