Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Private/Unlicensed | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Cox Automotive | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 467 ft / 142 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°29′13″N 001°07′50″W / 52.48694°N 1.13056°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | https://www.coxauto.co.uk | ||||||||||||||
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 Bruntingthorpe
Location in Leicestershire
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Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground is a private airport near the village of Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, England. It is about 11 miles (18 km) south of Central Leicester. This site was once a military airbase called RAF Bruntingthorpe, which opened in 1942. Today, it is used for testing vehicles, storing cars and aircraft, and even for filming movies!
History
The aerodrome was originally RAF Bruntingthorpe. It was home to both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF) during its time as a military base.
Current Uses
Vehicles
After its military days, the site became privately owned in 1973 by the Chrysler Motor Corporation. It was then used for testing high-performance cars and other vehicles. It was also used for storing vehicles. These activities still happen today under the ownership of the Walton family company. They bought the airfield in 1983.
Bruntingthorpe has different test tracks. These include a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) loop and a shorter 0.9-mile (1.5 km) loop. The old runway is also used for testing. It is almost 2 miles (3 km) long.
Besides vehicle testing, Bruntingthorpe also stores cars and aircraft. It has facilities for making films and for testing military and civilian defence equipment. There is even a repair shop for Ferraris and Maseratis on the airfield.
Inside an old Cold War hangar, there is a car auction centre called Manheim Bruntingthorpe. This company holds public vehicle auctions. They can sell over 1,000 vehicles on a single sale day.
Aircraft
Bruntingthorpe is home to the Cold War Jets Collection. This is an aircraft museum with about 35 aircraft from the Cold War era.
Many interesting aircraft have been at Bruntingthorpe. For example, a Vickers VC10 called "Bob" arrived in 2013 after leaving the RAF. It later moved to the RAF Cosford museum.
In March 2013, all nine of the RAF's Lockheed TriStars were flown to the aerodrome. They are now parked there. A company called GJD Services maintains these planes. They keep them in good condition, ready to fly. Some of these TriStars might be used by NATO, the RAF, or the USAF in the future.
The very last VC-10 to fly (ZA147) is currently at Bruntingthorpe. Another VC-10, ZD241, is also kept there. GJD Services maintains it so it can still taxi on the ground.
Beech Restorations is a company based at Bruntingthorpe. They restore old aircraft to flying condition. Some planes permanently based here include a Beechcraft Model 18, a North American T-6 Texan, and a Cessna 120. Other planes are being restored, like another T-6 and a Fairey Battle.
One of the most famous aircraft at Bruntingthorpe was the Avro Vulcan XH558. This large bomber was restored to flying condition over eight years. It cost about £6,000,000 to do this. Its first flight after restoration was from Bruntingthorpe on 18 October 2007. The Vulcan later moved to other bases and is now permanently at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
1997 Boeing 747 Safety Test
In 1997, Bruntingthorpe airfield was used for an important safety test. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from the US and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) from the UK worked together on this. They wanted to study what happens when an explosion occurs inside a large aircraft. This research helps make planes safer.
They used an old Boeing 747-100 aircraft for the test. They placed four special devices inside the plane's luggage compartments. These devices were designed to create controlled explosions. Three of the four areas where the explosions would happen were protected with strong materials like Kevlar or titanium. However, one corner of the rear luggage compartment was left unprotected on purpose. This was to see what would happen in that specific area.
Many cameras were placed inside and around the aircraft to record the test. A well-known photograph shows the rear side of the aircraft after the explosion. This part of the plane was blown outwards. The protective measures worked well, as the other three explosions were completely contained. This test helped experts understand how to design aircraft to better withstand such events.
