81-532: Brooklands Museum is a motoring and aviation museum occupying part of the former Brooklands Motor Course in Weybridge , Surrey, England. Formally opened in 1991, the museum is operated by the independent Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd, a private limited company (No.02109945) and a registered UK charity (No.296661); its aim is to conserve, protect and interpret the heritage of the Brooklands site. Brooklands
162-758: A Delage 155B. The second British Grand Prix was staged there in 1927 and these two events resulted in improved facilities at Brooklands. In 1930, the Daily Herald offered a trophy for the fastest driver at an event at Brooklands. The first year, Birkin and Kaye Don competed, the former in a Bentley Blower tourer, the latter in the Sunbeam 'Tigress' 4 litre, Don winning with a speed of 137.58 miles per hour (221.41 km/h). In 1932, Birkin won driving his red "Monoposto" Bentley Blower No.1 , clocking 137.96 miles per hour (222.03 km/h). The track record stood for two years, before being beaten by John Cobb driving
243-420: A gate guardian at Heathrow Airport, until removed in 2007. After restoration and repainting, the model was relocated for similar duty at Brooklands Museum's public entrance off Brooklands Drive on 29 September 2012. There are civil and military aircraft on display including a Vickers Vanguard , Viscount 800 and Standard VC-10 . The majority of exhibits were built at Brooklands or have close associations with
324-601: A 100-year period of Brooklands-built aeroplanes operated by the British armed forces. Brooklands motor course celebrated its centenary on 16/17 June 2007. Throughout 2007, various special events were organised by Brooklands Museum in order to celebrate its 100th birthday. Events included use of the Byfleet Banking for the first time in nearly 70 years, a Formula One car demonstration by McLaren-Mercedes, driven by Gary Paffett in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz World and
405-506: A 1940 Bellman aircraft hangar. Surviving sections of the 1937 Campbell Circuit, the 1907 Finishing Straight and Members' Banking (the steepest section of the former racing circuit), the 1909 Test Hill, and a WW2 ' Bofors ' gun tower are part of the Brooklands Scheduled Monument which was extended in 2002. The entire Brooklands site was designated a Conservation Area in 1989. The museum is open daily and displays
486-468: A 24-hour slot car race to commemorate S.F. Edge's achievement of driving for 24 hours averaging over 60 mph (100 km/h). Brooklands Museum houses historic aircraft including a Vickers Wellington bomber recovered from Loch Ness in 1985, a British Airways Concorde , G-BBDG (c/n 202), the UK's first production Concorde, and now also owns the 40% scale Concorde model "G-CONC" displayed for many years as
567-496: A crucial part in the successful development of the 'Upkeep' mine - better known today as the 'bouncing bomb' conceived by Barnes Wallis and deployed to such devastating effect by the ' Dambuster ' Avro Lancasters of 617 Squadron, RAF, led by Guy Gibson against Germany's Ruhr Valley reservoirs on the night of 16–17 May 1943. After the war, the circuit was in poor condition and was sold to Vickers-Armstrongs in 1946 for continued use as an aircraft factory. New aircraft types, including
648-660: A fleet of 20 de Havilland Tiger Moths , and in 1937 the RAF Volunteer Reserve School was set up at Sywell with a further 16 training aircraft. During WW2, Brooklands Aviation became a contractor to the Civilian Repair Organisation , repairing various types of damaged aircraft, particularly Vickers Wellingtons. After ending its RAF flying training in 1946, the company diversified and built plywood and GRP cabin cruiser boats designed by Alan Eckford, until 1974. The first flight of
729-594: A flight test centre for Vickers in 1944, and was used until 1972, latterly by BAC . After considerable expansion, due to increasing commercial success in the 1950s, the Vickers factory achieved its peak size in the early 1960s, in preparation for the VC10 manufacturing programme, and became the headquarters of the new British Aircraft Corporation in 1960. Substantial investment in the site at that time saw many new buildings constructed and existing premises modified. First, in
810-524: A flying school, its first instructor and test pilot was Archie Low ; Roe also started a flying school there. Vickers opened a flying school on 20 January 1912, and among its first instructors was R. Harold Barnwell ; 77 pupils including Hugh Dowding were taught to fly until the school closed in August 1914. In February 1912 Thomas Sopwith opened his flying school and in June, with several others, he set up
