From Bleriot to Spitfire

The Shuttleworth Collection is a private collection begun by Richard Shuttleworth - pilot, racing driver, self-taught mechanic and heir to the Old Warden Park Estate in Bedfordshire. He had a passion for rescuing old aircraft and vehicles which he brought to the Estate to restore and maintain. Richard died in 1940 whilst flying with the RAF; after the war, his mother set up a charity to preserve his heritage. Over subsequent years more aeroplanes were added to the Collection, which was opened to the public in the 1960s. It is not a static museum, all the exhibits are kept in working order and, for more than six decades now, these aeroplanes have delighted visitors to Old Warden where they can be seen flying during the many air shows held by the Collection. Even when they are not flying, visitors can see the aeroplanes alongside the early cars, buses, motorbikes, steam engines and farm machinery in the Shuttleworth hangars. This book is written by the pilots of the Shuttleworth collection, past and present, including flight instructors, test pilots, aerobatic pilots and fighter pilots, all giving a unique perspective of what it feels like to fly Shuttleworth's array of iconic aircraft.