LEGENDS of the air went on display at Wroughton airfield to celebrate 100 years of powered flight.

The airfield near Swindon, which houses the London Science Museum's extensive aircraft collection, opened its hangars at the weekend to offer people a free glimpse of its rarely seen prized collection.

Among the exhibits was a Lockheed Constellation airliner, a De Havilland Comet and a Douglas DC-3 Dakota, one of the workhorses of World War Two.

Also featured was a huge display of models of around 80 different aircraft types, all representing flying machines associated with Wroughton Airfield during its RAF years from 1941 to 1972.

And there was a new display charting the development of piston aero engines from 1908 to 1959 as well as free vintage bus rides.

Matthew Applegate, the museum's collections and visitor manager, said: "From the first powered flight in 1903, the volume of aircraft in our skies has increased enormously. Air travel was never easier and aeroplanes now carry 180 million passengers per year in the UK alone."

Aircraft enthusiast Jonathan Hall, 11, of Cepen Park South, Chippenham, was one of the many people enjoying the display.

Jonathan, a pupil of St Mary's School, Chippenham, said: "I love aeroplanes and I think this display is really good.

"You can see inside the engines and there are lots of aircraft to look at. They are all in one piece and in good condition. I would like to be in the RAF when I'm older."

Bruce Howden, 70, retired of Upper Stratton, has been visiting the airfield since the late 1940s and says it gets better every year.

"I like the whole darn lot of them, everything from the Comet all the way down," he said.

The event is the first in a series of events across the county to mark the 100 years since brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright test flew their Wright Flyer III aircraft across the dunes of Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, USA.

The 12-second hop was the first ever powered and controlled flight and revolutionised transport, eventually bringing far-flung travel to the masses.