Twenty Porsches and four Ferraris formed a splendid display next to a collection of fine aircraft including some built during the 76 years of aviation history at Broughton factory. De Havilland Vampire, Venom and Chipmonk and the Hawker Siddeley HS125 executive jet were produced here with a Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, 2 Hawker Siddeley Hawk trainers and two helicopters from the Defence Helicopter Fly school completing the line up.
Drivers and passengers were invited to tour the whole site on double decker buses to each of the wing Factories along with invited guests. Staff were available throughout the morning to explain the production facilities and answer questions from the many visitors on the day.
The facility started life at Broughton in 1939 when the first Vickers Wellington bomber took to the air and during the war years production included Lancaster and Lincoln aircraft. From 1948 to 1967 De Havilland built Vampires, Venoms, Doves and Herons with production of the HS125 executive jet and Comet airliner produced from 1962 onwards. By this time DH had become Hawker Siddeley Aviation which became a partner in the European Airliner Program and assigned as the wing manufacturing centre.
Airbus has become a world leader in aircraft manufacture with over 9000 aircraft now flying.
The photograph shows one of the Beluga transport aircraft built to transport the wing sets to the assembly sites in France and Germany.
A special indoor loading facility was completed this year where the cargo can be loaded safely protected from the elements.