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Solent Sky

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Coordinates: 50°53′53″N 1°23′35″W / 50.89793°N 1.39313°W / 50.89793; -1.39313
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Solent Sky
Solent Sky is located in Southampton
Solent Sky
Location within Southampton
LocationSouthampton, United Kingdom
Coordinates50°53′53″N 1°23′35″W / 50.89793°N 1.39313°W / 50.89793; -1.39313
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.solentsky.org

Solent Sky (previously known as the Southampton Hall of Aviation) is an aviation museum in Southampton, England.

The museum depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is a focus on Supermarine, the aircraft company based in Woolston, Southampton, and its most famous products, the Supermarine S.6 seaplane and the Supermarine Spitfire, designed by a team led R. J. Mitchell. There is also coverage of the Schneider Trophy seaplane races, twice held at Calshot Spit, and the flying boat services which operated from the Solent.

History

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The forerunner to the museum was a museum focusing on Supermarine set up in the 1970s in a NAAFI hut alongside Havelock Road.[1] In the latter part of 1982 decay of the buildings lead to the museum committee petitioning Southampton city council to build a new museum.[1] Construction of the current building began in 1983 and was designed by Barry Eaton, then the City Architect.[2] A Short Sandringham on loan from the science museum group was moved into the unfished building on 1 July 1983.[1] The new museum opened 26 May 1984.[3][1] On 25 November 2023 the fuselage of a BAC One-Eleven was moved to the exterior of the museum from Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre.[4]In November 2024 the museum was granted planning permission to build a connection between the aircraft fuselage and the main museum.[5]

Exhibits

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Aircraft

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Aircraft on display at the museum include:

Supermarine S.6A, N248 on display.
A drone view of the museum

Engines

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The following engines can be seen at the museum:

Alvis Leonides Major on display.

Calshot Spit lightship

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Calshot Spit Lightship

The LV 78 Calshot Spit is a lightship built in Southampton in 1914. It was decommissioned in 1987. Between 1988 and 2010, it was located at the entrance to Ocean Village marina,[6] which formed a static attraction at the marina. This Trinity House navigation aid had guided ships entering Southampton Water from the western end of the Solent, coming around the low lying sand and shingle Calshot Spit. It was built in 1914 by J I Thornycroft shipyard in Southampton, and decommissioned in 1978. The lightship was removed on 3 November 2010 and taken to be restored at Trafalgar Dry Dock. The lightship was to become a "gateway attraction" at a new heritage museum called Aeronautica.[7] The plans for Aeronautica came to a halt in January 2012.[8] In December 2019 the Calshot Spit Lightship was transported to its new home at the Solent Sky Museum with plans to convert it into part of the museum's cafe.[9]

Other items

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In 2017 an exhibition by the Hampshire Police and Fire Heritage Trust was added to the museum.[10] In September 2020, three of Southampton's former trams were moved to the museum site. There are plans for the trams to undergo restoration before going on public display.[11]

Charity

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The work of Solent Sky is supported by a registered charity, the R. J. Mitchell Memorial Museum Limited, whose objects are "to advance the education of the public in matters relating to aviation by establishing and maintaining a museum as a permanent memorial to R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Schneider Trophy S6B seaplane and the Spitfire."[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jones, Alan (1984). "Making of a Museum". Southampton Hall Of Aviation The Aviation Experience. pp. 22–25.
  2. ^ O’Brien, Charles; Bailey, Bruce; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Lloyd, David W. (2018). The Buildings of England Hampshire: South. Yale University Press. p. 619. ISBN 9780300225037.
  3. ^ Rooney, David (14 April 2021). "Flying Boats at southampton". Science Museum. Science Museum Group. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  4. ^ Edgley, Timothy (26 November 2023). "Aircraft towed through Southampton streets on way to Solent Sky Museum". Southern Daily echo.
  5. ^ Yandell, Chris (21 November 2024). "Plan to extend Southampton's Solent Sky museum approved". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Trinity House LV No. 78 - Calshot Spit 1914 - 1978". Archived from the original on 9 August 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2006.
  7. ^ Bethan Phillips. "Landmark Calshot Spit lightship moved from Southampton's Ocean Village to Trafalgar Dock". Dailyecho.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Southampton Aeronautica museum site is withdrawn". BBC News. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Southampton Calshot Spit lightship on the move ahead of cafe revamp". BBC News. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Exhibition on the history of Hampshire police and fire services opens at Solent Sky Museum". Southern Daily Echo. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  11. ^ Yandell, Chris (1 September 2020). "Famous Southampton trams make final stop at Solent Sky Museum". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 7 October 2020. 
  12. ^ "R. J. Mitchell Memorial Museum Limited, registered charity no. 262995". Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Further reading

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  • Solent Sky Aviation Museum (2014). Souvenir Guide Book. Southampton, UK: Solent Sky.
  • Solent Sky Museum. "Solent sky: the house magazine of Solent Sky Museum". Southampton, UK. OCLC 1223597706.
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