Category: UK Aviation Museum News

Restoration Updates – Newark Air Museum

Vulcan restoration at Newark

Despite some horrendous weather this week work has just been completed on the erection of the scaffolding structure around the tail fin of Avro Vulcan B.2 XM594 at Newark Air Museum. This will allow restoration work to be undertaken in a safe manner by a dedicated team of museum volunteers. This work is anticipated will take the rest of the summer to complete.

The team working on the rebuild of BV Chinook HC.1 helicopter, ZA717 have also been trying to take advantage of breaks in the weather to secure more of the glazing panels along the helicopters fuselage.

Progress reports on all of these projects will continue throughout the summer.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Museum Trustees complete 101 mile fundraising walk

RAF Museum Trustees 101 mile walk

On Sunday 9 June RAF Museum Trustee Nick Sanders and Museum Ambassador Robin Southwell completed a gruelling 101 mile walk at the RAF Cosford Air Show.

Nick and Robin led the march of over 100 miles to raise money for a bespoke outdoor children’s playground at the Museum site in Cosford. The aviation themed playground will include miniature versions of iconic aircraft and is set to enhance the visitor experience for local families and school groups visiting the Museum.

Crowds gathered at the Cosford Air Show to watch Nick and Robin take their final steps, which led them through a Guard of Honour from local RAF Air Cadets Wales and West Region.

The walkers were finally greeted at the finish line by RAF Cosford Station Commander Group Captain Tone Baker, family, friends and Museum staff, who wished them well. Not ones to keep still, they then joined the RAF Chief of Air Staff for lunch at the Air Show.

The Cosford Museum has seen a 20% increase in visitor numbers on the back of the RAF Centenary year. Now in the 101st year, Museum Trustees undertook the walk to build on that success with their sights firmly set on raising funds for a playground that will engage the Museum’s youngest visitors with the RAF story.

Their journey was incredibly tough with the weather being against them for a large proportion of the walk, but they arrived at Cosford in good spirits with the sun shining, having literally gone the extra mile to kickstart the fundraising for a play area where children can learn and also have fun.

There is still time to support their efforts donate now at:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/RAFMuseum101Walk

The RAF Museum is a registered charity, number 244708.

Nick Sanders of Sutton Coldfield headed up the walk with assistance from other Trustees and VIPs associated with the RAF Museum on the walk between RAF Cranwell near Lincolnshire and the RAF Museum at Cosford in the West Midlands.

The walk of just over 100 miles took-off from RAF Cranwell on Wednesday 5 June and followed a route passing through the east of Nottingham, crossing over the River Soar at Kegworth, through Lockington, Walton on Trent and Coven before a safe landing at the Cosford Air Show on Sunday 9 June.

Nick Sanders, is an aerospace engineer by training and has spent many years turning around struggling industrial businesses.

For more information about the fundraising walk and the RAF Museum, visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Skies the limit for Large Model Air Show

Model Aircraft Rally at Cosford

Date: 6-7 July 2019
Time: Gates open 8.30am
Cost: £8.00 in advance (until 3 July) / £10.00 on the gate

Take-off to the Large Model Air Show at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on the 6-7 July for a weekend packed with spectacular flying displays. Not only will the skies be filled with miniature models of iconic aircraft, there with be plenty of action on the ground to keep families, aviation and modelling enthusiasts alike entertained.

The popular event takes place on the airfield at RAF Cosford and even offers visitors the unique opportunity to camp on the airfield, exclusively for the weekend of the show.

Model aircraft heading to the show have been designed and built by members of the Large Model Association, after years of dedication creating perfect replicas of the real thing. With everything from biplanes to modern jets, these not so mini replicas can take anything from two weeks up to seven years to assemble, reaching speeds of up to 200mph, powered by engines similar to petrol lawn mowers or even miniature jet engines.

This year’s event will kick start the Museum’s ‘Summer of Spitfire’ programme of events and activities and visitors can expect to see a spectacular mass formation Spitfire flypast, followed by the chance to get a closer look at the models in the static display line-up later in the show. Listen out for the unmistakable sound of a real Spitfire as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight treat visitors to a Spitfire and Hurricane flypast on Saturday 6 July. There will be more flying action on the Sunday and those attending the show can look forward to a flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster, an exciting highlight not to be missed! (Flypasts are weather permitting)

Exclusively for the Cosford show will be a flying display from all three V Bombers, the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant flown together by the show organiser and three generations of the same family. The real V Bombers can of course be seen on display in the Museum’s National Cold War Exhibition. (All model aircraft displays are serviceability permitting)

NEW to the show this year will be a ‘Future Pilots Zone’ where youngsters and flying novices can get behind the controls and have a go at flying a scale model aircraft. Children’s fun rides will be on offer all weekend, alongside an assortment of military vehicles and a Rolls Royce car display (Saturday) for visitors to peruse.

