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The Helicopter Museum is located in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset and features a collection of more than 80 civilian & military helicopters and autogyros from around the world.
The museum is based on the south-eastern corner of the former Weston-super-Mare Airport.
History
In 1958, aviation writer and historian Elfan ap Rees, began to build up a private collection of rotorcraft documentation and artefacts. The collection grew over the next ten years and he acquired a Bristol Sycamore Mk.3 helicopter in 1969.
Over the next few years more aircraft were added to the collection and in 1978 the museum acquired a small area and some buildings on Weston-super-Mare airfield, including a Second World War armoury building and air-raid shelter. The museum buildings required extensive repairs but the museum was open to the public by the Summer of 1978.
The museum was forced to close at the end of the 1979 season but more rare helicopters were added to the collection and the museum reopened on a new airfield site in 1988 after volunteers spent the next year restoring old buildings and erecting a new display annexe.
The museum was officially opened by HRH Prince Andrew in November 1989. Since then the museum has grown substantially erecting new hangarage to put the collection under cover and purchasing its 4.5 acre site outright,with the help of heritage lottery and other grant funding. The museum continues to restore and display many types of helicopters from various countries.
The Helicopter Museum now has over 80 helicopters in the collection with the ones on display to the public being housed in the main display building.
The Collection includes two aircraft of the Queen's Royal Flight, the World Speed Record Holder G-Lynx, a Russian Hind Gunship and a 'Huey' Bell UH-1H.
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