891-513: A logistics centre at Brooklands. In November 2009, Brooklands was featured in an episode of a BBC TV series James May's Toy Stories . May undertook the task of recreating the original track using Scalextric . The show featured May's attempt to lay the plastic track through and around the variety of obstacles that have replaced the original track, including a pond, a four-lane road, several houses, fences, and Sony and Procter & Gamble corporate campuses. In 1987, Brooklands Museum Trust
SECTION 10
#1732781156287972-452: A notable TV appearance when it featured in the 1990 'The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim' episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot , when Hercule Poirot investigates a crime committed involving a racing driver. The banking of Brooklands was also used as a 'road location' in an episode of The Bill where the CID foiled an armed robbery and resulted in a 'shoot out'. On 1 November 2015, Brooklands
1053-634: A record which stood for 17 years. The first standard race meeting would be held the next week, on 6 July. George E. Stanley broke the one-hour record at Brooklands race track on a Singer motorcycle in 1912, becoming the first ever rider of a 350 cc motorcycle to cover over 60 miles (100 km) in an hour. The world record for the first person to cover 100 miles in 1 hour was set by Percy E. Lambert at Brooklands, on 15 February 1913 when driving his 4.5 litre sidevalve Talbot . He actually covered 103 miles, 1470 yards (167.1 km) in 60 minutes. A contemporary film of his exploits on that day can be viewed at
1134-519: A second, even larger, 98,989-square-foot (9,196 m ) flight shed was added alongside by 1964. The latter was probably the largest aircraft hangar in Europe at the time and became known locally as "The Cathedral", while the smaller shed was called "The Abbey". The huge factory at Brooklands went on to design and build the BAC TSR.2 , One-Eleven and major assemblies for Concorde . The cancellation of
1215-433: A wide range of Brooklands-related motoring and aviation exhibits ranging from giant racing cars such as the 24-litre Napier-Railton , motorcycles, and bicycles to a unique collection of Hawker and Vickers / British Aircraft Corporation -built aircraft including Concorde ( G-BBDG ). Other museum exhibits include flyable Bleriot XI and Sopwith Camel replicas built by Mike Beach and Viv Bellamy, respectively. The Camel
1296-531: Is due to be scrapped, on the previous day its sister, ZA150, was acquired by Brooklands Museum for preservation at nearby Dunsfold Aerodrome and was delivered there by an RAF 101 Squadron crew. This was the last VC10 built - first flown from Brooklands on 16 February 1970, originally delivered to East African Airways and also one of the last complete aircraft manufactured at Brooklands - the last complete aircraft to be built there, BAC 1-11 D-ANNO, first flew on 19 December 1970. The retirement of these two VC10s also ended
1377-422: Is maintained in 'live' condition and performs regular engine running demonstrations at museum events during the year. A Grand Prix motor racing exhibition which features a Formula One simulator can also be seen. A major new visitor attraction, 'The Concorde Experience', opened in August 2006, centenary celebrations occurred in 2007 and a full-size modern working replica of Alliott Verdon Roe 's 1908 'Avroplane'
1458-736: Is run by the London Bus Preservation Trust, a Registered Charity. Entry to London Bus Museum is on a joint ticket with Brooklands Museum with one admission charge covering both museums. Brooklands Brooklands was a 2.767-mile (4.453 km) motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey , England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, which also became Britain's largest aircraft manufacturing centre by 1918, producing military aircraft such as
1539-612: The Brooklands Museum . Youngest person to drive a lap at Brooklands Ivy Cummings is thought to be the youngest person to complete a lap when in 1913, (aged 11/12) she started her father Sydney Cummings' car whilst he was watching aircraft and drove around the course. In July and August 1929, Violette Cordery and her younger sister Evelyn drove her 4.5 litre four-seater Invicta for 30,000 miles in less than 30,000 minutes (approximately 20 days, 20 hours), averaging 61.57 mph and earning her second Dewar Trophy from
