The Helicopter Museum in the UK finally finished reassembling the sole civil prototype EH101 PP8 in time for Christmas, with volunteers installing various large panels around the head and engine bays and sealing holes to protect against the weather. With a dehumidifier aboard to dry out the main cabin the plan now is to open it up for school visits and talks, making best use of the 32seat cabin interior.
Plans to put the aircraft under cover are meanwhile held up due to delays in steel deliveries and a shortage of funds. The museum has covered the cost of the concrete base, which is now ready to receive the steel skeleton, so the plan is to progress that phase but is short of about £95,000 needed for the cladding. If the trustees can get past that point then they are confident that most of the interior finishing can be carried out by the volunteers.
The new hangar may eventually house not just the EH101 but also the two rare Bristol Belvedere tandem rotors in the collection, two Bristol Sycamores and other smaller gyros that were built or based at Weston in days gone by.
The volunteer run Museum holds over 100 Rotary wing aircraft gathered from all over the world and representing almost all the technical variations except two….the intermeshing designs favoured by Kaman and the NOTAR from the MD520.
If you can help, with funding donations to complete the new hangar or have a Huskie in your backyard please contact the chairman of trustees, Elfan Ap Rees at office@aviapress.co.uk.
This press release was prepared and distributed by The Helicopter Museum
