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The Society operates and maintains the Boulton Paul Aircraft Heritage
Centre, on premises generously donated by Smiths Aerospace (formerly
Dowty Aerospace, formerly Dowty Boulton Paul). This is both a
museum of Boulton Paul aircraft and their manufacture and of aircraft
manufacturing.
Location: On the premises of Smith's Aerospace on
Wobaston Road, Wolverhampton. Wobaston Road is a turning off the
A449 Wolverhampton to Stafford Road, south of junction 2 on the M54.
Go along Wobaston Road for about 1km. Smith's Aerospace is on the
left just before the canal bridge.
Opening times: Sundays 10 am to 4 pm
Wednesdays and Fridays 2 pm to 5 pm
Admission charge: Adults: £3 OAPs:
£2 Children free.
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| The display: By the generosity of
Smiths Aerospace, the Heritage Centre was greatly expanded in
late 2002 and the display has been substantially enlarged and
reorganised. The Centre is not just an aircraft museum but
also a museum of aircraft manufacture. It contains not
only aircraft and many aircraft models, but also many other
artefacts connected with aircraft, as well as a large technical
library and an enormous photographic collection. |
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There is also a restoration workshop which is an
integral part of the display. It serves not only for use on
current restoration projects but also as a display of machinery used in
aircraft manufacture.
The exhibits: The exhibits are always being
added to. The following will give you an idea of the Heritage
Centre and some of things you can see in it.
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The Boulton Paul Aircraft Collection
Boulton & Paul P.6 Biplane - now complete, an accurate reproduction of
the World War One P.6
Boulton Paul Defiant - a completed reproduction of the World War 2
Defiant fighter and a reconstruction of the crash site of another
Defiant, with substantial wreckage.
Boulton Paul Balliol - a reproduction of the post war trainer, under
construction with a restored cockpit at its core |
The Smiths Aerospace Cockpit collection
Hawker Hunter T.7
English Electric Canberra T.17
Avro Anson
Boulton Paul Balliol
Hunting Jet Provost
ANEC IV Missel Thrush |
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| On display is the finest collection of Slingsby
wooden ATC gliders in the country, including a complete et of ATC
Slingsby Cadets - as well as the Hitler Youth equivalent, the
Glovier 2. |
The Air Training Corps Glider Collection
Slingsby Cadet TX.1
Slingsby Tutor
Slingsby Cadet TX.3
Slingsby Grasshopper
Slingsby T.21 Sedburgh
Govier 2 (Hitler Youth glider) |
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Control Units, Electronics and the Rotol
Collection
The example shown (one among very many) is a Duplex Integrated
Powered Flying Control Unit, designed in 1960 and fitted to the
Short SC3 Belfast. |
| The Boardroom
A reconstruction of the company boardroom, the nerve centre of
the manufacturing process. But note also the collection of
Boulton Paul sporting trophies - large companies often acted as
a centre for their work forces sporting and social life too. |
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The Restoration Workshop
This area is not only a display of an aircraft factory in
miniature but is also actually used by members for restoration
work. |
| and much else besides ....
including this reconstruction of the crash site of a
Boulton Paul Defiant in the Peak District in August 1951. |
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