Avro Heritage Museum

30/09/2026

On this day 30th September 1971, the final version of the Avro Shackleton first took to the air. This was an adaption of the original Shackleton Mk2 aircraft design, the Shackleton AEW2.

Prior to this time, the United Kingdom’s Airbourne Early Warning capability had been provided by the Royal Navy’s fleet of Fairey Gannet AEW.3 carrier borne aircraft. With the decision to retire the Royal Navy’s fleet carriers made in the early 1960s, a replacement capability was needed.

It had been widely anticipated that either the Boeing E3-A Sentry or AWACS (Airbourne Warning and Control System) or an AEW development of the Nimrod would replace the capability but these would take time. An interim solution was required and this led to the decision to modify the Shackleton by fitting the AEW equipment from the Gannet replacing the Maritime Reconnaissance equipment. The Shackleton MR2 aircraft were being phased out and replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR1.

In 1970, Avro Shackleton MR2 WL745 was identified as the first aircraft to undergo the conversion to the new role. On 18th March 1970 WL745 was flown to the Hawker Siddeley Aviation plant at Woodford. On arrival it underwent a series of performance trials to establish a series of benchmarks against which the impact of the AEW modification, fitting of the AN/APS 20 radar, could be assessed. The trials were concluded by the end of March and the aircraft remained stored at Woodford pending approval of the project funding.

On the 12th August 1970 the aircraft was officially transferred to the Ministry of Aviation fleet so that Hawker Siddeley could undertake the design and installation of the AN/APS 20 radar to the underside of the Shackleton. The work took place in New Assembly building at Woodford Aerodrome where, in the early 1950s WL745 had been first assembled.

The first flight of WL745 as the prototype AEW2 took place at Woodford on 30th September 1971. Further development flying continued before the aircraft was flown to Boscombe Down for official release to service which was achieved on 26th February 1973. Following this, the aircraft went to the Hawker Siddeley plant at Bitteswell for completion to full production standard before delivery back to the RAF in July 1973.

The aircraft continued in service with the RAF as part of 8 Sqn at RAF Lossiemouth until 1981. The Shackleton AEW2 continued operations until 1991 with 8 Sqn when they were replaced by the Boeing E3A Sentry.

The Avro Heritage Museum has Avro Shackleton AEW2 WR960 ‘Dougal’ currently stored and dismantled pending the construction of a new exhibition hall where she will be displayed. https://www.avroheritagemuseum.co.uk

27/09/2026

First Flight of the Avro 688 Tudor III VVIP aircraft G-AIYA - 27th September 1946

AV Roe & Co received an order from the UK Government for two VVIP transport aircraft to allow state officials to undertake long-range journeys.

The aircraft was a version of the Avro Tudor I airliner but fitted-out with a special cabin to provide seating for up to ten passengers. This included two in a private cabin. Sleeping berths were provided for nine passengers.

The first of the two took to the air on its maiden flight from Woodford Aerodrome on 27th September 1946. After testing, the aircraft was flown to the Armstrong Whitworth factory at Baginton near Coventry on 21st November 1946 where it was to be converted to the VVIP configuration.

However, due to safety concerns, PM Clement Attlee never used the aircraft preferring proven transport aircraft such as the Avro York. Both Tudor III were put into storage and later sold to Aviation Traders Ltd.

25/09/2026

Huge Crowds Descend on Woodford

Following the closure of Manchester’s Alexandra Park Aerodrome in 1924, Lancashire Aero Club was invited to move to Woodford Aerodrome together with Avro.

Woodford required extensive preparation before flying operations could begin. The Lancashire Aero Club conducted the first flights using de Havilland Cirrus Moths G-EBLR and G-EBLV, gifted by the Air Ministry in 1925.

On 25–26 September 1926, the Lancashire Aero Club held an Air Pageant that drew huge crowds featuring different category air races. One featured three of the latest Avro 504R-series aircraft, by then known as the Avro Gosport, each with a different engine.

G-EBPH had the unique Avro Alpha I radial engine, G-EBJY had an Armstong Siddeley Mongoose radial engine, and G-EBNF had a Gnome Monosoupape rotary engine. The race was around a 28-mile circuit with turning points at Goyt Mill, Marple and the water tower at Knutsford.

Flying Officer Waghorn in Alpha powered G-EBPH comfortably won the race and went on to give an impressive display in the aircraft. The performance was described in the ‘The Aeroplane’ magazine as “being miraculous for such a new engine and aeroplane, the ownership of such a combination would be a very pleasing property”.

G-EBPH underwent further modifications and was redesignated the Avro 585 Gosport. It was used in a publicity stunt to promote civil aviation in December 1926 when it landed and departed successfully from the summit of Helvellyn in the Lake District – England’s third highest mountain.

