Hucknall Airfield

Photo:Halifax bomber at Hucknall airfield

Halifax bomber at Hucknall airfield

Newark Air Museum Archive

Photo:Flying Bedstead VTOL test-rig

Flying Bedstead VTOL test-rig

Newark Air Museum Archive

Photo:Meteor FR9 VTOL test-bed now displayed at Newark Air Museum

Meteor FR9 VTOL test-bed now displayed at Newark Air Museum

Newark Air Museum Archive

Photo:504 Squadron memorial outside the County Library in Hucknall marketplace

504 Squadron memorial outside the County Library in Hucknall marketplace

Newark Air Museum Archive

By Howard Heeley

Grid Ref: Sheet 129; SK526470; 5 miles NNW of Nottingham

Opened: 1917

Squadrons: 130 Sqn; 218 Sqn; 504 (County of Nottingham) Auxiliary Sqn; 98 Sqn; 104 Sqn; 25 (Polish) EFTS; 504 (County of Nottingham) Auxiliary Sqn; Nottingham UAS.

Aircraft: DH9; DH4; Horsley; Wallace; Hind, Battle; Blenheim, Gauntlett; Hart; Fury; Hurricane; Tiger Moth; Oxford; Spitfire; Mosquito; assorted Rolls-Royce test-bed airframes.

Nationalities: Commonwealth; Polish

Things of note: Two phases of RAF use 1917 – 1919 & 1928 – 1957. Famous during World War II for the attempted escape attempt by the German fighter pilot Franz von Werra, who tried to steal an aircraft (Rank Film - The One That Got Away).  Major development / testing centre for Rolls-Royce, including their successful VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) programme. One of the VTOL test-bed airframes is now displayed at the Newark Air Museum.

Current status: Currently an active airfield for light aircraft with the Merlin Flying Club that sometimes host a publicly accessible fly-in during the summer ; Rolls-Royce still has a presence on site and some original buildings survive and have an industrial use. It is believed that significant sections of the airfield could be lost to a proposed housing development, which is scheduled to take place.

(This information was originally published in the 2011 booklet “Aviation in Nottinghamshire”, which was produced by the Newark Air Museum thanks to a Local Improvement Scheme grant from the Nottinghamshire County Council. Photographs sourced from the Newark Air Museum Archive.)

This page was added by Howard Heeley on 11/12/2014.
Comments about this page

I have been asked the following question by someone on an aviation forum:

"I wonder if the dormitories at Hucknall are still in existence, and whether a marble plaque bears the name of S.A Meysztowicz as dux for 1944?"

This relates to the following comment:

"Near the end of March 1944 we had our final tests in the air...to my surprise...and I must say satisfaction, I finished first...and got my name on the small marble plate at the entrance to the dormitory block. It may still be there with luck"

Does anyone know whether these accommodation buildings still exist around Hucknall airfield?

By Howard Heeley
On 10/12/2014

It's 25 (Polish) EFTS - Elementary Flying School.

By Antoni Lachetta
On 11/12/2014
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