Former Aircraft Museums - Torbay Aircraft Musuem

Former Aircraft Museums - Torbay Aircraft Musuem.

It was owned and run by Keith Fordyce, a former TV presenter most noted for presenting Ready Steady Go. The museum closed down in the 1980s and the contents auctioned off. Ken died on the 22nd March 2011. As well as the aircraft the museum was home to various relics and a model railway.

Avro Anson C19 TX235 - Sold to the Snowdon Mountain Rescue Museum on the closure. Later moved to Coventry as a source of spares for G-VROE. The frame is now stored for the Avro Museum at Woodford.

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken 13.06.1984. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Mountain Resue Museum taken August 1989. Copyright Alan Allen.

Avro Avian IIIA G-EBZM - Previously on display at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, moved to Hooton Park for display in 2021.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 27.07.1977. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry taken 18.08.2018. Copyright Richard E Flagg.

BA Swallow 2 G-AFGE - Loaned to the Museum for a while. Now restored and airworthy, based at Dinton, near Sailsbury. A regular visitor to fly ins across the UK.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft at Kemble taken 10.05.2009. Copyright Chris England.

Bristol Sycamore HC14 XG544 - Believed to still exist somewhere in Wales.

Photo of the helicopter on display at 11.03.1973. Copyright Chris England.

de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth G-ANSM - Restored to airworthy condition and flew before being damaged during a forced landing near Peterborough Sibson airfield 04.02.2017. 

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chrs England.

Photo of the aircraft at Peterborough Sibson Airfield taken 05.10.2010. Copyright Richard E Flagg.

Dessoutter G-AAPZ - Loaned to the museum by the Shuttleworth collection. Now restored and airworthy with the Shuttleworth collection. 

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Old Warden taken 26.06.2010. Copyright Richard E Flagg.

de Havilland T10 Chipmunk WB758 - Sold at the auction and believed to still be stored in the Torbay area.

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken 11.03.1973. Copyright Chris England.

de Havilland DH104 Dove 6 G-ALFT - Scrapped in 2004 at Caenarfon after years of external storage and caused severe corrosion.

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken 13.06.1984. Copyright Chris England.

de Havilland Sea Venom XG629 - This aircraft was not sold at the auction. It spent some time on display at Long Manston. Now is under restoration at Stone, Staffordshire.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Long Marston August 1993. Copyright Alan Allen.

Photo of the aircraft at Stone taken April 2006. Copyright Alan Allen.

de Havilland Vampire T11 XE995  - Part of the cockpit on display at Museum fur Luftfahrt und Technik Wernigerode. 

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken in 1987. Copyright London Eye - Flickr.

Photo of the cockpit section at Museum fur Luftfahrt und Technik Wernigerode taken 11.03.2016. Copyright L8rmt - Flickr.

Focke-Achgelis Fa330 Bachstelze - On display at the FAA Museum, Yeovilton.

Photo of the helicopter at Yeovilton taken 17.08.2021. Copyright Oliver Holmes.

Fokker Triplane DR1 (Replica) - Fate unknown.

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken in 1987. Copyright London Eye - Flickr.

Gloster Meteor T7 WF877 - On closure of the museum the aircraft moved to North Weald and was registered G-BPOA. Registration cancelled 05.06.1996. After years of storage at Duxford the aircraft was shipped to Pima Air and Space Museum, Tuscon.

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken 27.07.1977. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft at North Weald taken at the 1989 Fighter Meet. Copyright London Eye - Flickr.

Hawker Hurricane KW-Z BAPC.63 - Prop from the film The Battle of Britain. Currently on display at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken in 1988. Copyright London Eye - Flickr.

Hawker Sea Hawk WF145 (displayed as WV843) - Cockpit section privatly owned in the Newton Abbot area.

Hawker Sea Hawk FB5 - WM961 - Now on display at Caernarfon Air World, Wales since 1988.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 27.07.1977. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Cearnafon Air World taken 01.11.2014. Copyright Stu Carr.

Miles M38 Messenger 2 G-AKEZ - Restoration was started after the aircraft weas sold at the auction G- registration cancelled 26.01.2006 on sale to New Zealand. Registered ZK-AKE and still undergoing restoration at North Shore Airfield, Aukland.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.
 

Messerschmitt BF109 (Replica BoB film) - Fate unknown.
 

Percival P31 Proctor IV G-ANYP - Believed to be stored in New South Wales, Australia.

Percvial P56 Provost T1 WV605 - Now on disdplay at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Flixton taken 24.03.2019. Copyright Richard E Flagg.
 

Percival P56 Provost T1 WV679 - Now on display at Wellesbourne Mountfield airfield.

Photo of the aircraft at Torbay taken 27.07.1977.  Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft at Wellesbourne Mountfield taken 14.07.2013. Copyright Richard E Flagg.

SARO Skeeter AOP12 XN351 - Previously stored in Yoxford, Essex after being registered G-BKSC. Now on display at Kinloss.

Photo of the helicopter at Torbay taken 11.07.1971. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the helicopter on display at Kinloss taken 01.09.2021. Copyright Wallace Shackleton.

Supermarine Spitfire QV-K (Replica BoB film) - Fate unknown.

