James Bond autogyro cockpit created in Norfolk up at auction

Dubbed Little Nellie, the autogyro was used in the 1967 007 film You Only Live Twice when the British spy, played by Sir Sean Connery, attempts to locate villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s volcano base. 

Autogyros look similar to helicopters but use unpowered autorotation to get off the ground. 

Wing Commander Ken Wallis at his workbench in December 1991 (Image: Newsquest) Little Nellie was flown by wing commander, autogyro proponent and stuntman Ken Wallis (Image: Propstore/PA) Connery sat in the cockpit during the scenes of early take-off featuring Q, played by Desmond Llewelyn, but the plane was actually piloted by wing commander, autogyro proponent and stuntman Ken Wallis. 

Wallis was born in Ely but lived much of his life in Reymerston near Hingham where the distinctive noise of autogyro engines being fired up was a familiar sound. 

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Four months before his death aged 97 in 2013, the village unveiled a new sign, complete with a carving of him in his flying machine in the sky above, ensuring he will be remembered in his home village for generations to come. 

A former Wellington bomber pilot, Wallis would regularly perform stunt events and air shows and achieved various records by flying the machines. 

Wallis died aged 97 in September 2013 (Image: Newsquest) The Bond autogyro was designed by himself and though Wing Cdr Wallis toured America, Germany and Australia with it to promote the film, his name did not appear in the credits. 

The nacelle, which is being sold during Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, is decorated with stickers from events Wallis attended and contains an inscription saying: “This is the original ‘Little Nellie’ cockpit, as flown by me. Ken Wallis 007!” 

With a guide price of between £75,000 and £150,000, the cockpit will be part of the sale that takes place between November 14 and November 17.