AIRCRAFT RESTORATION Co.
ENGINEERED TO INSPIRE
Established in 1989…
We’re in it for the long haul.
Aircraft Restoration Co. (ARCo) is a family owned and run engineering operation specialising in the restoration, maintenance and operation of vintage aircraft. From our purpose built hangars set upon the hallowed grounds of former RAF and USAAF Duxford Airfield, Cambridge, we provide an extensive range of aviation services to likeminded collectors as well as to the Royal Air Force’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The company which evolved to become ARCo as we know it today was founded in 1989 upon the aspirations of John Romain MBE, who remains the managing director to the present day. A former Hawker Siddeley apprentice and BAE aero engineer. John has also become a highly experienced pilot over the years, with dozens of enthralling aircraft types in his logbook including over a thousand hours in various marks of Spitfire alone.
We grew from humble beginnings in a small workshop here at Duxford named Building 66 - or ‘Blenheim Palace’ depending on who you ask - steadily building up both experience and reputation. Today we are still proudly based at Duxford Airfield, though our facility has grown somewhat over the years and we now operate out of two purpose built hangars at the Eastern end of the airfield, housing both our restoration and maintenance facilities respectively.
So not to forget where we came from, Building 66 remains a fully functioning ARCo workshop where currently the wings and tailplane to our Mk.I Fairey Firefly project are being built… This beloved old workshop is steeped in nostalgic memories, and if the walls could speak they would have some wonderful tales to tell of those early trials and triumphs.
Today we undertake a variety of work, from ground up re-builds and major servicing through to minor repairs, routine maintenance and day-day operations of vintage aircraft for their custodians both in the UK and around the world.
‘Engineered to Inspire’ was born as a way of communicating our values to the world. Never taking for granted the bygone days of the aircraft under our care, or the importance of them continuing to inspire and educate the generations of tomorrow. They are working pieces of mechanical art and every bit as precious. To be the custodian of one of these remarkable machines is a painstaking but rewarding venture, and we hope to be able to share the joy they bring with as many of you as we can as they adorn the skies above us for many years to come.