History: The Max Holste 1521 was developed from the earlier M.H.152, a 1949 design that the French Army asked for but later abandoned. The M.H. 1521 Broussard was a larger version of the M.H.152, carrying five passengers instead of four. It also had a larger Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine, with double the power of the original. The Max Holste company had hoped to market this aircraft for ambulance service and photographic work, but eight days after the initial civilian order the French Army was asking for its own planes. In military service it was designated the M.H.1521M.

Used as a light utility and aerial artillery observation post, the Max Holste company continued to produce the Broussard until 1959. The Broussard, meaning "Bushman," was a strong aircraft with excellent Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) characteristics. It was supplied to many former French colonies in Africa, and was not retired from French service until the early 1980s.

A total of 363 Broussards were completed by Max Holste between 1954 and 1959. Some M.H.1521Ms still fly in European aero clubs in France, and there are a few in the United States and Britain.   [History by David MacGillivray]

Specifications:

Last night members of the ATG Forum met up with Nick English from Bremont Watches for a beer, a chat about their EP120 and a quick trip over the Berkshire & Oxfordshire Countryside, looking at some big houses in Bremonts own Broussard vintage aircraft.

Brief history of White Waltham Airfield
In 1928, the de Havilland family aquired the land and formed the de Havilland School of Flying which opened in 1935. The MOD requisitioned it for use during World War II and in 1940 it became the HQ for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) whose members were responsible for the delivery of all aircraft to and from RAF stations. During the war years the ATA achieved a remarkable 309,000 aircraft movements enabling the RAF to concentrate exclusively on operations.

White Waltham has also been home to Fairey Aviation, manufacturers of aircraft such as the Gannet and Rotodyne. It has been a civilian airfield and the home of the West London Aero Club since the early post-war years.

So arrived at 7.10pm, time for a quick pint of Bitter (that's proper beer) and a chance to have a proper look at the Bremont EP120. I saw it in the flesh at their Charity Auction a couple of weeks ago but it was dark, there was alot of camera flashes going off least of all from the Paperazzi trying to get a shot of Orlando Bloom who was there also......

Well in day light it looks really very good indeed, Nick streesed that this is still a prototype, the rubber Spitfire tyre tread on the crowns is worn and will eventually be knurled from steel. The barrel of the case will be lighter than the DLC top coating but largely it will look like it does here.... fantastic.

Case back revealing the aditional propeller machined from the original Spitfire aluminium from 1942 great detail on the internal bezel crown.

The now familiar Bremont Propeller on the crown.

Nick takes a walk over to the Broussard to 'untie it' as he put it......

We follow after he uncovers the engine cowling and preps the aircraft

George Harrison's weekend gaf just outside Henley, god rest his soul!

Mat convincing himself he should learn to fly

Ah the bar, my place of retreat on a balmy Summers evening. Guiness anyone?