The Stuart Buttle Hangar

The Stuart-Buttle Hangar was opened in 1995 by his widow Mrs A. Stuart-Buttle, whose generous donation greatly helped in the completion of this, the Museum's largest building.

The hangar contains the full-size replica's of Hurricane and Spitfire Fighters, some of which were used in the epic 1968 film "The Battle of Britain". A recent addition has been the acquisition of an original North American Harvard. This has been restored by the Museum and now depicts one the many Harvard's used to train Fighter Pilots prior to, and during the Battle of Britain. The Museum is hoping to add other aircraft to its collection and in particular those connected to the "Training of the Few".

Nine original vehicles are on show in this hangar, depicting some of the various types of vehicles that would have been seen and used on a 1940 Operational Fighter Station.

Also housed in the hangar is a row of ten Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, recovered from crash-sites of Battle of Britain Hurricane's, Spitfire's and a Boulton and Paul Defiant. The Defiant engine is particularly rare, being the only example ever recovered from a Battle of Britain Day Fighting aircraft of this type.

Two Squadron's flew the Defiant during the Battle and both received heavy losses during July or August 1940. Most of the aircraft were shot down over the sea and a high proportion of their crews remain missing to this day.

All engines are accompanied with a detailed display about the pilot or crew who flew the aircraft and the events that led to it being shot down. Photographs of those mentioned in the displays, form a lasting tribute to all those who flew, fought, died or carried their wounds to the day they died.