16/09/2026

Woodfords Supersonic Wind Tunnel

In the mid 1950s, with the Vulcan bomber in full production, designers at Avro were focusing on the next generation of high-speed bombers. A secret project was well underway to develop a new supersonic aircraft capable of flying at Mach 3. The futuristic Avro 730 was designed as a reconnaissance platform and strategic bomber, meeting the RAF’s continued requirement for an airborne nuclear deterrent.

The challenge was how to test the Avro 730 airframe designs – no wind tunnels anywhere in the country could create an airflow fast enough to simulate flight at Mach 3. So, 70 years ago in September 1956, development started on a new supersonic wind tunnel at Avro’s Woodford facility.

Traditional “constant flow” wind tunnels were unsuitable for creating such a high airflow, so the new supersonic wind tunnel utilised an “intermitted blowdown” design. Air was pumped into a 40 feet diameter sphere to a very high pressure, and then released in a single blast through an adjustable nozzle and over the airframe model under test.

This Whessoe pressure sphere, made from welded 1.25” steel plates, was pressurised by two Broom and Wade compressors which took 70 minutes to pump 7.75 tons of air into the sphere at 100lbs/sq in. This air needed to be both cooled and dried.
With the model under test installed in the small, 30” x 27” chamber, the air in the sphere was released via a hydraulicly operated valve, which fully opened to a diameter of 36” over 2 seconds. The valve would adjust automatically to compensate for the reducing pressure in the sphere to achieve a constant airflow for around 40 seconds, up to Mach 3.5.

The models needed to be constructed from high strength steel to withstand the massive loads resulting from the air blast, and heat exchangers were employed to deal with the temperature drop caused by the rapidly expanding air.

The building structure of the supersonic wind tunnel remained at the Woodford site until quite recently, but has now been demolished to make way for housing. And the Avro 730 project? Cancelled in 1957…but more on that in a future post and an upcoming exhibition at the Museum.

Interested to find out more about the fascinating history of innovation at Avro Woodford? Come along to the Avro Heritage Museum and see for yourself! https://www.avroheritagemuseum.co.uk

11/09/2026

Famous Aircraft Designer Roy Chadwick Joins Avro

This September marks 115 years since Roy Chadwick, arguably the most famous aircraft designer, joined the Avro company.

Born on 30 April 1893 at Marsh Hall Farm in Farnworth, Widnes, he was the son of mechanical engineer Charles Chadwick and the fifth generation in his family’s long engineering tradition. He attended St Luke’s Church School in Weaste and then St Clement’s Church School in Urmston.

Inspired by news of the Wright brothers’ flight at age 10, he built model aeroplanes but concerned he would made fun of only flew them at night. At 14, he began a four-year traineeship as a draughtsman at the British Westinghouse Electrical and Engineering Works in Manchester, gaining experience in both the design office and on the shop floor.

After work, three evenings a week, he attended the Manchester College of Technology, which later became UMIST and is now part of the University of Manchester, where a plaque honours him and where he featured in the University’s bicentennial commemorations.

In September 1911, at the age of 18, he called at the headquarters of the recently established A V Roe & Co in Brownsfield Mills on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester to request an interview. The smartly dressed young lad clearly impressed both Humphrey and Alliott Verdon Roe and evidently made a strong impression at his interview. He was appointed Alliott Verdon Roe’s personal assistant and the firm’s draughtsman.

He excelled in the role, sometimes agreeing with Alliott’s more experienced views and sometimes challenging them. He contributed to some of Avro’s most celebrated aircraft designs before eventually becoming the company’s Chief Designer until his untimely death in 1947.

10/09/2026

Chocks away! It's our fabulous 1940s event this weekend! Come along to Avro Heritage Museum, there's something for everyone and it's a great way to get together with family or friends for the day.

Step back in time with live entertainment and see amazing re-enactors in action, as well as food, drink, local stalls, cars, steamers and more.

All for the price of normal museum entry if you book online - Adults £9, Concessions £7, Children aged 11+ £5, Family £25, Under 11s are free! https://www.avroheritagemuseum.co.uk/

Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th Sept, 10-4 and there's plenty of space to shelter from showers indoors.

Extra charges apply for some activities and availability varies across the weekend.
SAT NAV postcode: SK7 1AG
what3words: ///pigs.last.trunk

31/08/2026

With help from Manchester University, we have refitted the fly-by-wire controller to our Avro 707C. This film tells the story.

In a major STEM collaboration, the Avro Heritage Museum and the Uni...

