Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre

[TimFoo]

Very few items left at Newquay Airport (ex-RAF St Mawgan)

IMG_8366 by Tim Trethewey, on Flickr
Lightning will be moving on shortly

IMG_8364 by Tim Trethewey, on Flickr

125 to be scrapped....Shackleton not part of Museum

IMG_8362 by Tim Trethewey, on Flickr

VC10 on it's belly ready for scrapping...

[Mustang531]

This is all very sad to see. I don't know what the council down there were thinking , but maybe they're not interested in tourism now. There was quite a good collection being put together and it could have been something open all year round.

[TimFoo]

This is all very sad to see. I don't know what the council down there were thinking , but maybe they're not interested in tourism now. There was quite a good collection being put together and it could have been something open all year round.

Don't want to be rude but you appear to have used the words 'Council' and 'thinking' in the same sentence.......

To be fair to them the area the museum occupied now appears to be home to a world class collection of stored bin lorries, as opposed to a Museum, Education Centre and tourist attraction so you can see what they were thinking....

[Mustang531]

Thanks Tim, I shall look forward to my next visit, my collection of photos of bin lorries isn't extensive, but might get some new schemes. Know what you mean about councils and thinking, until a couple of years ago, had the same where I live. They got booted out and locals are in charge now. Amazing change, missing millions found, lots of free parking, better bus services and we're all happy bunnies.

[mancman]

Did the council ever give a logical reason for not wanting the the Heritage Centre on site. St Mawgan is pretty massive and would've thought it could accommodate many different multi use activities especially since the demise of the Virgin space venture?

[TimFoo]

Did the council ever give a logical reason for not wanting the the Heritage Centre on site. St Mawgan is pretty massive and would've thought it could accommodate many different multi use activities especially since the demise of the Virgin space venture?

Would it surprise you if I said 'No'? The lease was for a set period, during that time rent was paid every month (so Income, not expenditure for the council). In an area where the major Industry is tourism there was a tourist attraction which also functioned as an education centre. When the lease came to an end they just said they were not renewing it.

[EGDR]

especially since the demise of the Virgin space venture?

Virgin Orbit never held land on the airport, so there is no 'extra room' since their bankruptcy. Spaceport Cornwall is an ongoing concern, completely seperate from Virgin Orbit.

[MiG_Eater]

Did the council ever give a logical reason for not wanting the the Heritage Centre on site. St Mawgan is pretty massive and would've thought it could accommodate many different multi use activities especially since the demise of the Virgin space venture?

Would it surprise you if I said 'No'? The lease was for a set period, during that time rent was paid every month (so Income, not expenditure for the council). In an area where the major Industry is tourism there was a tourist attraction which also functioned as an education centre. When the lease came to an end they just said they were not renewing it.

Gotta build housing somewhere... who cares if nobody has anything to do!

I was actually planning a family holiday to Cornwall next year to visit this very museum, but i'm going elsewhere now.

[EGDR]

They're not building housing on an active airfield. The old museum site already has new lessors.

[Archer]

Has anyone seen what's happening with the VC10? Now that the 1-11 has gone to Southampton (viewtopic.php?f=287&t=238744), I expect work on the larger airframe will continue soon.

[The Star of Woo]

She's been butchered I'm afraid, several sections taken by road to South Wales Aviation Museum. Murder most Horrid for what was a beautiful, graceful aircraft.

[Archer]

Thanks for confirming that, I knew it was going to happen, but not when. A shame that it was necessary.

[Vulcanone]

The volunteers found a large crack in the top of one of the main undercarriage legs on the VC10 last year, hence it was supported by jacks and deemed unsafe. That and salt water corrosion was starting to take its toll after nearly 10 years on the coast.

As for was it the councils fault, well read my direct quote from one of the now ex volunteers in the BAC 1-11 post in the mess. Not quite what some have concluded.....

[Archer]

The volunteers found a large crack in the top of one of the main undercarriage legs on the VC10 last year, hence it was supported by jacks and deemed unsafe. That and salt water corrosion was starting to take its toll after nearly 10 years on the coast.

That's interesting (in a way...) as something similar happened to the VC10 at Brooklands many years ago. I wonder if it could have been the same part that cracked. If you can ask around or have more information about this, I'd love to hear more!