Wight Aviation Museum

About

Wight Aviation Museum opened in Spring of 2018, having transformed an empty hangar at Sandown Airport into an interesting and inviting exhibition which aims “To celebrate and educate about the aviation and aerospace innovations and heritage on the Isle of Wight”.

One of our major exhibits is the "full-size replica" of the Black Arrow rocket, which now stands proudly at the front of Sandown Airport. This was indeed designed, built and tested on the Isle of Wight (at Cowes and at Highdown, near the Needles). 

Black Arrow R3 replica info... 
• The replica stands just over 13m ( 40 feet ) in height, when displayed vertically. This will be the only vertically displayed Black Arrow in the UK. 
• The replica weighs approximately 500kg. 
• The rocket livery matches the R3 which was the final rocket to be launched in 1971, just days after the program was officially cancelled. 

The rocket is not the only exhibit in the museum and we have a range of displays, from early "hot air ballooning women" in 1909, through to a display regarding the "crash sites of planes during WW2 and also the island's celebrated Air Transport Auxiliary pilot and "commandant" (manager) of Sandown Airport, Mary Ellis. 

Mary Ellis ...A female war time hero... 
Without the ATA’s wartime efforts the RAF would not have had enough aircraft to put into the sky to counter the war in the Air. Mary Ellis (nee Wilkins) was an extraordinary lady and her legacy as a World War II pilot and her pivotal role at Sandown Airport, were key inspirations for the creation of the Wight Aviation Museum. Its aim is to celebrate the considerable history in aircraft design and production on the Isle of Wight, as well those individuals on the Island who have made an outstanding contribution to aviation, of which Mary was certainly one. 

Before Mary passed away, aged 101, in 2018, we had been working with Mary and her associates to bring her story to our new museum and we hope our Mary Ellis exhibit will be a fitting tribute to this truly inspirational lady.

The "Princess" flying boat..built on the Isle of Wight 
The Wight Aviation Museum has a prominent display of the world's largest "all metal" flying boat". The Princess was designed and built at Cowes by well known aircraft manufacturer Saunders-Roe in the 1950s. There is a display detailing the story of this giant aircraft. 

Similarly, the Isle of Wight was the "birth place" of hovercraft and their story is told in the museum through displays and a CC7 craft that is currently being restored. 

Bringing the CC7 back to the Isle of Wight… 
Through the combination of public donations to date and a generous loan, the Wight Aviation Museum have been able to secure the Britten-Norman CC7 Cushioncraft XX102, the second to the last built [C/N 005] and bring it back to the Island, for restoration and to display as part of our museum collection. 

Visit the Wight Aviation Museum to discover much more about the aviation and aerospace heritage of the Isle of Wight.

Telephone: 07949 704052 - text or leave a voice message.