Old Warden Aerodrome

Old Warden Aerodrome
Shuttleworth Collection hangars and other buildings holding collection exhibits
Code	, ICAO: EGTH
County	Bedfordshire
	aerodrome
Operator	The Shuttleworth Collection
Location	TL152445 52°5’12"N, 0°19’7"W
Runway(s)	1,667 feet (Grass)
Website	www.shuttleworth.org/

Old Warden Aerodrome (ICAO: EGTH), also known as Shuttleworth (Old Warden) Aerodrome, is located at Old Warden in Bedfordshire and six nautical miles east-south-east of Bedford. It is a privately owned aerodrome which mainly serves The Shuttleworth Collection, which contains a large number of vintage aircraft and cars, many in working condition.

The Shuttleworth Collection

The Shuttleworth Collection is an aeronautical and automotive museum located at the Old Warden Aerodrome. It is one of the most prestigious in the world due to the variety of old and well-preserved aircraft.

History

Richard Shuttleworth's own private Tiger Moth

The collection was founded in 1928 by aviator Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth. While flying a Fairey Battle at night on 2 August 1940, Shuttleworth fatally crashed. His mother, in 1944, formed the Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth Remembrance Trust "for the teaching of the science and practice of aviation and of afforestation and agriculture."

Collection

Spitfire Vc, AR501, during renovation

Restoration and maintenance work is carried out by a staff of nine full-time and many volunteer engineers. These volunteers are all members of the 3,000-strong Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society. These dedicated enthusiasts are crucial to the preservation and restoration of the collection.

In addition to the aircraft, the collection houses a number of vintage and veteran cars. Events include model-flying days, and once a year, there is a special flying day for schools in the area.

The Shuttleworth Collection puts an emphasis on restoring as many aircraft as possible to flying condition, in line with the founder's original intention. There are typically about twelve air shows per year, including evening displays, which offer the opportunity to see aircraft which in many cases are the last of their type to survive, let alone existing in flyable condition.

The Edwardian flying machines

Some of the most notable aircraft in the collection are the five Edwardian aeroplanes, of which one is the oldest British aeroplane still in flying condition. What makes these exceptional is that they still fly (weather permitting). The oldest, with British civil registration G-AANG, is the Bleriot XI (still with original engine), which dates back to 1909 - six years after the Wright brothers' aircraft and the world's oldest airworthy aeroplane, the next oldest being, at only three weeks newer by date of manufacture, the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's own restored original Bleriot XI (Bleriot factory serial number 56, with civil registration N60094) in the United States.

Aircraft in the collection

Type	Date	Identity	Notes
ANEC II	1924	G-EBJO
Avro 504K	1918	G-ADEV	Painted as E3273
Roe IV Triplane	1964	G-ARSG	Replica
Avro Tutor	1933	G-AHSA	Painted as RAF K3241
Avro Anson	1946	G-AHKX	Owned by BAE Systems
Blackburn Type D	1912	G-AANI	Oldest airworthy British aeroplane
Blériot XI	1909	G-AANG	World's oldest airworthy aircraft
Bristol Boxkite	1964	G-ASPP	Replica
Bristol F.2b Fighter	1918	G-AEPH	Painted as RAF D8096
Bristol M.1C	1981	G-BWJM	Replica painted as RFC C4918
Comper Swift	1932	G-ACTF
de Havilland DH.51	1924	G-EBIR	Miss Kenya
de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird	1923	G-EBHX	Crashed on 1 July 2012 killing pilot. Currently being repaired off site.
de Havilland DH.60 Cirrus Moth	1925	G-EBLV	Owned by BAE Systems
de Havilland DH.60X Hermes Moth	1928	G-EBWD
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth II	1942	G-ANKT	Painted as RAF K2585
de Havilland DH.88 Comet	1934	G-ACSS	Grosvenor House
De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk 22	1952	G-BNZC	Painted as RCAF 671
Deperdussin Type A monoplane	1910	G-AANH
Desoutter I	1930	G-AAPZ
English Electric Wren	1923	G-EBNV
Gloster Gladiator	1937	G-AMRK	Painted as RAF K7985
Hawker Cygnet	1992	G-CAMM	Replica
Hawker Hind	1935	G-AENP	Painted as RAF K5414 Under engine restoration
Hawker Sea Hurricane Mk.Ib	1939	G-BKTH	Painted as RN Z7015
Hawker Tomtit	1931	G-AFTA	Painted as RAF K1786
Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet		191454	Fuselage mockup with original engine
Mignet HM.14 Flying Flea	1939	G-AEBB	Not airworthy
Miles Magister	1939	G-AJRS	Painted as RAF P6382
Parnall Elf	1932	G-AAIN
Percival Mew Gull	1934	G-AEXF	Alex Henshaw's England - Cape Town racer
Percival Provost T1	1955	G-KAPW	Painted as RAF XF603
Polikarpov Po-2	1924	G-BSSY	Painted as Soviet Air Force 28
RAF SE.5A	1918	G-EBIA	Serial F904 now in its original 84 Squadron colours
Sopwith Camel	2001	G-BZSC	Replica built by Northern Aeroplane Workshop, now at Old Warden
Sopwith Pup	1920	G-EBKY	Painted as RFC 9917
Sopwith Triplane	1980	G-BOCK	Replica painted as RNAS N6290
Southern Martlet	1930	G-AAYX
Supermarine Spitfire LF.Mk.Vc	1942	G-AWII	Serial AR501
Westland Lysander Mk.IIIa	1942	G-AZWT	Painted as RAF V9367

• Data from

Also resident, but privately owned: Avro Anson (BAE Systems)

• Miles M14a Hawk Trainer N3788 G-AKPF
• Westland Wallace replica fuselage
• De Havilland DH89A Rapide G-AGSH painted as British European Airways

Vehicles in the collection

Bristol F.2B Fighter

The Hucks starter of 1920.

DH88 Comet Racer 'Grosvenor House'

• 1898 Panhard et Levassor
• 1899 Mors Petit Duc
• 1899 Benz International dogcart
• 1900 Marot Gardan
• 1901 Locomobile Steam Car
• 1901 Arrol-Johnston
• 1902 Baby Peugeot
• 1903 Richard-Brasier
• 1903 De Dietrich
• 1912 Crossley 15
• 1912 Wolseley MS
• 1913 Morris Oxford
• 1920 Hucks starter
• 1923 Leyland SG7 bus
• 1926 Jowett Short-chassis tourer
• 1931 Austin 16 hp "Burnham"
• 1935 Austin Seven
• 1937 Railton
• 1937 Fiat Topolino
• 1937 MG TA
• 1939 Hillman Minx RAF Staff Car
• 1943 Fordson WOT 2H
• 1900 Singer Motor Wheel Motorcycle
• 1904 Aurora Motorcycle
• 1921 Scott Squirrel Combination
• 1923 Triumph SD Motorcycle
• 1927 Raleigh 14 Motorcycle
• 1929 Ariel Motorcycle
• 1938 Rudge Motorcycle
• 1940 BSA M20 Motorcycle
• 1950 Philips Cyclemaster
• 1952 Brockhouse Corgi Scooter
• 1955 BSA A7 Motorcycle
• 1955 New Hudson Motorcycle
• 1960 Norton ES2 Motorcycle

There is also a collection of tractors.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Old Warden Aerodrome)

• Old Warden Aerodrome Airfield Information