A world-famous vintage plane, which has undergone a meticulous and complex restoration over the last 10 years, is to go on display at a historic Kent venue.

The Short Scion Floatplane, made at a factory on the banks of the River Medway is to be unveiled in the nave at Rochester Cathedral.

Thousands of visitors will be able to admire the painstaking work carried out by Medway Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) volunteers at their workshop at Rochester Airport.

Built in 1937 at the Short Brothers factory on the Esplanade, Rochester, the aircraft saw service in the Second World War before being converted into a landplane for civilian use.

It passed through several owners and, at one point, languished in a museum at Southend Airport in Essex and then moved to Redhill Airport in Surrey.

Exposure to the elements over the years caused significant damage, and there was talk of the owner selling it for scrap.

But MAPS came to the rescue in 2013 and got it transported to their newly purpose-built base in where it has literally been rebuilt.

The daunting task was made possible with a £40,000 grant from the Rochester Bridge Trust and six volunteers working on an average of 10 man-hours a week on one of their most challenging projects.

Nicola Parks, the trust’s director of charitable projects, said: “It gives us great pleasure to be able to display this piece of local aviation history in a stunning venue that’s easily assessed by the whole community.

“Alongside the floatplane, there will be a range of educational activities to ensure there is something to appeal to all ages.

“This event will be free of charge during the day to celebrate engineering history while also inspiring the next generation of engineers.

Veteran MAPS member Robin Brooks said having spent so long transforming it from a “skeleton of an aircraft” which included building new wings, they were now preparing to dismantle it to get it into the cathedral for August’s month-long exhibition.

He said: “Getting a 31ft 6 in (9.6m) long aircraft which has a span of 42ft (12.8m) through the main entrance of the cathedral will not be an easy task.

“The wings will have to be removed at Rochester Airport to allow the aircraft to be carried on a low loader through the streets leading from the airport to the cathedral and will not be placed back on the aircraft till the main fuselage is inside the cathedral.”

Project leader Robin Heaps worked from old drawings and any written material that was found to make sure that all the parts were as close as possible to the original build.

He said: “We are grateful to the Rochester Bridge Trust for its generous grant and for making it as easy as possible for residents to experience for themselves this important part of Medway’s heritage.”

Queen Camilla has pledged to continue her long-standing support for the group of volunteers who restore historic aircraft.

Her majesty has agreed to renew her role as patron to MAPS, a charity in which she is happy to be known as a MAPS chap.

The Short aircraft company established a presence in Rochester, initially purchasing land with direct sea access in 1913.

The first factory buildings were completed in 1915. By 1943, the government had taken over Shorts, and the factory eventually closed in 1947, with production moving to Belfast.

The business also opened a workshop at Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey in the early 1900s.