A PIECE of aviation history could be winging its way to the Science Museum in Wroughton.

Curators are in the process of applying for pieces of Concorde, which are currently being stripped off and donated, sold and auctioned to enthusiasts.

But while Peter Turvey, the museum's Creative Planet project co-ordinator, is hopeful of bringing a small part of aviation legend to Swindon, he says he is not holding his breath.

"The museum is extremely unlikely to get anything spectacular," he said. "But anything would make a big difference to us here.

"We are in discussions with British Airways, but I just don't know what will happen we'll have to wait and see. We reasonably hopeful we will get some small components of Concorde, but time will tell.

"We already have a large aviation collection that includes a Dehavilland Comet, Lockheed Constellation and a Boeing 247 from the early 1930s.

"Wroughton Airfield was used as a place where aircraft were delivered before being taken to the front line and as a maintenance unit."

Mr Turvey said that in reality the best the museum could hope for was a small part of the 1,320mph supersonic aircraft, like an engine component, for example. It is hoped the museum will know by Christmas what, if any, parts of Concorde have been secured.

Concorde, which was taken out of service last month, had many links with the area.

Brian Trubshaw, from Tet-bury, who died in 2001, became a household name in April 1969 when he flew Concorde 002, the first British-built version, into RAF Fairford.

The 100-seater plane made its maiden flight from Filton near Bristol. This week, thousands of people turned out to see one of the aircraft return there in an emotional fly past over the city.

Many people were disappointed Concorde's final flight on Wednesday did not take in RAF Fairford en route to Filton. The Gloucestershire air base was used as a testing centre.

But the plane may make appearances at the Royal Interna-tional Air Tattoo, which is held every year at Fairford.

The fortunes of Concorde suffered in the wake of the Air France accident in 2000, which killed 113 people.

gsheldrick@newswilts.co.uk