1620-705: The Hawker Hurricane , later a fighter aircraft in the Battle of Britain , occurred at Brooklands on 6 November 1935. In World War II , the site was again used for military aircraft production, in particular the Vickers Wellington , Vickers Warwick and Hawker Hurricane and was extensively camouflaged. Trees were also planted in some sections of the concrete track to help conceal the Hawker and Vickers aircraft factories there. Despite these efforts,
1701-661: The National Cyclists' Union (as the sport's governing body, the NCU banned such events from public roads). In 1939, it was used as a location for the Will Hay film, Ask a Policeman . An episode in Johannes V. Jensen 's novelle Gudrun from 1936 takes place at the race track. Racing stopped when World War II started in 1939. The site was turned over to war-time production of military aircraft. Enemy bombs damaged
SECTION 20
#17327811562871782-552: The Royal Automobile Club . Brooklands closed to motor racing during World War I , was requisitioned by the War Office and continued its pre-war role as a flying training centre although it was now under military control. Brooklands soon became a major location for the construction, testing and supply of military aeroplanes. Motor racing resumed in 1920 after extensive track repairs and Grand Prix motor racing
1863-562: The Sopwith Aviation Company there, although their manufacturing premises were at Kingston upon Thames . Other aviation pioneers came to Brooklands before World War One including Prince Serge de Bolotoff who tried to build a large tandem triplane in a shed there in 1913. Blériot , Martinsyde and Vickers also later produced military aeroplanes at Brooklands which became Britain's largest aircraft manufacturing centre by 1918. Many flying schools operated here before 1914 and
1944-615: The V-1000 transport in 1955, the Labour government's cancellation of the TSR-2 in 1965, and the disappointing lack of significant orders for VC10s and Concorde, saw the factory contract in the early 1970s. It became part of the newly formed British Aerospace in 1977, and focused on component manufacture for other aircraft. However, closure was announced on 29 July 1986, finally occurring on Christmas Day 1989. BAE's successor, BAE Systems , retains
2025-503: The Viking , Valetta , Varsity , Viscount , Vanguard , 1-11 and VC10 , were subsequently, designed, manufactured and delivered from there. In 1951, construction of a new hard runway required a section of the motor circuit's Byfleet Banking to be removed to allow Vickers Valiant V bombers to be flown out to nearby Wisley Airfield , which offered a longer runway and less built-up surroundings than Brooklands. That airfield opened as
2106-549: The Wellington and civil airliners like the Viscount and VC-10 . The circuit hosted its last race in August 1939 and today part of it forms the Brooklands Museum , a major aviation and motoring museum, as well as a venue for vintage car, motorcycle and other transport-related events. The Brooklands motor circuit was the brainchild of Hugh Fortescue Locke-King , and was the first purpose-built banked motor race circuit in
2187-533: The 1932 Brooklands Aero Clubhouse), structures and remaining sections of the Track first became the subject of preservation orders from 1975 and this legal protection was reviewed by English Heritage and increased by the DCMS in 2002). A draft Brooklands Conservation Plan was instigated by English Heritage and prepared in 2003 for DaimlerChrysler by DCUK consultants Terence O'Rourke. A Brooklands Heritage Partnership (BHP)
2268-622: The 1940 Bellman Hangar away from the Race Track, building an adjacent two-storey Flight Shed with stores and workshop on the ground floor and restoring the north end of Finishing Straight. The latter was completed in time for the 110th anniversary of the Track opening in June 2017 and the rest of the project was finished and officially opened as the Brooklands Aircraft Factory by Prince Michael of Kent on 13 November 2017. The Brooklands Trust Members , formed in 2008 after
2349-475: The 1999 released Spirit of Speed 1937 game for the PC and Dreamcast , in which it was re-created in detail. Several other video games also feature Brooklands and Brooklands Museum's Formula 1 simulator also features a detailed computer simulation of the pre-war race track. In 2009, BBC Top Gear presenter James May announced plans to recreate the full length Brooklands using Scalextric track and cars. This
