What happened to the Brabazon?

[Mooney]

Watched a good program on TV the other day about the Brabazon. Amazing looking aircraft. I was wondering what happened to the prototype? Was it scrapped?

Thanks

[G085H1TE]

Broken up in October 1953 I'm afraid. As was the half-built second prototype.

[Bre901]

Remember seeing somewhere on the web that the only part left from the scrapping was a gearbox cog.

Anyone can confirm that ?

[InFinRetirement]

Not entirely true. One of the u/c legs and wheels are in the Science Museum

[Peter Barron]

I seem to remember seeing a part of the Brabazon at Old Warden.
I think the panel had the word Brabazon on it and was from the actual aircraft.
Is it still there.

Peter.

[wub]

The nose undercarriage is in the Museum of Flight at East Fortune. At the press of a button it can be retracted and extended; quite impressive.

Go to
http://www.nms.ac.uk/flight/vrs/vrs.htm#1

click on jets and aerospace hangar and the Brab nose gear can be seen between the Canberra nose section and the Ferranti Meteor

[alexis_lambert]

I'm 90% sure i've seen the panel that had Bristol Brabazon on it and a mainwheel on display at the Museum of Industry in Bristol.

[Speedbird48]

The flying example and the uncompleted second aircraft were cut up by the infamous Coleys of Hounslow.
One of the panels from the side of the airplane, with the name, was hanging in Coleys yard in 1961 but I believe it went on to a museum. There were two panels with the name on so two museums may have one each.

[Boss Raptor]

Yes I too remember the name panel hidden up on a dark wall in an Old Warden hanger when I went as a kid in the early 70's

[teeteringhead]

My favourite piece of Brabazon Trivia concerns the design of the enghine air intakes. Apparently the same design (obviously much smaller) was used by the Bristol Car Company (a subsidiary of the aircraft company) for the air intakes on their 404 and 405 spoprts saloons of the late 1950s.

Their comment was: a good air-intake design is a good air intake design!

[Fokkerwokker]

Oh Gawd! Giving my age away. Remember the Brabazon flying over our village in South Wales when I was a kid. AMAZING SIGHT!:ok:

I believe the occasion was to fly over the local aluminium factory that had provided the metal for the construction of the aircraft.

FW

[izod tester]

Part of Grange Road Infant's School in Tuffley, Gloucester reputedly include ex Brabazon components in its structure. I think I have read somewhere a few years ago that the parts were fuselage frames.

The following is an extract from a proposal put before Gloucester Planning Committe on 20 May 2003 which seeks to demolish the school and build low cost housing units on the site.

9.1 Save Britain’s Heritage – object to the proposals to demolish the school. The school is a charming example of the rapid rebuilding of Britain after the Second World War. Its links with the past and the Nations heritage are clear in the structure of the building which is reputed to include parts of enormous Brabazon Bomber, and at the very least would appear to employ certain aspects of airframe construction. The building is clearly of importance to those who live nearby, and there would appear to be no justification for its destruction – understand that it is proposed to build a new infants school on nearby playing fields. Have parents and locals been balloted on the issue.