Note: at www.andysvideo.com On Tuesday 25th July the Vickers 290 Wellington Mk1A was moved from the Wellington Pavilion into the restored Bellman Hangar.
NOTE: If you enjoy the videos I produce please take a moment to 'like' and even better 'subscribe' to the channel, it helps us grow. If you have an interest in this (and other Brooklands aircraft) then go to www.andysvideo.com where you will find more videos about this unique aircraft and 360 images of its inside. There all my videos are sorted into playlist and you will find things like the day we lifted the Wellington with airbags so the wings and undercarriage could be fitted.
More Background
N2980 is the only known surviving Brooklands-built Wellington. First flown on 16/11/1939 by Vickers’ Chief Test Pilot ‘Mutt’ Summers, N2980 was first issued to 149 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall and allocated the squadron code letter ‘R’ for ‘Robert’. It took part in the infamous Heligoland Bight raid of 18/12/1939, during which over half of the force of twenty-two Wellingtons were shot down by German fighters. The same aeroplane later served with 37 Squadron at RAF Feltwell, taking part in fourteen operations including day and night raids.
On 31/12/1940, while on a training flight over Scotland with 20 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lossiemouth, N2980 developed engine trouble and ditched in Loch Ness. All eight men on board escaped, but the rear gunner unfortunately died when his parachute failed to deploy.
In 1976 the Wellington was located in the Loch by a team of American Loch Ness Monster hunters and was successfully salvaged on 21/9/85 by the Loch Ness Wellington Association assisted by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Despite nearly forty-five years underwater, the aeroplane was remarkably well preserved. The tail lights still worked when connected to a modern battery and many of the crew’s personal effects remained in the fuselage.
It has been left as it was recovered from Loch Ness complete with bent props, parts of the aircraft have been recovered with fabric as it was, but large areas have been left to show the Geodetic construction developed by British aeronautical engineer Barnes Wallis in the 1930s. This is especially relevant as it is now on display in a refurbished Hangar showing construction methods used in making aircraft.
NOTE: If you enjoy the videos I produce please take a moment to like and even better subscribe to the channel, it helps us grow. Also remember the best index to my work (divided in subject playlist) can be found at www.andysvideo.com
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26 июл 2017
