FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM AND CONCORDE

The Fleet Air Arm Museum was formally opened in 1964 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (now the Museum's Patron) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service, the predecessor of today's Fleet Air Arm.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum was formally opened in 1964 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (now the Museum's Patron) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service, the predecessor of today's Fleet Air Arm.

Over the ensuing years, the museum has expanded to become one of the leading aviation museums in Europe with over 50 historic aircraft, including Concorde 002, the British-built prototype, housed under one roof in a building covering almost 100,000 square feet.

The original hangar was enlarged to today's proportions in three phases: Phase I The Caspar John Hall, linking the museum with another nearby hangar. HRH The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone in 1974, while he was training as a helicopter pilot at Yeovilton, and the development was formally opened in 1975 by the then Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Harold Wilson.

Phase II The Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Hall, which provided a workshop, library facilities, storage for archives and a lecture room, was completed in 1977 and formally opened by Admiral of the Fleet

Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

Phase III Completed in 1980, was named The Mountbatten Memorial Hall in Earl Mountbatten's memory, and was opened by his daughter, Countess Mountbatten.

 

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