The Large Model Air Show promises to be a great day out for modellers and families alike with plenty of exhibitors signed up to showcase some of the latest model kits and aviation accessories. Also NEW to the shows line-up this year will be a large craft tent offering a variety of unique and hand-crafted products.
Keeping visitors fuelled for the day will be a fantastic range of food, a beer tent and plenty of ice cream.

Visitors will have access to the RAF Museum where they can view many of the aircraft flown during the show in full size. A free shuttle bus service will run continuously throughout the day between the airfield and Museum grounds, making getting around the site even easier.

Advanced tickets to the Large Model Air Show cost £8.00 per adult and are now on sale at the Museum or online at www.largemodelassociation.com. Tickets purchased on the gate cost £10 per adult, children under the age of 16 are FREE.

Make the most of the weekend’s flying activities by camping on site, the only opportunity throughout the year where members of the public can enjoy a night under the stars on an active RAF airfield. Camper tickets include entrance to the show both days and your weekend pitch for either a tent or caravan. Prices start from only £40.00 in advance (until 3 July) and any visitors interested in camping should email public-camping@largemodelassociation.com or call 07827 675665 to reserve their pitch.

For further information about the event visit www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Descendants of World War One Aces meet at Aerospace Bristol

Bristol F2B Fighter

Descendants of World War One aces, Canadian Andrew McKeever and Bristolian Leslie Powell, have met for the first time. The two met at Aerospace Bristol, in front of the museum’s replica of the biplane that McKeever and Powell flew with distinction.

McKeever’s great nephew, Ross Thompson, travelled from his home in Canada for the meeting, while Powell’s grand-daughter, Mrs Jan Absolom, has travelled from Berkshire.

The museum’s Bristol F2b Fighter is in the colours of the No. 11 Squadron aircraft in which McKeever and Powell recorded 31 and 19 “kills” respectively in the skies over France, earning national fame and the nicknames of The Hawk and The Gnat.

The Airbus and Rolls-Royce engineers who built the replica Fighter were also there to meet Ross and Jan, and were delighted to have the opportunity to explain how they recreated the WWI aircraft.

Find out more about Aerospace Bristol at www.aerospacebristol.org.

Less than a month until Cockpit-Fest at Newark Air Museum

MiG-23 at Newark Air Museum

Preparations for the 2019 Cockpit-Fest are well underway at Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire. Newark Air Museum is a registered charity located on part of the former site of RAF Winthorpe; its two day Cockpit-Fest event attracts exhibitors from across the UK and Europe to sample what one former-aviation magazine editor calls “grass roots aircraft preservation”.

This will be the twentieth (20th) time that like-minded enthusiasts have displayed their aircraft cockpit sections at the museum. Cockpit-Fest has become a fixture on the aviation calendar and each year attracts many visiting cockpits and associated displays. Cockpit-Fest allows the owners the chance to display their prized exhibits to their fellow enthusiasts and the general public.

At this year’s event a diverse range of aviation will be represented; this includes a range of military jet cockpits including amongst others: Lightning, Harrier, Hunter, Buccaneer and Jet Provost.

For this year’s the museum’s own volunteers are also gearing up to provide the visitors with the opportunity to look inside some of its aircraft. This includes a rare opportunity to view normally inaccessible aircraft like the ex-Russian MiG fighters and the American T-33 trainer. Recent training sessions have been held on these aircraft, thereby allowing a new cohort of volunteers to be able to open these rare aircraft.

Cockpit-Fest 2019 takes place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June; and the event is being staged in a single large area on the museum’s Southfield Site, alongside an Aeroboot / Aerojumble aviation and avionics sale. Here enthusiasts and the public can search out those aviation artefacts, books and models.

The event is supported by a range of organisations and individuals; with the visitors being encouraged to have a say in deciding, which is the best cockpit by voting on their favourite display and from these results, prizes are awarded.

