***SOLD OUT***

A chance to capture the only surviving Brooklands built Wellington Bomber in a Wellington Hangar, 12th September 2016

About this event

The Vickers 290 Wellington 1A N2980 (1939) at Brooklands is being moved and her hangar dismantled and fully refurbished, but before this takes place we have been given a very exclusive photographic opportunity to capture her in her currently location with nothing else around her.

Wellington Bomber N2980 currently sits in the original Wellington Hangar that has been in the same position within the site at Brooklands since the late 1930’s, however in the next few weeks the plane is being moved and the hangar dismantled for a full refurbishment, but before the move and hangar refurbishment we have been granted a once in a lifetime opportunity to photograph the only surviving Wellington Bomber that saw active service inside the hangar with no other museum artifacts around her. The Hangar is being empted and we have been granted a fantastic window of opportunity to capture this iconic airframe in what can only be described as an equally iconic structure. The hangar has been left largely untouched since it was an active hangar on the airfield so adding vastly to the atmosphere of this photo shoot.

Once the hangar has been refurbished and moved to a new site within the complex it will in many ways loose much of its charm and become another building housing much of the museums collection of aircraft and artifacts thus consigning this opportunity to the history books.

N2980 is the only surviving Brooklands-built Wellington. During a training flight on the 31st December 1940 she developed engine trouble and ditched into Loch Ness. All the crew escaped, but the rear gunner was killed when his parachute failed to deploy.

Developed from the Wellesley, the Wellington prototype first flew at Brooklands in 1936. Its fabric-covered geodetic structure was able to absorb heavy damage, and it was the only British bomber to be used throughout World War Two, serving with Bomber, Coastal, Transport and Training Commands. Altogether 11,461 Wellingtons were produced, 2,515 of these at Brooklands.

First flown on 16th November 1939, by Vickers’ Chief Test Pilot ‘Mutt’ Summers, N2980 was first issued to 149 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall and allocated the squadron code letter ‘R’ for ‘Robert’. It took part in the infamous Heligoland Bight raid on the 18th December 1939, during which over half of the twenty-two Wellingtons involved were shot down by German fighters. N2980 later served with 37 Squadron at RAF Feltwell, taking part in fourteen operations including day and night raids. 

In 1976 the Wellington was located by a team of American Loch Ness Monster hunters and was successfully salvaged on 21st September 1985 by the Loch Ness Wellington Association assisted by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Despite nearly forty-five years underwater, the aeroplane was remarkably well preserved. The taillights still worked when connected to a modern battery and many of the crew’s personal effects remained in the fuselage. Delivered to Brooklands Museum by British Aerospace on 27th September 1985, N2980 is now one of only two surviving Wellingtons but is the only one to see action as a bomber in operational service. 

Our photo event is planned to start at 19.00 to ensure a short period before darkness falls and our lighting brings further atmosphere to an already atmospheric photo shoot. We will have around two and half hours of unprecedented access to the hangar so we will use the time carefully to ensure maximum photographic opportunities. We will of course make sure everyone gets their fill of the Wellington under the spotlight but to add further to the evening we plan to bring other elements to the shoot. Just imagine a number of period correct Bomber Command RAF re-enactors walking slowly through the mist that shrouds the Wellington and creates a ghostly effect transporting us back in time.

Brooklands Museum have requested as part of agreeing this photo opportunity that they are given access to images taken during the evening for their own marketing purposes. We will send you information on this and where to send your images post the event.

To ensure comfortable photography we are restricting this event to just 35 photographers, so to avoid disappointment we recommend early booking.  

Event cost £48.00 per person. 

Please note this shoot is set to take place on the 12th of September but is subject to the final confirmation due to the work taking place to empty the hangar. If this work slips we may be required to move the date to ensure we have a clear hanger. It would be our recommendation to anyone booking this event that you keep the whole of the w/c 12th September clear in the event of us having to move to another evening. We will of course give as much notice as possible if a date move is necessary.

There will be no catering available during this event and as the start time is after the museum closes to the public you will not be able to enter the site until 18.45. Full details will be forwarded as part of the joining instructions a few days before the event.

Event requirements