Located on the South coast between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, Solent Airport began its history in 1917 as a Naval seaplane training school. Training continued throughout both World Wars, with the airfield being commissioned “HMS Daedalus” in 1939.
By the 1960’s, HMS Daedalus began hovercraft trials to test hovercraft for interservice military uses. These trials continued until 1982 before being closed. Today, the hovercraft museum offers visitors the chance to browse the largest collection of hovercraft in the world.
HMS Daedalus was formally closed in 1996, but brought back into existence when Fareham Borough Council purchased the site in 2015. It was officially renamed Solent Airport in 2016.
Today, Solent Airport is a busy civilian airfield, with local flight school Phoenix Aviation, the HM Coastguard Search and Rescue and Spitfires.com all calling it their home.
Solent Airport has been faithfully recreated by Burning Blue Design undertaking on-site visits. We have also collaborated with actual pilots based at Solent to ensure the highest levels of accuracy. It features:
- Over 200 custom 3D objects each with full Physical Based Rendering (PBR) textures.
- Based on 2022 layout with accurate runways, taxiways and custom taxi signs
- Highly detailed control tower, café and hangar interiors
- Accurate night lighting and dynamic weather compatibility
- Enhanced high resolution colour corrected ground textures
Animated hangar doors which close at night (open manually with Taxi Lights):
- Phoenix Aviation Hangar - Parking 2
- Hangar P - Parking 29
- ATAviation Hangar - Parking 37
- Hangar F - Parking 44
- 3 Helipads
- Completely custom windsock and dynamic animated flags
- Animated spectators
- Optimised to blend in with local Photogrammetry
Real-life static aircraft seen at Solent:
- Phoenix Aviation Ikarus C42 (G-OKTA and G-PAPI) and Piper PA-28 Warrior II (G-BOHA)
- Britten-Norman Trilander and Defenders
- HM Coastguard AgustaWestland AW169 (G-MCGO)
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX's (G-ILDA and G-IRTY)
- Cessna C152 Mike Charlie (G-ATMC)
Local features fully modelled, including:
- Daedalus sculpture in Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Park
- Beach-front huts and groynes
- CEMAST and CETC colleges
- Faraday and Daedalus Business Parks
- Daedalus Converter Station
