Having been worked on over the past 4 1/2 years within the museums workshop, Auster J1.N G-AHHP is now on public display within the museums main hangar. Starting work in 2019 with the airframe being completely stripped to bare tubes, the restoration has gradually seen G-AHHP restored to as it was in the 1950’s. With the fuselage now in the hangar, G-AHHP’s wings are making their way into the workshop to be restored themselves, before being fitted to the aircraft in due course.
G-AHHP is an aircraft with a fascinating history, having been stolen from Sywell Aerodrome on November 22nd 1950 by Brynley Fussell, a 19 year old Borstal escapee. What makes the story even more special, Bryn’s only previous flying experience was a 30 minute trial lesson in a tiger moth, and after taking off from Sywell at around 2AM flew in short hops all the way to Orléans in France! Landing on a rough field near Orléans, Bryn clipped the propellor on the ground and damaged the tail wheel meaning the aircraft would not be able to fly out again, and was shortly arrested by the French police. Sadly, Bryn passed away in July 2022 and was unable to see the aircraft which he achieved this remarkable feat of airmanship again, but the story shall live on alongside G-AHHP in our displays.
G-AHHP is also an important aircraft for the museums collection, having spent a number of years based at Doncaster Aerodrome, of which the museum occupies the last remaining original buildings.
