Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome

United Kingdom / England / Countesthorpe /
 airport, Second World War 1939-1945
 Upload a photo

Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground (IATA: N/A, ICAO: N/A) is a privately owned airport in Leicestershire near the village of Bruntingthorpe. It was opened as RAF Bruntingthorpe in 1942. The airfield was used extensively post war by Sir Frank Whittle’s Powerjets company for early test and development activity on jet engined aircraft.

1954 saw the construction of a new airfield for the US Air Force and it was subsequently used as a strategic heavy bomber base (code-named ‘Big Thunder’)until 1962. In 1972 the Rootes Group purchased the facility and the site was used for testing vehicles for the first time. Over the next 11 years, the Rootes Group, and subsequently Chrysler and Peugeot motor manufactucers, used it extensively for vehicle development, constructing a number of test features appropriate for the vehicles of their time.

The current owners, C. Walton Ltd, purchased the site in 1983 and have set up a diverse, yet complementary group of businesses under the ‘Bruntingthorpe’ umbrella. The services provided include vehicle testing, vehicle storage and refurbishment as well as events and corporate hospitality.

Runway 06/24 9842ft(3000m)
Runway 06R/24L 2953ft(900m)

www.bruntingthorpe.com/
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°29'30"N   1°7'43"W

Comments

  • Bruntingthorpe is no longer the home of XH558. XH558 left in 2008/2009 to reside at RAF Lyneham, however in 2011 she moved to the Old RAF Finningley site now known as Doncaster Airport, (Robin Hood).
  • Thank you guest user Phantom Aviator for the status update, I have re edited the description by removing the information regarding the XH558.
This article was last modified 7 years ago