C7CAT

November 2025

We had heard about an interesting collection of vintage aircraft and cars at The Shuttleworth Collection in Bedford and decided to pay a visit. Established by Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth and now maintained and cared for by the Shuttleworth Trust, the Shuttleworth Collection is a treasure trove of airworthy vintage aircraft from 1909-1950, as well as historical agricultural and steam exhibits, veteran cars, classic motorcycles, bicycles, vintage buses and carriages. What an amazing place!

The Shuttleworth Collection from the air de Havilland HH89 Dragon Rapide passenger aeroplane service from St Just in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly Hawker Cygnet

The first of six aircraft hangars at Shuttleworth Supermarine Spitfire MK Vc from WW2 Engine from Supermarine Spitfire MK Vc

Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six Hawker Hind Hucks Aircraft Engine Starter on Ford Model T chassis

Panhard & Levassor De Dietrich Type SM Bleriot Type XI - the first flight by a 'heavier than air' machine across the English Channel

Blackburn Type D Monoplane - the oldest airworthy aircraft of British original in the world de Havilland DH60X Moth - Richard Shuttleworth learnt to fly in this aircraft in 1932 Sopwith Pup - converted by Richard Shuttleworth from a Sopwith Dove in 1938

Deperdussin - the fastest pre-WW1 aeroplane Avro Triplane IV (replica) - built for the film 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' in 1965 Avro 504K used in the film 'Reach for the Sky in 1956

Sopwith F.1 Camel (reproduction) - the first installation of a pair of Vickers machine guns mounted on top of the fuselage in front of the cockpit 25lb Cooper Bombs - the lock plate on the bomb rack stops the spinner rotating in flight. When the release is pulled, the spinner rotates 25 times, which then arms the bomb 1916 Studebaker Light Four - a British military vehicle of the period, used in the film 'Ragtime' in 1981

1917 Bristol F.2B Fighter - also used as a reconnaisance aeroplane by the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front in WW1 1914 McCurd Model 'C' - the only surviving McCurd, now owned by Tate & Lyle Sugar and featured in the film 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' in 1968 1921 Leyland GT 'The Charabus' (left) - the only survivor of this type. A unique convertible single-decker bus with removable side windows and canvas roof. Featured in the film 'Cider with Rosie' in 1998

1923 Leyland SG7 'The White Rose' - the only surviving example of the 1920s and the outright winner of the London to Brighton Run in 2002 1919 Clayton & Shuttleworth 6nhp General Purpose Engine 'Phoenix' - exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Show in Cardiff in 1919. Last used in 1947, then lay derelict until being restored in 1971 1940 BSA M20 - used by despatch riders in WW2

1924 ANEC 11 - raced successfully in the 1930s 1910 Wallbro 'All British' (replica) - built by Wing Commander Ken Wallis who doubled for James Bond in the flying sequences of the film 'You Only Live Twice' in 1967 1933 Mignet 'Pou-du-Ciel', known in England as the 'Flying Flea' - built to bring aviation to the man in the street, but a serious design flaw caused a number of fatal accidents and was grounded in France and the UK

Spitfire MK Vc AR501 303 Browning replica with ammunition box and chute installation 1932 Comper Swift - competed in air races in the 1930s, including one race against Richard Shuttleworth in Delhi 1936 Blackburn B2 - the wings can be folded for easy storage, the only remaining Blackburn B2

Bofors QF 40mm Anti-aircraft Gun - developed by the Swedish Navy and built under licence by the British Army in 1937 and used in WW2 1944 BSA Paratroop bicycle - folding bicycle for use by airborne troops when dropped by parachute or by gliders - used on D-Day 6th June 1944 Link Trainer - simulator developed in the USA, can rotate a full, level 360 degrees, used by the RAF until 1950 when it was replaced by a more advanced design

1937 Kirby Kite used for trials of radar equipment in WW2, towed by an Avro 504K and also used as advanced gliding trainers Section of a flight simulator landscape from RAE Bedford, showing outside view from the cockpit, part of land scenery to follow an aircraft's path over this terrain, such as yaw, pitch and roll. The scale is 700:1 and is a small part of the 40ft x 10ft wide roll, which oved as the cameras were operated in simulated flight Otto Lilienthal - kleiner doppeldecker (little biplane) 1895 (replica) - the first in the history of flight which can be folded up, stored and transported easily

1938 Schneider Eon Primary - after the Armistice had been signed in 1918, Germany was not allowed to have an air force. Gliding was not forbidden, so this was a good way for pilot training to be undertaken 1956 Fauvel AV-36 Glider - highly acrobatic and can perform loops in just over its own body length 1946 Avro Anson - used at Staverton for communication and instrument development work, then on aerial survey mapping at Shoreham and later flew freight and finally back to survey work in Southampton in 1968

Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde - one of only two
known surviving models used to prove spin
behaviour theories during design development


The Shuttleworth Collection from the air	de Havilland HH89 Dragon Rapide passenger aeroplane service from St Just in Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly	Hawker Cygnet

The first of six aircraft hangars at Shuttleworth	Supermarine Spitfire MK Vc from WW2	Engine from Supermarine Spitfire MK Vc

Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six	Hawker Hind	Hucks Aircraft Engine Starter on Ford Model T chassis

Panhard & Levassor	De Dietrich Type SM	Bleriot Type XI - the first flight by a 'heavier than air' machine across the English Channel

Blackburn Type D Monoplane - the oldest airworthy aircraft of British original in the world	de Havilland DH60X Moth - Richard Shuttleworth learnt to fly in this aircraft in 1932	Sopwith Pup - converted by Richard Shuttleworth from a Sopwith Dove in 1938

Deperdussin - the fastest pre-WW1 aeroplane	Avro Triplane IV (replica) - built for the film 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' in 1965	Avro 504K used in the film 'Reach for the Sky in 1956

Sopwith F.1 Camel (reproduction) - the first installation of a pair of Vickers machine guns mounted on top of the fuselage in front of the cockpit	25lb Cooper Bombs - the lock plate on the bomb rack stops the spinner rotating in flight. When the release is pulled, the spinner rotates 25 times, which then arms the bomb	1916 Studebaker Light Four - a British military vehicle of the period, used in the film 'Ragtime' in 1981

1917 Bristol F.2B Fighter - also used as a reconnaisance aeroplane by the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front in WW1	1914 McCurd Model 'C' - the only surviving McCurd, now owned by Tate & Lyle Sugar and featured in the film 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' in 1968	1921 Leyland GT 'The Charabus' (left) - the only survivor of this type. A unique convertible single-decker bus with removable side windows and canvas roof. Featured in the film 'Cider with Rosie' in 1998

1923 Leyland SG7 'The White Rose' - the only surviving example of the 1920s and the outright winner of the London to Brighton Run in 2002	1919 Clayton & Shuttleworth 6nhp General Purpose Engine 'Phoenix' - exhibited at the Royal Agricultural Show in Cardiff in 1919. Last used in 1947, then lay derelict until being restored in 1971	1940 BSA M20 - used by despatch riders in WW2

1924 ANEC 11 - raced successfully in the 1930s	1910 Wallbro 'All British' (replica) - built by Wing Commander Ken Wallis who doubled for James Bond in the flying sequences of the film 'You Only Live Twice' in 1967	1933 Mignet 'Pou-du-Ciel', known in England as the 'Flying Flea' - built to bring aviation to the man in the street, but a serious design flaw caused a number of fatal accidents and was grounded in France and the UK

Spitfire MK Vc AR501 303 Browning replica with ammunition box and chute installation	1932 Comper Swift - competed in air races in the 1930s, including one race against Richard Shuttleworth in Delhi	1936 Blackburn B2 - the wings can be folded for easy storage, the only remaining Blackburn B2

Bofors QF 40mm Anti-aircraft Gun - developed by the Swedish Navy and built under licence by the British Army in 1937 and used in WW2	1944 BSA Paratroop bicycle - folding bicycle for use by airborne troops when dropped by parachute or by gliders - used on D-Day 6th June 1944	Link Trainer - simulator developed in the USA, can rotate a full, level 360 degrees, used by the RAF until 1950 when it was replaced by a more advanced design

1937 Kirby Kite used for trials of radar equipment in WW2, towed by an Avro 504K and also used as advanced gliding trainers	Section of a flight simulator landscape from RAE Bedford, showing outside view from the cockpit, part of land scenery to follow an aircraft's path over this terrain, such as yaw, pitch and roll. The scale is 700:1 and is a small part of the 40ft x 10ft wide roll, which oved as the cameras were operated in simulated flight	Otto Lilienthal - kleiner doppeldecker (little biplane) 1895 (replica) - the first in the history of flight which can be folded up, stored and transported easily

1938 Schneider Eon Primary - after the Armistice had been signed in 1918, Germany was not allowed to have an air force. Gliding was not forbidden, so this was a good way for pilot training to be undertaken	1956 Fauvel AV-36 Glider - highly acrobatic and can perform loops in just over its own body length	1946 Avro Anson - used at Staverton for communication and instrument development work, then on aerial survey mapping at Shoreham and later flew freight and finally back to survey work in Southampton in 1968