The museum team is very excited to be welcoming a full size replica WWI plane (and her owners!) to the museum this month for our WWI commemoration event on Saturday 25th October. The day will be running from 10am – 3pm with a packed program of activities throughout the day, including interactive ‘living history’ lectures with the Braintree cadets, period music and food, family workshops, and the chance to look round our WWI exhibition – ‘Braintree District at War – 1914-1918’. For more information please see the full itinerary below or download it here.
The plane is a full-size replica of a WWI Bristol M1.C, which visitors will be able to see on a simulator trailer on the museum forecourt. The Bristol M.1 Monoplane Scout was first developed in 1916 by Frank Barnwell. The first prototype, M1.A, took to the skies for its maiden flight on 14th July 1916. It was then purchased by the War Office for testing, and they ordered a modified aircraft, M1.B, which was launched in October 1916. Despite a great performance it was rejected for use on the Western Front because of its landing speed and because there was a widespread belief that monoplane aircraft were unsafe in combat. Despite this rejection a further 125 planes were ordered in a new version, M1.C, the version that is coming to the museum in 3 weeks time. This had a Vickers machine gun centrally-mounted in front of the pilot. 33 M1.Cs served in the Middle East and the Balkans in 1917-1918. The remaining fleet were used for training back home in the UK, and were popular among senior officers.
![Vickers Machine Gun mounted on a Bristol Scout. Flown by a member of the Australian Flying Corps. By An unknown member of the Australian Flying Corps, 1916 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.braintreemuseum.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/256px-Vickers_Challenger_synchroniser_Bristol_Scout.jpg)
Vickers Machine Gun mounted on a Bristol Scout. Flown by a member of the Australian Flying Corps.
By An unknown member of the Australian Flying Corps, 1916 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The museum would like to thank Kearsley Airways Ltd (www.kalair.co.uk), Braintree and Bocking Civic Society (www.bbcivsoc.org.uk), Andrewsfield Aviation and Tesco for their support of this event. We look forward to welcoming you on the day. For further information please visit the event page at www.braintreemuseum.co.uk/whatson/first-world-war-centenary or call us on 01376 328868.
Jennifer Brown, Collections and Interpretation Officer