2430-476: The 24 litre Napier-Railton , which holds the all-time lap record at 143.44 mph (230.84 km/h). In 1932 the Junior Car Club organised the British 1000 Miles Race, which was held in two parts on 3 and 4 June. The race was won by Mrs E. Wisdom and Miss Joan Richmond driving a Riley Brooklands 9 . During the late 1930s, Brooklands also hosted massed start cycle racing events organised by
2511-498: The 75th anniversary of the first flight of the type's forerunner, prototype Vickers B.9/32. In 2012, the 50th anniversary of the Vickers VC10 airliner was marked by the staging of a VC10 Symposium and the official opening of a new VC10 exhibition by the late Sir George Edwards ' daughter Angela Newton on 29 June – half a century after the aircraft was first flown here by Jock Bryce, Brian Trubshaw and Bill Cairns. In late 2012,
Brooklands Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-724: The Battle of Britain was unveiled on 15 September 2010. Centred on a restored Hawker Hurricane, it explained how the aircraft factories made the site a prime target for the Luftwaffe. The exhibition listed the names of those killed when Vickers was badly bombed on 4 September 1940. Another new temporary exhibition about the Vickers Wellington was centred on the Loch Ness Wellington and was opened by Robin Holmes, Penelope Keith , Norman Parker and Ken Wallis on 15 June 2011 –
2673-475: The Brooklands Society obtained outline planning consent for a museum on a 40 acres (16 ha) portion of the site, but lacked the funds to acquire the land and pursue its plans. In 1978, much of the circuit was cleared and many of the historic buildings, with the exception of the 1932 Aero Clubhouse and the 1911 ticket office, were demolished. At the end of the decade, the western side of the circuit
2754-558: The Friends of Brooklands Museum and the Brooklands Club amalgamated, is the official supporters' organisation for the museum. In August 2011, the new London Bus Museum opened in new premises on land at Brooklands Museum. Formerly the private Cobham Bus Museum from 1972 to 2011, LBM is itself an Accredited Museum (provisional), displaying some 35 historic London buses dating back to the 1870s, together with associated artefacts, and
2835-688: The Members Bridge began in October 1988. The 1911 ticket office was relocated to the museum site the following year. The visitors were admitted to Brooklands Museum in the summer of 1990, but the official opening ceremony was performed by the Royal Patron, Prince Michael of Kent , on 10 April 1991. The museum celebrated the centenary of the opening of the Brooklands Circuit in 2007, 100 years of aviation at Brooklands in 2008 and
2916-731: The Monday. During 1910 Brooklands rapidly became a major centre of flying in Britain and that summer, Hilda Hewlett and Gustave Blondeau opened Britain's first flying school at Brooklands. Hewlett and Blondeau also started their aircraft manufacturing company, Hewlett & Blondeau Limited there before moving to larger premises in Clapham in London. Later in 1910 the Bristol Aeroplane Company also established
2997-856: The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Avro Lancaster – as a special 70th anniversary tribute to Barnes Wallis and the Vickers-Armstrong engineers who developed the Upkeep bouncing bomb. The museum's aviation exhibits include a 1914 Sopwith Schneider floatplane replica, built by volunteers at Brooklands and funded by the Kingston Aviation Heritage Trust who donated it to the museum in November 2013. A 1961 BAC / Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.3A
3078-630: The Royal Canadian Engineers risked his life when he and five others manhandled an unexploded German bomb away from the Hawker aircraft factory at Brooklands and rolled it into an existing bomb crater where it later exploded harmlessly - his bravery was subsequently recognised by the award of the George Cross . The crucial role of Brooklands in the Battle of Britain of 1940 is further explained in displays at Brooklands Museum. After
3159-524: The Test Hill's centenary in 2009. The London Bus Museum moved to the purpose-built Cobham Hall on the Brooklands Museum site in August 2011. The museum is located on 30 acres (12 ha) of the original 1907 motor-racing circuit. It includes four listed buildings: the 1907 Brooklands Automobile Racing Club Clubhouse and Members' Hill Restaurant buildings, the 1911 Flight Ticket Office and
3240-534: The Vickers factory was successfully bombed by the Luftwaffe and extensively damaged on 4 September 1940 with nearly 90 aircraft workers killed and at least 419 injured. Five unidentified victims were buried in unmarked graves in Burvale Cemetery, Hersham, on 9 September although one of these was later confirmed to be 36 year old William E Hunt. On 10 March 2016, thanks to the efforts of local residents, sponsors and supporters, permanent memorials to Mr Hunt and