Vickers Varsity (Cockpit) - Identity unknown

Westland Dragonfly HR5 WN499 - Now under long term restoration at Doncaster Aeroventure.

Photo of the helicopter on display at Torbay taken 27.07.1977. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the helicopter stored at Aeroventure Doncaster taken 23.03.2019. Copyright Oliver Holmes.

Westlands Whirlwind HAR2 XJ393 - Sold in the action but later scrapped in 1993. 

Photo of the helicopter on display at Torbay taken 11.03.1973. Copyright Chris England.

Former Aircraft Museums - Frontline Aviation Musuem

 Former Aircraft Museums - Frontline Aviation Musuem.

This museum was set up at Sandown Airfield, Isle of Wight. Airframes started to arrive in August 1998. Believed to be run by Airframe Assemblies.

Bell P-39Q Airacobra - Parts of an airframe where stored at the museum. Current location unknown. 

Photos of the aircraft parts on display at the Frontline Aviation Museum taken 04.09.1999. Copyright Richard Crockett.

Bleriot XI replica - On loan to the museum. Now registered D-EEXI owned by Josef Koch in Germany.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Aviation Museum taken 04.09.1999. Copyright Richard Crockett.

Bristol F.2b Fighter G-AANM - Parts of the aircraft where recovered from a barn at Weston on The Green by the Shuttleworth collection. After restoration to fly and a memorable two displays with three airworthy origional Bristol Fighters the aircraft went to Canada for display at Canada Aviation Museum at Rockliffe, Ontario.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft during the memorable display at Flying Legends of three airworthy origional Bristol Fighters. Copyright Chris England.

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 41-13570 - ex Russian AF 51 White, USAAF 41-13570. Recovered on 31-8-97 from Lake Kod Ozero near Murmansk, Russia, where it crashed on 1-6-42. Moved to Jefferson City, Missouri, on 29-9-00 for restoration. Recantly (2021) restored to airworthy condition in New Zealand and making its first post restortion flight in late 2021. Shipped to Italiy in 2021. Took up registration OO-WHK 6th May 2024 and based in Belguim.

Two photos of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Aviation Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Fokker DR1 replica - Now registered as D-EFTJ owned by Josef Koch in Germany. Believed to have been on loan to the museum.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Aviation Museum taken 04.09.1999. Copyright Richard Crockett.

Gloster Meteor F8 WK914 - Previously on display at Rochester. Stored dismantled at Duxford for a time. Loaned to the Museum by The Old Flying Machine Company, Duxford. Spent some time at Hooton Park. Now on display at the Malta Aviation Museum, Ta-Qail.

Photo of the aircraft at Duxford taken March 1991. Copyright Alan Allen.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Malta Aviation Museum taken 01.12.2014. Copyright Richard E Flagg.

Hawker Hunter F4 WV276 - Formerly  an instructional airframe at No1 SoTT, RAF Halton. After the closure of the museum the aircraft moved to RAF Scmpton for storage by Hawker Hunter Aviation. On display at at Wernigerode, Germany. 

Photo of the aircraft on display at Frontline Aviation Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Wernigerode, Germany taken 18.06.2014. Copyright Stu Carr.

Hawker Hunter F51 G-9-439 - Ex Royal Danish Air Force. E-412. Later moved to Booker Airfield as a gate guard. Now on display at Brooklands Museum as XF314.

Photo of the aircraft at the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at Booker airfield taken June 2000. Copyright Alan Allen.

Hawker Hurricane MK.IIB BH238 -  Recovered from Russia. Sstored for Airframe Assembies on the Isle of Wight as a project for a long time. Moved to Medway Aircraft Preservation Society, Rochester Airport for a static restoration in December 2022.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Aviation Museum taken 04.09.1999. Copyright Richard Crockett.

Klemm Kl35D G-BWRD - Loaned to the museum by its owner J.M Koch. After the closure of the museum the aircraft returned to Germany and became D-EFTY where it is still airworthy. G- registration cancelled 16.07.1998 as permantly withdrawn from use.

Photo of the aircraft at the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft as D-EFTY at  Schonefeld, Germany taken  29.05.2009.  Copyright Chris England.

Mignet HM.14 Pou de Ciel replica BAPC.253 (G-ADZW)  - Now on display at the Solent Sky Museum, Southampton. 

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Solent Sky Museum taken 20.08.2021. Copyright Oliver Holmes.

Miles M.14A Hawk Trainer G-AVPF -  Restored to airworthy condition and now privatly owned but based at Old Warden.

Photo of the aircraft at the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft at Old Warden taken 07.06.2009. Copyright Oliver Holmes.

PZL-Okecie 101A Gawron SP-CHD - Later moved to North Weald after the museum closed but fate unknown. 

Two photos of the aircraft at  the Frontline Museum taken 21.06.1999. Copyright Chris England.

Photo of the aircraft at North Weald taken February 2003. Copyright Alan Allen.

Supermarine Spitfire Prototype Replica - Built by Clive Du Cross and registered as G-BRDV. Damaged in at accident 22.09.1997. Now on display at the Battle of Britain Museum Hawkinge, Kent.

Photo of the aircraft on display at the Frontline Aviation Museum taken 04.09.1999. Copyright Richard Crockett.