Cockpit-Fest also attracts other visiting displays like local history / military vehicle groups; re-enactors; and even more aviation related displays such as clothing and historical artefacts. As an added bonus this year’s event has a flypast on both days by aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Full details about the events can be found on the Museum Events page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org

Vulcan Refurbishment About To Start

Vulcan XM594

It has been announced by the Newark Air Museum that in early June they will be embarking on another ambitious restoration and repainting project; this time on Avro Vulcan XM594. This work will be carried out with major support of the aircraft’s owners, the Lincolnshire’s Lancaster Association.

As with similar repainting work on the Avro Shackleton, a scaffolding work platform will be used and this will be installed around the tail of the Vulcan. This will allow the de-corroding, rubbing down and repainting of the fin and rudder to be carried out in a safe and efficient manner. It is anticipated that some panel fabrication work may also take place in situ, with work being carried out by a team of museum volunteers.

Whilst the scaffolding is in place investigation work will also take place into the condition of the spine panels on the centre section of the upper fuselage. The aim of this investigation is to assess the scope of any future restoration work that is required on this part of the airframe.

The museum anticipates that the scaffolding structure will be in place throughout the summer and whilst being photogenic it will help with the log-term restoration of the aircraft.
Avro Vulcan XM594 was flown to the former RAF Winthorpe airfield from RAF Waddington on Monday 7th February 1983. At the time XM594 was the only Vulcan aircraft disposed of by the RAF that was flown into a non-licensed airfield.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Trustees kick start playground fundraiser

RAF Museum Trustee Nick Sanders

Date: 5 – 9 June 2019

A Trustee from the Royal Air Force Museum is set to lead a march of over 100 miles to raise money for a bespoke outdoor children’s playground at the Museum site in Cosford. The aviation themed playground will include miniature versions of iconic aircraft and is set to enhance the visitor experience for local families and school groups visiting the Museum.

Cosford has seen a 20% increase in visitor numbers on the back of the RAF Centenary year. Now in the 101st year, Museum Trustees are taking the first steps to build on that success with their sights firmly set on raising funds for a playground that will engage the Museum’s youngest visitors with the RAF story.

Nick Sanders of Sutton Coldfield will be leading other Trustees and VIPs associated with the RAF Museum on the walk between RAF Cranwell near Lincolnshire and the RAF Museum at Cosford in the West Midlands. The 101 mile route is steeped with RAF history and will pass former RAF stations and memorial sites as the Trustees head towards Cosford.

Nick will be joined by his RAF Museum colleagues Alan Coppin of Bourne End and Robin Southwell of Cobham.

The walk of just over 100 miles will take-off from RAF Cranwell at 9am on Wednesday 5 June and will follow a route passing through the east of Nottingham, crossing over the River Soar at Kegworth, through Lockington, Walton on Trent and Coven before a safe landing at the Cosford Air Show at 11am on Sunday 9 June.

Nick Sanders, is an aerospace engineer by training and has spent many years turning around struggling industrial businesses.

Nick Sanders, Trustee of the Royal Air Force Museum said:
“Alan, Robin and I are looking forward to the RAF Museum 101 Walk. It is fair to say that none of us are in the first flush of youth but we have been training hard to make sure we are good shape for the hard miles ahead. We are raising money to build a children’s play area at the RAF Museum in Cosford so that there is something for all ages and interests to get involved with when they visit. The new playground at Cosford will provide a fantastic space for families to spend time with their children.”

To sponsor visit the donate page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/RAFMuseum101Walk or for more information about the fundraising walk and the RAF Museum, visit www.rafmuseum.org. The RAF Museum is a registered charity, number 244708.

Nostalgic family fun planned for Armed Forces Weekend

Armed Forces Weekend at Cosford

Date: 29-30 June 2019 / Time: 10am-5pm / Cost: FREE

Join in the Armed Forces Day celebrations at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on 29 and 30 June, with a weekend packed full of nostalgic activities for the whole family to enjoy!

The ‘Armed Forces Weekend’ will see re-enactors, living historians and a variety of activities bring the Museum to life with authentic experiences nestled amongst the historical aircraft on display. Period settings and performances throughout the hangars will showcase decades of military history in a fun engaging way! Families can look forward to engine demonstrations, military and civilian vintage vehicles, a close look inside several cockpits, plus plenty of activities for children to participate in as they work their way around the Museum.

