Weston super mare did have a airport which did internal flights and some to France prior to the second world war , it was then handed over to the war department , RAF Locking was a training camp and didn`t have fighter planes ,
Handed over to the Air Ministry!!! They ran the RAF, not the War Office. Next to the site was a Bristol aircraft "Shadow Factory" that built Beaufighters and they did their first flights from the airfield plus there was a second (Banwell) factory which built aircraft on the opposite side of Locking Moor Road to RAF Locking. After the war, the site was handed over to Bristol Aircraft, who built some Bristol Freighter's there, followed by putting their Helicopter division at the site where the Sycamore and Belvedere Helicopters were designed and built. The site was taken over by Westland when the rest of Bristol Aircraft was merged into BAC in the early 1960. They were still flying Helicopters there until the mid 1980's, mainly training oversea pilots to fly the Lynx. The Banwell Site became the home of Bristol Aerojet, which built solid fuel rocket motors for various British Guided Missiles and other projects. The boost motors for the Bloodhound missile were built at that plant and that is why they have a Bloodhound missile on display at the Helicopter Museum. The Control panel which "art itself" is the Engagement Controller's station from the Bloodhound Mark 2 Surface to Air Missile System. This one I think was from one of the five Engagement Controller Simulators which were used by the RAF. These were special cabins with most of the missile preparation equipment removed and extra computer equipment installed to run simulated training. The computer in the operational equipment didn't have the memory capacity to do that kind of stuff. The console in the operational Launch Console Post had a missile run up console in front of the grey side of the console rack manned by a technician. The console is on display there as all of the personnel who worked on the ground electronics side of the Bloodhound Missile system in the RAF did their trade training at RAF Locking, including me). I know what every button on that console does and which ones you have to press in which order to fire a missile. I’ve driven past that place hundreds of times while based at RAF Locking and never been in it! One thing I do remember was the Museum having a number of Westland Wessex’s painted by in US Marine markings in the late 1980’s. I wonder what film they were used in? Get Some!!!!
@@outandaboutwithrob The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, is a museum featuring a collection of more than 80 helicopters and autogyros from around the world, both civilian and military. It is based at the southeastern corner of the former Weston-super-Mare RAF Base. Royal Air Force Weston-super-Mare was located on a civilian airfield. It was set up as a municipal civilian airport in the 1930s before being taken over by the RAF in the Second World War for training and technical services. It was also the site of an aircraft production facility. In the postwar period it was used by Westland Helicopters. It is now home to the Helicopter Museum (worthy to visit …) and a housing estate (see Wikipedia).
No it wasn't!! Weston Super Mare Airport exsited before RAF Locking. The airport opened in 1936. RAF Locking opened in 1939. The Airfield was taken over by the Air Ministry in 1940 and was called RAF Weston Super Mare. Also two Shadow Factories were built near the airfield, one right next to the airfield and one at Banwell which build Beaufighters. Bristol Aircraft then took over the Airfield after WWII.
Sycamore and Belvedere were built there by Bristol Aircraft (plus a buttload of Beaufighters in a pair of shadow factories close to the airfield during WWII). Westland took over the operations of Bristol Aircraft's Helicopter division when the Aircraft and Guided Weapons divisions was merged into BAC in 1960. Westland mainly used it as a place to train overseas pilots on their helicopters (When I got posted to Locking in 1984, they were training a bunch of Nigerians to fly the Lynx).
Weston super mare did have a airport which did internal flights and some to France prior to the second world war , it was then handed over to the war department , RAF Locking was a training camp and didn`t have fighter planes ,
Thanks for letting me know 😊
Handed over to the Air Ministry!!! They ran the RAF, not the War Office. Next to the site was a Bristol aircraft "Shadow Factory" that built Beaufighters and they did their first flights from the airfield plus there was a second (Banwell) factory which built aircraft on the opposite side of Locking Moor Road to RAF Locking. After the war, the site was handed over to Bristol Aircraft, who built some Bristol Freighter's there, followed by putting their Helicopter division at the site where the Sycamore and Belvedere Helicopters were designed and built. The site was taken over by Westland when the rest of Bristol Aircraft was merged into BAC in the early 1960.
They were still flying Helicopters there until the mid 1980's, mainly training oversea pilots to fly the Lynx.
The Banwell Site became the home of Bristol Aerojet, which built solid fuel rocket motors for various British Guided Missiles and other projects. The boost motors for the Bloodhound missile were built at that plant and that is why they have a Bloodhound missile on display at the Helicopter Museum.
The Control panel which "art itself" is the Engagement Controller's station from the Bloodhound Mark 2 Surface to Air Missile System. This one I think was from one of the five Engagement Controller Simulators which were used by the RAF. These were special cabins with most of the missile preparation equipment removed and extra computer equipment installed to run simulated training. The computer in the operational equipment didn't have the memory capacity to do that kind of stuff.
The console in the operational Launch Console Post had a missile run up console in front of the grey side of the console rack manned by a technician. The console is on display there as all of the personnel who worked on the ground electronics side of the Bloodhound Missile system in the RAF did their trade training at RAF Locking, including me).
I know what every button on that console does and which ones you have to press in which order to fire a missile.
I’ve driven past that place hundreds of times while based at RAF Locking and never been in it!
One thing I do remember was the Museum having a number of Westland Wessex’s painted by in US Marine markings in the late 1980’s. I wonder what film they were used in? Get Some!!!!
@@richardvernon317 very good
@westcountrypirate750thanks 😀
Weston Super Mare never had an airport. It was part of RAF Locking located a couple of miles away.
Thanks for letting me know 😊
@@outandaboutwithrob The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, is a museum featuring a collection of more than 80 helicopters and autogyros from around the world, both civilian and military. It is based at the southeastern corner of the former Weston-super-Mare RAF Base. Royal Air Force Weston-super-Mare was located on a civilian airfield. It was set up as a municipal civilian airport in the 1930s before being taken over by the RAF in the Second World War for training and technical services. It was also the site of an aircraft production facility. In the postwar period it was used by Westland Helicopters. It is now home to the Helicopter Museum (worthy to visit …) and a housing estate (see Wikipedia).
No it wasn't!! Weston Super Mare Airport exsited before RAF Locking. The airport opened in 1936. RAF Locking opened in 1939. The Airfield was taken over by the Air Ministry in 1940 and was called RAF Weston Super Mare. Also two Shadow Factories were built near the airfield, one right next to the airfield and one at Banwell which build Beaufighters. Bristol Aircraft then took over the Airfield after WWII.
A lot of those helicopters would've been made up the road in Yeovil, the Westland ones anyway.
Sycamore and Belvedere were built there by Bristol Aircraft (plus a buttload of Beaufighters in a pair of shadow factories close to the airfield during WWII). Westland took over the operations of Bristol Aircraft's Helicopter division when the Aircraft and Guided Weapons divisions was merged into BAC in 1960. Westland mainly used it as a place to train overseas pilots on their helicopters (When I got posted to Locking in 1984, they were training a bunch of Nigerians to fly the Lynx).
Thank you for letting me know 😊
Thanks for letting me know 😊