"The Home Of Eagle"
Cunard Eagle & British Eagle
1948 to 1968
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"The Home Of Eagle" Cunard Eagle & British Eagle 1948 to 1968 |
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Save G-ANCF
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G-ANCF Bristol
Britannia 308F
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Urgent message for anyone
concerned about the survival of an ex-British Eagle International Airlines
Britannia G-ANCF
The future survival of Bristol Britannia G-ANCF, long term resident of the Bristol Aero Collection (BAC) at Kemble, is now seriously in doubt. |
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In the last few weeks
the BAC have relocated to another hanger at Kemble which is significantly
smaller than the hanger the collection has been displayed in. Because
of this, the BAC can no longer accommodate Britannia G-ANCF and therefore
her immediate survival is looking grim.
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 Cockpit of G-ANCF |
 G-ANCF in the hanger |
At one time it had been
hoped the aircraft would have been a major feature within the proposed
Filton Aviation Heritage Centre but with the news that the collection
can no longer accommodate her, this seems unlikely to come to fruition.
Whilst the BAPT are sure that this news will cause a great many enthusiast's
to be disappointed when they learn a Britannia will not be part of the
Filton museum, the immediate focus for the BAPT is to either secure a
short term or permanent home for her.
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It must be noted that
besides G-ANCF, only 3 other Britannia's remain as complete exhibits.
XM496 also at Kemble and looked after by the Bristol Britannia XM496 Preservation
Society, G-AOVT at Duxford and G-AOVF at Cosford (currently the subject
of much debate).
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Although G-ANCF is currently
dismantled and has been for many years, she is very much a complete airframe
and could be reassembled relatively easily given the time and manpower.
If she had made it to Filton one of the proposals was to exhibit her in
a partly stripped down condition to help people learn about airframe construction
while another plan was to have her reassembled as a walk through exhibit
having been painted in the colours of British Eagle who she once flew
with.
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She is now outside at
Kemble and exposed to the elements and owner Roger Hargreaves is looking
for a suitable home. Clearly the Britannia is a large aeroplane and this
will limit somewhat the preservation possibilities but she deserves to
be saved and in her current condition can be easily transported by road.
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