History
WJ897 was a former RAF training aircraft; the Varsity had originally been designed to replace converted ex World War 2 Wellingtons as a ‘flying classroom’, where most of the Pilots, Air Electronics Officers, Navigators and bomb aimers of the Cold War era learned their trade.
The Varsity was so successful in this role that it served the RAF for 25 years from 1951 to 1976; the very last operational Varsity, WL679, finally retiring in 1992 to permanent display at Cosford Air Museum. (See Links Page)
WJ897 first flew at RAF Hurn (now Bournemouth Airport), used by Vickers for test flying their aircraft, in November 1952. It went on to serve in Air Electronics Schools at Hullavington and Topcliffe, its last posting being RAF Kemble between 1972 and 1975.
The Varsity was powered by two
engines as used in its predecessor the Wellington T10.
A group of enthusiastic engineers are rebuilding versions of the Hercules here;
A Wellington T10 alongside its replacement, the Varsity T1.
