Army Flying Museum, Middle Wallop, Hampshire

Known as the Museum of Army Flying until 2019. this museum was refurbished just before the Covid-19 lockdowns. Contrasting with the interior halls, one of which is fairly gloomy, the cafe is bright and has a balcony overlooking the activities of the Army Air Corps Centre's airfield at Middle Wallop. There's also a viewing gallery, served by a lift, to aid photography.

There's an interesting range of aircraft, from Cody's kite to Hafner rotor-kites, and assault gliders to captured Argentine choppers, including classic helicopters and utility aircraft. My visit was on 13 September.

Aircraft Reg'n Thumbs Notes
Aerospatiale SA341B Gazelle AH1 ZA737 First flown in April 1980, arrived in the museum by 2012.
Agusta A109A ZE410 Ex Argentine AF AE-334. Captured during the Falklands war in 1982 and later used by the SAS.
Agusta Bell Sioux AH1 XT108 U Built in 1965 and by 1979 was a gate guard at Middle Wallop, moving to the museum by 1999.
Airspeed Horsa 1 fuselage LH208 BAPC.080 Composite marked as 'KJ351'.
Airspeed Horsa 2 fuselage replica BAPC.417 BAPC.418 Fuselage BAPC.417, cockpit BAPC.418. Demonstrating the Mk2's hinged cockpit.
Auster B-5 AOP9 WZ721 Built in 1960, retired in 1966.
Auster K AOP6 WJ358 Ex G-ARYD. Built 1952, registered to the museum in 1982.
Bell Cobra AH-1F 70-15990 US Army. Built in 1970, moved to the UK 2002.
Bell UH-1H Iroquois AE-409 Argentine Army. Captured during the Falklands war, ex USAF 72-21506
Bristol Sycamore HR14 XG502 Delivered March 1955, became a gate guardian at Middle Wallop in 1979 and moved to the museum in 1983.
Cessna L-19A Bird Dog 51-11989 111989 US Army markings, ex USAF and N33600.
Cody man-lifting kite and basket   I'm not clear if these are originals or replicas.
De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T10 WG432 L Built 1951.
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver AL1 XP821 Delivered in 1961 and served in Singapore and Borneo, then used by the British embassy in Vientiane, Laos 1970-75. Returned to the UK in 1975 and moved to the museum in 1985.
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver AL1 XP822 Delivered in 1961 - spent most of its service life in Germany. Moved to Middle Wallop in 1986.
GAL Hamilcar cabin    
GAL Hotspur II BAPC.261 HH379 Marked as 'HH268 H'
Hafner Rotachute IV P-5 Rotor kite. Raoul Hafner went on to design the Sycamore and Belvedere helicopters.
Hafner Rotabuggy (Rotaplane) replica BAPC.163 B 415 Rotor kite adaptation of a Willys Jeep. The Jeep is genuine.
ML Aviation Utility Mk1 XK776 Inflatable-wing aircraft - three produced but abandoned in 1958.
Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander AL1 (Defender) ZG993 Built in 1988 as G-BOMD and delivered to the Army in 1990. Moved to the museum in November 2015.
Saunders-Roe (Saro) Skeeter AOP12 XL813 Built 1959, withdrawn and moved to the museum 1968.
Slingsby T6 Kirby Kite 1 G 285 E BGA285. Built 1935. Ex G-ALNH. Only 25 of these were built.
Sopwith Pup N5195 1916 - originality is in doubt. Registered G-ABOX in 1984, a registration not originally allocated.
Sud Aviation Alouette AH2 XR232 Built 1960, served with the UN in Cyprus.
Taylorcraft J Auster Mk5 (AOP.V) TJ569 Built 1945. Ex G-AKOW and PH-NEG, came to the museum in 1981.
Waco Hadrian replica BAPC.185 '243809' Reconstruction/ composite: USAF markings.
Westland Bell 47G-4A G-AXKS S Bristow Helicopters - with them from 1969 to 1982 when it was donated to the museum. Ex G-17-8.
Westland Lynx AH1 XX153 First prototype of the utility version of the AH1, broke the class world speed record at 199.9mph, and was the first helicopter ever to be rolled - demonstrated at the 1972 Farnborough show.
Westland Lynx AH7 XZ675 H First flown as an AH1 in 1981, converted to AH7 around 1988. Used by the Blue Eagles team and came to the museum in 2011.
Westland Scout AH1 XP847 First flew in 1962 and came to the museum in 1985.
Westland Scout AH1 XP910 First flew in 1963, crashed in 1989 and rebuilt as one of the museun's gate guards..
Westland Scout AH1 XV127 Built 1967
Westland WG-25 (WR-06) Wisp BAPC.561 Twin-engined (5hp each) co-axial rotor remotely piloted recce helicopter (RPH) with its control console. 3 built in 1976/7.
Westland WG-25 (WR-07) Wideye BAPC.562 Twin-engined (20hp each) co-axial rotor recce RPH with its control console. 3 built 1978/9.

Southern England home

Aviation home page