3321-545: The World's first voice to ground wireless message was successfully transmitted over Brooklands in 1915. Major changes were made to the Flying Village with the construction in late 1917 of three large 'Belfast-truss' General Service Sheds for a new Aircraft Acceptance Park (later No. 10 AAP). This handled the assembly and testing of large numbers of new aeroplanes and finally closed in early 1920. Brooklands Aviation Ltd
Brooklands Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-453: The aerodrome became a major flying training centre between the wars. During World War I Brooklands closed to motor racing and was requisitioned by the War Office. Vickers Aviation Ltd set up a factory in 1915, and Brooklands soon became a major centre for the construction, testing and supply of military aeroplanes. Civilian flying schools closed down or were merged into one Military Training School and flying training continued until at least
3483-770: The bombing of Brooklands in September 1940, the Vickers-Armstrongs Design Department (including Rex Pierson , Barnes Wallis and several hundred others) was dispersed to a secret location at the nearby Burhill Golf Course, just east of St George's Hill in Hersham and the Experimental Department led by George Edwards was relocated to temporary premises at Foxwarren in Redhill Road, Cobham . These two facilities played
3564-451: The circuit opened, it played host to the world's first 24-hour motor event, with Selwyn Edge leading three specially converted Napier cars around the circuit. A statement of intent had been made in 1906, and Selwyn Edge entered into a physical training program to prepare for the event. His car, "804" was extensively modified, having a special fuel tank, bodywork removed, and a special windscreen. Over 300 red railway lamps were used to light
3645-454: The clubhouse, but at the same time a further 300 m (980 ft) section of the banked part of the track was destroyed. Restoration work began in the mid-1980s and Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd was formed in early 1987. The trust was formally launched on 7 June that year, for the circuit's 80th anniversary, and the first chairman was Sir Peter Masefield . Morag Barton was appointed the first museum director in August 1987 and reconstruction of
3726-587: The development at Brooklands, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built soon afterwards, and held its inaugural race in August 1909. The Brooklands Mountain Circuit was a small section of the track giving a lap 1.168 mi (1.880 km) long, running from the Fork to the rear of Members' Hill and back. It was created in 1930 using movable barriers. On 28–29 June 1907, eleven days after
3807-437: The end of 1915. Several Royal Flying Corps squadrons including numbers 1, 8, 9 and 10 (plus No. 2 and 23 Reserve Squadrons) were formed (or reformed) and based briefly at Brooklands during the war years. Continuing significant pioneering air-ground wireless trials pioneered by a Marconi team at Brooklands from 1912, the aerodrome also housed various RFC units testing and training with airborne wireless communications equipment and
3888-561: The event and the location later influenced the theme of the classic 1965 Twentieth Century Fox British film comedy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines . Flying training was an important function of the aerodrome both before World War I and between the wars. Visitors can see many displays and exhibits portraying the contribution made by Brooklands to the British aircraft industry in both world wars, and also in
3969-489: The ex-British Airways/Heathrow Airport 40% scale Concorde model G-CONC was moved to the south end of Brooklands Drive, where it now marks the main entrance to Brooklands Museum. The Brooklands contribution to the Royal Air Force 's legendary 617 Squadron ' Dambusters ' attack on Germany's Ruhr Valley reservoirs on 16–17 May 1943 was commemorated on 12 May 2013 by three impressive flypasts of Brooklands Museum given by
4050-404: The existing record of 1,096.187 mi (1,764.142 km) set at Indianapolis in 1905. Women were not allowed to compete for several years. Dorothy Levitt , S. F. Edge's leading driver, was refused entry despite having been the 'first English-woman to compete in a motor race' in 1903, and holding the 'Ladies World Land Speed Record'. Edge completed 2,545 km at an average 106.06 km/h,