31/08/2026

First Flight of VX777 as a Vulcan B2 version

The Avro Vulcan VX777 was the second prototype aircraft and was the first to be fitted with the first examples of the new Bristol Olympus 100 engines producing 9750lb of static thrust. The first prototype aircraft VX770 had been flown with Rolls-Royce Avon and later Rolls-Royce Sapphires whilst development of the Olympus engine was ongoing.

After successful taxi tests during the latter part of August 1953, the first flight of VX777 occurred on 3rd September 1953 when Avro Test pilot Wing Commander Roly Falk accompanied by test engineer Stan Nichol took VX777 into the air for an hour-long test flight. Thus began a long period of development and demonstration flying for the aircraft.

In July 1954 the aircraft suffered an inflight failure on a test flight and the pilot, Roly Falk made an emergency landing at Farnborough and departed the end of the runway during which the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft was badly damaged.
The aircraft was repaired sufficiently for a ferry flight to Woodford for major repairs and modifications to be made including the more powerful Olympus 101 engine which would eventually produce 11,000lb of Static Thrust. These would be the power plants fitted to the B Mk1 production aircraft.

Development testing had highlighted high speed buffet attributed to the straight leading edge. A solution to this problem was tested on the Avro 707A and it proved to be successful in resolving the problem.

Between May and October 1955, VX777 wings were modified to the ‘kinked’ design or Phase 2 wing. It was Roly Falk who first took the aircraft into the air with the new Phase 2 wing on 4th October 1955 for a brief 5 minute test flight to make sure it handled as expected. The following day Roly took the aircraft into the air for a 90-minute flight testing the buffet threshold and other features. It was a success and VX777 continued in its role developing the Vulcan type.

In August 1956, VX777 was grounded at Woodford to allow fitting of the completely new ‘Phase 2C’ outer wing and other modifications to become the prototype Vulcan B Mk2 including the fitting of Rolls Royce Olympus 102 engines and elevons replacing the separate elevators and ailerons on the trailing edge of the wings.

The prototype B Mk2 took to the air for the first time on this day, 31st August 1957 with Roly Falk at the controls for a brief 15 minute flight to check the handling. The B Mk2 aircraft was shown to the public for the first time at the Farnborough Airshow in September 1957.

If you want to learn more about the Vulcan, sit in the cockpit of one of our two Vulcans or simply learn more about the tremendous history of the Avro Aircraft Company and its successors, why not visit the Avro Heritage Museum situated on the site of Woodford Aerodrome where all 136 Vulcans manufactured were assembled and took their first flights. For more information got to our website https://www.avroheritagemuseum.co.uk/.

Why not join us in September on the 12th and 13th when we have our annual 40s Weekend. For more information and tickets, go to our website.


Avro Vulcan B Mk2 prototype VX777

Diagram showing how the shape of the wing changed from the straight delta of the first prototype aircraft, to the Phase 2 compound sweepback deployed on the production Vulcan B1 and then into the ultimate Phase 2C enlarged compound sweepback.

Classified briefing note from the Aerodynamics Office for the Chief Test Pilot Roly Falk as to what to expect during the first flight of the B2 prototype.

29/08/2026

Avro Builds Tornado Fighter Aeroplane

Following the formation of Hawker Siddeley Aircraft in 1935, the constituent companies including Avro continued to produce their own aircraft designs under their own name as well as sharing manufacturing work throughout the group.

One such example of workshare was the Hawker Tornado. Originating from specification F.18/37 for a new interceptor to follow the Hurricane, the Hawker business came up with two aircraft versions each using different engines. One engine was the Napier Sabre and eventually the aircraft became known as the Tempest. The other engine was the Rolls-Royce Vulture and the aircraft became known as the Tornado.

Three prototype Tornados were built by Hawker at its Langley plant and the first flight was 6th October 1939 using Vulture II engines. Such was the success of the development programme an Instruction to Proceed was given to build 500 Tornados.

Production was to take place at Avro’s Woodford plant and on the 29th August 1941 the first production Tornado (construction number R7936) made its maiden flight at Woodford using the Rolls-Royce Vulture V engine. Tornado R7936 had a maximum speed of 398 mph at 23,000 feet. This would be the only production Tornado to be built because the experience with the Vulture engines on the Avro Manchester had shown serious reliability issues.

As a result of this Avro had developed the twin engined Manchester into a four engined aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Merlins and named the Avro Lancaster. Absolute priority had been given by the Ministry of Aircraft Production to the Merlin engine programme and so the Vulture engine and the Hawker Tornado were swiftly cancelled.

Tornado R7936 was used for the next 18 months as a flying test bed for six bladed contra-rotating propellers developed by deHavilland and Rotol Airscrews.