Museum 2

A Triumph of Initiative and Vision - 2

By late 1982, however, the A.T.C. Headquarters and Museum buildings, which dated from 1943 were beyond economical repair and the Southampton City Council was approached to save these sibling organisations with a building and land at Albert Road South (near the Solent dockside). The commendable efforts of the A.T.C. and the importance of the Museum to Southampton were duly recognised by the City Council and Hampshire County Council and the English Tourist Board (who gave substantial capital grants) when in 1983 they agreed to underwrite the cost of a new and permanent building not only to house the original Museum but also to take a larger brief to cover the whole of the impressive history of Solent aviation.

Moreover, not only did they decide that it would be more suitable to house the Squadron and the Museum together in a purpose-built home but also announced that their bid to the Science museum in London for the Short Sandringham four engined flying boat 'Beachcomber' had been successful. This represented the important role which large marine aircraft had played in their heyday in the Solent area. With much valued support from industry, Associated British Ports and the Army notably in the transfer of the Sandringham from Lee-on-Solent and its reassembly on site, the Museum steadily took shape during 1983.

The Royal Air Force helped move the Spitfire, British Hovercraft Corporation of Cowes, Isle of Wight generously restored the S6A, the Science Museum kindly loaned models and sectionalised engines, and the support afforded by many local firms helped complete the imaginative venture. At the same time, the A.T.C. Squadron Headquarters was constructed alongside the Museum and in the same building. Carrying on the traditions of their forebears, the Cadets have since rebuilt and refurbished most of the aircraft in the Museum, including the huge Sandringham flying boat.

So it was that the Solent Sky - incorporating the R.J.Mitchell Museum - was triumphantly opened to the public on Saturday 26th May 1984. In the intervening 18 years, under the auspices of the reconstructed R.J.Mitchell Memorial Museum Ltd and with continued assistance of local industry and large national aerospace companies - notably including British Aerospace, Westland Aerospace and Messier -Dowty - have facilitated the superb exhibition of Solent aviation which is to be seen the Solent Sky today.

The A.T.C. Cadets of the Squadron are still active in servicing the Museum. As a small tribute to their long sustained, unstinting efforts and the support of the Air Training Corps nationally, the Museum now also houses an exhibition devoted to the Corps.

Over the years the Museum has become acclaimed nationally and internationally, the collection has grown so much so that due to the finite size of the building many of the original exhibitions, such as the story of the Schneider Trophy have been reduced in size to accommodate new exhibits.

Apart from the Museums tribute to the people of the area and their work in the aviation industry, an industry which is now almost extinct the Museum pays special tribute to some of the more important personalities such as designer as R.J. Mitchell, A.V.Roe, R Chadwick Petter and Juan de la Cierva all of whom were an essential part of the industry in this area. In addition to the designers there is a special tribute to the Test Pilots of the various companies, eight of whom achieved world speed records across the Solent area.