1974 The Medway Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society was reformed under the auspices of Elliott brothers later and GEC-Marconi

1977 The branch decided to form an aircraft preservation group, to initially cover a Short Sunderland display in the aircraft's birthplace. Unfortunately the venture was unsuccessful. The first successful project was the restoration of all the wartime Spitfire gate Guardian at R.A. F. Manston. The aircraft was returned to the RAF 18 months later in 1979 and housed in a purpose-built memorial building Manston in 1981 MAPS gave considerable help in the fund raising as they did later with the Hurricane Museum.

1988 The aircraft preservation group became a limited company at Medway aircraft preservation Society Ltd was formed. In addition dozens of aviation artefacts have been restored mainly for display but conversely MAPS are also located and restored many specialist components for other groups restoring vintage and wartime aircraft

The company has undertaken the restoration and preservation of a number of aircraft and aero engines all-important in his country's aviation Heritage many to be seen in museums others are still flying all work is voluntary and non profit making.Medway Aircraft Preservation Society Ltd

Medway Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) Limited, started as an Aircraft Preservation Group, which Lewis Deal formed, in 1977, as part of the Medway Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

The Group began by rescuing those sadly neglected aircraft, which used to stand guard, in all weathers, outside RAF stations. The first was the RAF Manston Spitfire, which was restored at Rochester Airport, and is now beautifully housed back at Manston, where it is the second most popular public attraction in Thanet. The Ministry of Defence soon realized that such gate guardians throughout the country had great potential value and ordered them all to be housed indoors for restoration. As a result, many of these priceless aircraft are now either flying or are on static exhibition, a happy development triggered by Lewis Deal and his small team.

The Group's success did, however, pose a problem. When restored, such aircraft began to acquire six-figure values for their owners, way beyond the financial competence of the local Branch of The Royal Aeronautical Society. Accordingly, in 1988, Lewis and I, and fellow Branch members, formed MAPS Limited.

MAPS has since preserved many aircraft at Rochester Airport. Today the principal customer is the Royal Air Force Museum, which has honored MAPS by allowing it to take whole aircraft from its wonderful collection, for preservation at Rochester Airport. Only Medway has this privilege. The most recently restored is the Mk 1 Spitfire, the oldest in the world, one of the few to enter service before \NW2. It is now on public display at Hendon, along with a Mk V Spitfire, also preserved by MAPS, advertising Medway to visitors from all over the world.

MAPS preserves aircraft for public benefit and also restores them to their original condition, as required for historical accuracy, involving much research. All members are volunteers, whose work, worth six figures in a typical project, makes many restorations affordable, which would otherwise not be available to the public.

To date the company has completed, for flight or public exhibition, a Gloster Meteor Mk IV, Republic Thunderstreak F-84F, Piper Tripacer PA22, Northrop Drone, Fairchild Argus, R-R Merlin engines Mk 20, 35 and 500, Daimler Benz 603, Junkers Jumo 003 and Bristol Hercules XII engines, parts of the four-engine Short Sunderland and Stirling aircraft, Spitfires Mk XVI, PR Mk Xl, Mk Vb and Mk 1, and two Hurricanes, Mk lie,a Short Sherpa (fuselage), Tempest (wing) and a Sycamore, the first air-sea rescue helicopter. At its Rochester Airport premises, the company encourages public interest in preservation work and in the handing-over of important aircraft, in which the Mayor and other dignitaries participate. The company is keen to devolve skills to younger people and has hosted school parties and young people on work experience.