The Shuttleworth Collection

The collection

There are so many fascinating aircraft based at Shuttleworth, each with a unique history and contribution to the development of the aerospace industry we know today. From the world’s oldest airworthy aircraft – the 1909 Blériot XI and the Deperdussin 1910 Monoplane (featuring wing warping for roll control – something we can only dream about today) right up to the De Havilland Dragon Rapide, the most successful British built short-haul aircraft of the era and an aircraft that enabled profitable regional routes to be established in the 1930s.

As much as I’d love to talk about them all, There are two particular types that interest me the most; the DH88 Comet and Westland Lysander

The Comet

One of the most striking aircraft of the collection is the DH88 Comet racer. Built exclusively for air racing, it was the first British aircraft to incorporate in one airframe all the elements of the modern high speed aircraft - stressed-skin construction, cantilever monoplane flying surfaces, retractable undercarriage, landing flaps, variable-pitch propellers and an enclosed cockpit. Only three examples were originally built. One was sold to Amy Johnson and her husband Jim Mollison, one to racing driver Bernard Rubin, and one to the owner of the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. It is this third aircraft that won the 1934 England to Australia Air Race and now resides at Old Warden.

Following trials and evaluation by the RAF, the aircraft went on to win further air races, including setting a record of flying to New Zealand and back in 10 days, 21 hours and 22 minutes. After a period of abandonment and decay, it was put on show for the 1951 Festival of Britain. The Shuttleworth Collection acquired it in 1965 and 1972 re-registered it under its original identity for restoration to flying condition, finally achieved in 1987. It is arguably one of the most significant British aircraft still flying today.

The Lysander

There are several reasons why I find the Lysander a compelling aircraft. The first is its Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) capability. With its fully automatic wing slots, slotted flaps and variable incidence tailplane, the Lysander was aerodynamically advanced for the time, offering its pilots a stall speed of just over 56 knots.  

Often compared to the Fieseler Storch and other purpose-built STOL aircraft, the comparison is perhaps a little unfair as the Lysander was designed not only for STOL operations but also designed for endurance missions at a higher speeds. Indeed, once the wings are cleaned up the aircraft is capable of 160 knots+

With its rugged undercarriage, low stalling speed and impressive STOL capability, the Lysander could operate from short, unprepared airstrips where space was at a premium, a quality that would become crucial to its success during the war and what it became famous for: the infiltration and extraction of agents into occupied Europe.

The Lysander’s clandestine missions are the subject of many books, most notably We Landed By Moonlight. The missions were also a source of inspiration for Sebastian Faulk’s classic novel, Charlotte Grey. Painted in matt black and with the addition of a 150 gallon fuel tank, Lysander pilots navigated by the light of the moon, using just a map and compass. Usually they were looking for an improvised landing strip in a field marked out with flame torches by an SoE agent or the French Resistance, although they were advised not to rely purely on spotting these lights. Once on the ground in enemy held-territory, a fast turnaround was imperative to evade German patrols. Fascinating stuff - and worthy of a whole other blog. Just up the road from Old Warden is Tempsford airfield, once home to the Lysanders of 138 and 161 Squadron. Now disused and mostly farmland, the remains of the Gibraltar farm barn – the agent reception and pre-flight preparation centre – are still present and a number of memorials have been placed there. It is well worth a visit.

The airshows

While Farnborough and RIAT get the headlines and attract the crowds, what makes the Shuttleworth airshows stand out are their relaxed and friendly atmospheres. The shows in comparison are fairly small, with crowds in the low thousands. Each has a unique theme, ranging from those focussed on military aircraft to those focussed on the finest vintage racing aircraft (see poster below). But what makes the airshows so unique is the appearance of the Edwardian era aircraft. On suitable days when the wind drops sufficiently towards the end of the day every effort is made to fly these vintage aircraft – some of the oldest airworthy aircraft in the world. In addition to aircraft such as the Blériot XI, a few Edwardian replicas are flown, including the Bristol Boxkite and Avro Triplane IV. Built for the 1965 film “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines”, the replicas were donated to the Collection after the completion of filming and are a truly incredible sight to see chugging along at less than 30 knots! With so many unique aircraft and a relaxed atmosphere, it is no wonder that the Shuttleworth airshows are regarded as some of the best in the world.

Illustrator Katie Hounsome was commissioned in 2020 and again this year to produce posters for the airshow seasons. There are some further fantastic designs on her website