Brown catches a wire in Sea Vampire VG701 as he lands on an experimental rubber deck aboard HMS Warrior in February 1949. (©Bonhams/BNPS)
Eric Brown flying a Hawker P1040 as he carries out ‘Catapulting Proofing’ take offs on an aircraft carrier in April 1949.
The historic medals and logbooks of legendary test pilot Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown have been saved for the nation and will be displayed in a British museum.
A deal has been secured for the hero’s prestigious decorations and all his flying journals after they failed to sell at auction earlier this week.
They had been expected to sell for £200,000, possibly to an overseas buyer, but bidding only reached £140,000, falling short of the reserve price.
Now it has emerged that the National Museum of the Royal Navy has negotiated a deal with Captain Brown’s family to buy his stunning archive.