Jet Age Museum

The Gloster Meteor was the first and only operational jet fighter to actually enter combat in WWII for the Allies. Replacing the F1, the F3 had Rolls-Royce engines, a revised canopy style and increased fuel capacity.

210 F3's were produced and were first introduced on the Belgian front in January of 1945 to intercept the Me 262, however by that time the Luftwaffe was sufficiently weakened that the F3's never engaged the 262 in combat.

They were mostly used in reconnaissance and air-to-ground support activities.

This cockpit is from the third oldest F3 Meteor and was purchased and presented to the Museum by Richard Greenwood, the son of Eric Greenwood, Chief Test Pilot at Gloster Aircraft Company, 1945-1946.

Forward fuselage. Two-seat trainer version of the Harrier jump-jet.

Our Harrier T2, construction number 212003, first flew on 3 October 1969. On its delivery flight to A&AEE XW264 experienced a technical failure and flew into ground after loss of control near Boscombe Down and was written off on 11-7-70

Hawker Hunter XE664

This was part of the second production batch of 100 aircraft built at Hawker Aircraft (Blackpool) Ltd. The contract is dated 24th August 1953. XE664 was delivered to the RAF on the 23rd of May 1955 to No.5 Maintenance Unit, of No.26 Squadron.

In 1958 XE664 returned to Hawker Aircraft Limited where it was converted to Mark 8 standard for the Fleet Air Arm. It was delivered to them on the 12 March 1959 and served with No.764 Squadron. In the conversion process the single seat fighter nose was removed and the two-seat trainer nose was fitted. This is why we only have the cockpit section.

After this it was converted into a Singaporean T Mark 75 (516) and they received it in September 1970.

As far as we know the airframe itself is still flying and was for sale in Australia in 2009.

The cockpit section was acquired as a training aid for the Air Cadets at Marlborough School. During its stay there was an attempt to convert it to a flight simulator. In the 1980's the Air Cadets were disbanded at the school and the aircraft was left in a shed.

During 1986 the shed was about to be used for other purposes and the cockpit section was going to be sent for scrap. Fortunately Bob Kneale, a master at the school, managed to acquire it and it was moved to another site at the school out of harms way. In the early 1990's the cockpit was moved to a farm a few miles outside of Marlborough where it remained outside covered in a tarpaulin.

On the cold wet day of 21 February 1999 the cockpit section was removed from the boggy field on the farm and brought to the Jet Age Museum at Staverton by Bob Kneale (owner), Simon, Sam and Henry Tolley where it was being restored until the temporary closure of the museum.

 AVRO VULCAN B2 XM569

, is a B2 cockpit on loan to the Jet Age Museum. Originally it was displayed on a raised framework, with the access ladder down, so that visitors could look inside.

Inside the nose is in good condition with only a few missing instruments. Until the museum was closed there were plans to light up the cockpit in the same manner as the Canberra’s cockpit.