An unrivalled collection of Bristol-built engines ranging from the Jupiter – the most successful aero engine of the 1920s, through to the wartime Bristol Hercules and Centaurus sleeve-valve radials, to famous gas turbines such as the Harrier’s Pegasus and Concorde’s mighty Olympus. The display includes engines from de Havilland and Blackburn, firms that merged with Bristol Siddeley before the final consolidation with Rolls-Royce in 1966.
The branch works closely with local community and heritage groups, loaning out exhibits and participating in model engineering shows and local festivals, for example.
The Bristol branch has a Workshop Team, which works on restoration tasks and recent projects include the Bristol Mercury engines for the Bristol Aero Collection’s Bolingbroke (Blenheim Mk IV), Gem helicopter engines, a de Havilland Ghost and motorising and EJ 200. Currently, the team is working on a Bristol Centaurus sectioned show engine, which has been stripped to component parts, cleaned and repainted or refinished as necessary, and is now beginning the lengthy process of returning it to its former glory.
A large archive collection of books, brochures, manuals, and other material relating to Bristol and de Havilland engines from 1915 onwards is maintained at the branch by dedicated volunteer archivists.