4131-585: The later 1930s. The original pre-WW1 Brooklands Aero Club was re-formed by the BARC in May 1930 with Percy Bradley as Manager and the Brooklands Flying Club was established by Brooklands Aviation in early 1933. Brooklands Aviation won a War Department contract for pilot training for the Royal Air Force . and opened No. 6 Elementary Flying Training School at Sywell on 10 June 1935, training pilots with
SECTION 50
#17327811562874212-526: The line, a driver could theoretically take the banked corners without having to use the steering wheel. The track was opened on 17 June 1907 with a luncheon attended by most of Britain's motor manufacturers. At the conclusion of the luncheon, Mr Locke King (on whose estate the track was built) named Lord Montagu of Beaulieu , Messrs. Hugh Owen, Julian Walter Orde (secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland) and Colonel Holden as being
4293-430: The main people that enabled the track to be built. This was followed by an informal inauguration of the track by a procession of 43 cars, one driven by Charles Rolls . The first competitive event was held on 28–29 June, with three cars competing to break the world record for distance covered in 24 hours, and the first race meeting was held on 6 July, attracting over 10,000 spectators. Apparently drawing inspiration from
4374-483: The mid-1950s, came a new assembly hall for the Vickers Viscount, known as 'B.1', presumably because it consisted of a number of re-purposed standard war-time B.1-type hangars (together with some T.2 hangars), and was rebuilt as one long double-bay structure parallel to the runway. By 1962, a large new 60,378-square-foot (5,609 m ) VC10 flight shed hangar was ready to house the prototype VC10 airliner, and
4455-474: The need to navigate modern features that block the original course). The episode was shown on BBC2 on 17 November 2009 as part of James May's Toy Stories . BBC TV's Antiques Roadshow was filmed at Brooklands Museum in July 2009 and subsequently produced as two programmes for its next series and first broadcast on 10 and 17 January 2010. Peter Masefield Too Many Requests If you report this error to
4536-609: The other four civilians were dedicated by the Reverend Martin Fletcher and Elmbridge Borough Councillor Mary Sheldon. Attendees included relatives of Vickers factory worker Eric S Powell who also died on 4 September 1940 aged 26 and is now believed to be one of the remaining four unidentified casualties buried at Burvale. The Hawker factory premises were also bombed and damaged two days later but with no loss of life or serious disruption to Hurricane production. On 21 September 1940, Lt John MacMillan Stevenson Patton of
4617-603: The post-war years with Vickers and later the British Aircraft Corporation and British Aerospace . Vickers purchased the site in 1946 for £330,000, which allowed them to produce civilian aircraft. The most notable of these was the Vickers Viscount , of which 444 were built between Brooklands and Bournemouth. In 1959, the Vanguard was test flown from Brooklands. In 1962, the test flight for
4698-449: The projected circuit and work began in 1906. Requirements of speed and spectator visibility led to the Brooklands track being built as a 100 ft (30 m) wide, 2.767 mi (4.453 km) long, banked oval. The banking was nearly 30 feet (9.1 m) high in places. In addition to the oval, a bisecting "Finishing Straight" was built, increasing the track length to 3.369 mi (5.422 km), of which 1.250 mi (2.012 km)
4779-512: The prototype VC10 also took place at Brooklands, and subsequently all 53 production VC10s were flown out as well before being completed and test flown at Wisley . On 6 July 1957, the Brooklands Memorial was unveiled by Lord Brabazon of Tara , at an event organised by Vickers-Armstrongs to mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Brooklands motor course. A rally, organised by Godalming & District Round Table, took place at
4860-419: The public on 29 October 2006. This development incorporates a vehicle test tracks (including part of the original Campbell Circuit) and an off-road circuit. Also included is a conference centre and extensive Mercedes-Benz showrooms. Following significant earlier work by The Brooklands Society (not part of Brooklands Museum), certain buildings (including the 1907 BARC Clubhouse, the 1911 Flight Ticket Office and
4941-473: The selection of a 30-acre heritage site in the northeast corner of Brooklands, by the old Paddock and Finishing Straight. As well as organising numerous aviation, motoring and other events since the mid-1980s, the Museum also staged regular fly-ins for visiting light aircraft from 1991 to 2003 using the northern half of the original tarmac runway and staffed these events with an all-volunteer team. Brooklands made
SECTION 60
#17327811562875022-417: The site in June 1967 for the circuit's diamond jubilee. The latter event was a catalyst for the formation of the Brooklands Society, whose objects were to promote interest in Brooklands (for both its motoring and aviation influences) and to preserve what remained of the track and infrastructure. A further rally to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the opening of the track took place in June 1977. The same year,
5103-454: The site. The VC-10 was built and first flown at Brooklands in 1964 and after airline service with British United as G-ASIX and later British Caledonian Airways, in 1974 it became a VIP aircraft for the then- Sultan Qaboos of Oman until retired on 6 July 1987 and donated to Brooklands Museum by the Sultan's Royal Flight. Although the Circuit is no longer driveable, it can still be simulated in
5184-441: The track and a new access road to the Hawker factory was cut through from Oyster Lane. Temporary dispersal hangars covered other sections. Brooklands was also one of Britain's first airfields. In 1908 Alliott Verdon-Roe was based at Brooklands and carried out the first taxiing and towed flight trials of a British full-size powered aircraft by a British pilot. On Friday, 29 October 1909 the first official powered flight at Brooklands
5265-428: The track during the night. Flares were used to mark the upper boundary of the track. Edge drove his car for the full duration, with the drivers of the other two cars (Henry C. Tryon/ A. F. Browning and F. Draper /Frank Newton) taking the more familiar shift approach. During the event Edge covered a distance of 1,581.74 mi (2,545.56 km) at an average speed of 65.91 mph (106.07 km/h), comfortably beating
5346-603: The world. Following the Motor Car Act 1903 , Britain was subject to a blanket 20 mph (32 km/h) speed limit on public roads: at a time when nearly 50% of the world's new cars were produced in France, there was concern that Britain's infant auto-industry would be hampered by the inability to undertake sustained high-speed testing. King commissioned Colonel Capel Lofft Holden of the Royal Artillery to design
5427-475: Was also a leading aircraft design and manufacturing centre in the 20th century, producing a total of 18,600 new aircraft of nearly 260 types between 1908 and 1987 (see McSwein, D R). Brooklands-based aircraft companies such as Bleriot , Hawker , Sopwith , Martinsyde , and Vickers were key players in the early years of aviation and were crucial to its early development. The ' Daily Mail Round Britain Air Race' of 1911 started and finished at Brooklands, and both
5508-403: Was available for public consultation via Elmbridge Borough Council and Brooklands Museum from July to August 2017. On 25 September 2013, the last flying VC10 - an RAF K.3 tanker, serial number ZA147 (originally built as a Super VC10 airliner) - made its final flight from RAF Brize Norton to Bruntingthorpe Airfield, this being the end of the type's remarkable 51-year career. Although this aeroplane
5589-423: Was banked. It could host up to 287,000 spectators in its heyday. Owing to the complications of laying tarmacadam on banking, and the expense of laying asphalt , the track was built in uncoated concrete. This led in later years to a somewhat bumpy ride, as the surface suffered differential settlement over time. Along the centre of the track ran a dotted black line, known as the Fifty Foot Line . By driving over
5670-401: Was completed and unveiled on 7 June 2008. The museum also owns and, until late 2009, operated an airworthy Vickers Vimy replica which was built in America in 1994 to re-enact the design's three record-breaking long-distance flights of 1919–20. Having helped commemorate the 90th anniversaries of the world's first Transatlantic flight and the first flight from England to Australia, the aeroplane
5751-417: Was developed into an industrial estate. In 1982, the land that would become the site of the future Brooklands Museum was purchased by the tobacco company, Gallaher Ltd . The company retained 10 acres (4.0 ha) for an office building, but, in 1984, leased the remaining 30 acres (12 ha) to Elmbridge Borough Council for the purpose of founding a museum. Gallaher Ltd pledged £1.5 million to restore
5832-535: Was established at Brooklands in 1926 by Henry Segrave , after his victories in the 1923 French Grand Prix and the San Sebastián Grand Prix (all won on Sunbeam Racing Cars which in various hands had significant success in Brooklands) the following year raised interest in the sport in Britain. This first British Grand Prix was won by Louis Wagner and Robert Sénéchal , sharing the drive in
5913-528: Was featured in an episode of the British series Downton Abbey , although the scenes were actually filmed at the Goodwood Circuit . American car enthusiast Barry Meguiar (President and CEO of Meguiar's) has featured the Brooklands on his Speed Channel show Car Crazy . In early 2004 the central area of Brooklands including the hard runway and parts of the remaining circuit were sold to DaimlerChrysler UK Retail and Mercedes-Benz World opened to
5994-749: Was finally retired and flown into Brooklands on 15 November 2009. In 2016, it was relocated to a purpose-built Vimy Pavilion where it is now kept maintained 'live' condition and performs occasional engine running demonstrations on the race track. In early 2011 the museum received (on loan from its owners) the historic fuselage of the Supermarine Swift F.4 prototype, WK198, which held the World Absolute Air Speed Record when flown by test pilot Mike Lithgow in Libya on 26 September 1953. A temporary exhibition about Brooklands in
6075-583: Was formed in 1931 - with Percy Bradley, Duncan Davis, Fred Sigrist and Ted Jones as Directors - to operate the aerodrome, and commissioned British airport architect Graham Dawbarn to design the Art Deco Brooklands Aero Clubhouse, which opened in May 1932. The company also operated the resident Brooklands School of Flying which was registered as a limited company in 1931 with Duncan Davis and Ted Jones as Directors, as well as those at Lympne , Shoreham and Sywell Aerodromes in
6156-523: Was formed in 2010 as an informal partnership of Brooklands Museum, Elmbridge Borough Council, English Heritage and Surrey County Council, to address increasing conservation issues and concerns. In April 2013, a £32,540 grant was secured from English Heritage (now Historic England ) to enable the BHP to appoint professional consultants to research and compile a comprehensive reference document on all aspects of Brooklands' heritage. A draft version of this new document
6237-463: Was formed with Sir Peter G Masefield as Chairman, and began to record, research, preserving and interpret all aspects the site's heritage. The Museum project began after a highly successful temporary exhibition about Brooklands was staged in 1977 by Elmbridge Museum in Weybridge and, with support from British Aerospace, Elmbridge Borough Council, Gallaher Ltd and many dedicated individuals, this led to
6318-580: Was loaned by Brooklands College 2014 and was sold to Everett Aero, Sproughton , in 2019. Prototype Beagle 206X G-ARRM recently returned to Brooklands for the first time since 1994 having been loaned to Farnborough Aviation Museum from 2011 to 2017. In February 2015, the museum secured a £4.681 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards a £7 million Brooklands Aircraft Factory and Race-Track Revival Project. This major scheme involved dismantling, fully restoring and relocating
6399-517: Was made by Frenchman Louis Paulhan and his Farman biplane : this special event attracted 20,000 people and was the first public flying display at Brooklands. Operating from specially prepared land inside the Race Track and given his own aeroplane shed, Paulhan made a series of flights on the following days, flying to a height of some 720 ft (220 m) on the Saturday and setting a new British endurance record of 2 hr 49 min 20 s on
6480-511: Was the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation and the site of many engineering and technological achievements throughout eight decades of the 20th century. The racing circuit was constructed by local landowner Hugh F. Locke King in 1907 and was the first purpose-built racing circuit in the world. Many records were set there. Many aviation firsts are also associated with Brooklands, which soon became one of Britain's first aerodromes. It attracted many aviation pioneers prior to World War I , and
6561-535: Was undertaken with a team of 350 volunteers building the track from an uncounted number of pieces of Scalextric track, navigating ponds and roads, closely following the route of the old Brooklands track. This event broke the Guinness World Record for the longest ever Scalextric track in the world, intended to measure the original 2.75 miles (4.43 km) of the original Brooklands circuit but in reality recording 2.95 miles (4.75 km) in length (due to
#286713