WHAT’S ON over the Armed Forces Weekend:
• Learn how the plotting table played a vital role in the pilots flying missions
• Join a Vulcan pilot and his team preparing to scramble under the wings of the real aircraft
• View the airships display and find out more about their use during the First World War
• Find out how sea mines were recovered and detonated, or in some cases not, during special talks
• Take a closer look inside the cockpit of the world’s oldest Spitfire and enjoy a rare view of the photo reconnaissance Spitfire PR. XIX
• Walk amongst the Second World War tents, meet members from Women’s Voluntary Service and take part in rifle and bayonet drills
• See a range of military and civilian vehicles on display
• Climb inside the Hunter and Phantom cockpit and experience what it was like to fly these aircraft
• Meet the pilot and find out more about the Japanese Kawasaki Ki-1001b
• Watch as RAF Bomber Command ground crew prepare themselves for a mission, including the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
• Watch Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk500 and Bristol Hercules Mk216 demonstrations
• Dress up in RAF attire and grab some props from the Museum’s handling collection and take photos as a memento of your day
• Families can enjoy decorating their own Armed Forces flag to take home
• The Museum’s restaurant will be serving a selection of Armed Forces treats all weekend

An exciting highlight over the weekend will be the ‘Greyhounds’ play performed by Time & Again Theatre Company on Saturday 29 June. Set in 1941 in the fictional village of Shuttlefield; whilst the country is in the grips of the Second World War, the hapless residents are preparing to perform Shakespeare’s Henry V to raise money for their local Spitfire fund. Performances will run at 11.00am and 3.00pm and tickets are available at rafmuseum.org/cosford for just £5 per person. Following their performance, the cast will be available to answer questions and pose for photos next to the world’s oldest Spitfire.

RAF Museum Public Events Executive, Nathan Davis said:
“Armed Forces Weekend is an opportunity to reflect and pay tribute to our heroes past and present, including current serving personnel, service families, veterans and cadets. On the 29 and 30 June, we will be celebrating the contributions made by our Armed Forces, spanning over 100 years of history with everything from re-enactments and a play to vehicle displays and engine demonstrations. The event is very much family focussed and there will be plenty to do for all ages.”

Following its preview at the Cosford Air Show, Armed Forces Weekend will be the first opportunity for visitors to try out the new Virtual Reality Lounge and experience the thrill of flying a Spitfire! The Spitfire 360° is a brand-new experience developed by the RAF Museum which puts the visitor in the cockpit and 10,000 feet in the air to enjoy a fully interactive panoramic view around them. The 6-minute flight includes an insight in how the pilot handles the controls during engine start, taxi, take off and a circuit of the airfield with low passes, swoops, banks and a loop-de-loop, before landing and taxiing into the hangar. This experience costs £5 per person and is suitable for visitors aged 13+.

The Museum’s RAF Stories team will also be available over Armed Forces Weekend to speak with anyone wishing to share stories of their personal connections to the RAF and the service’s influences on their lives. RAF Stories is a digital online collection, accessible globally by anyone wishing to share and explore engaging, historical and contemporary stories relating to the RAF. Look out for the team in the National Cold War Exhibition if you have a story to share!

The ‘Armed Forces Weekend’ will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June 2019. On arrival, make sure to pick up your free handy site map to help guide you round the Museum and ensure you don’t miss out on any of the displays! The Museum will also be operating a free shuttle bus service from Cosford train station for any visitors travelling by train or using the park and ride and will run continuously throughout the day. For more information about the event visit www.rafmuseum.org/cosford. Vehicles and re-enactment groups subject to change.

Rare Reconnaissance Spitfire joins Air Show line-up!

Spitfire PR-XIX at RAF Cosford Air Show

A collection of aircraft from the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, including a rare reconnaissance Spitfire, will be joining the line-up in a static display at the RAF Cosford Air Show on Sunday 9 June 2019.

The Supermarine Spitfire Photo Reconnaissance PR. XIX PM651 will be the centre of a Museum display in the Air Show’s popular Vintage Village which transports visitors back to the 1940s. Visitors to the Museum’s stand, themed ‘Summer of Spitfire’, will be amongst the first to get up close to the last of the specialised photo reconnaissance Spitfires, for a view inside the cockpit. This exclusive access to Britain’s most iconic aircraft is guaranteed to prove popular with families attending the one day show which attracts in excess of 50,000 visitors each year.

The much more modern PR. XIX has a number of stark differences to the Mk1 on display at the Museum, fitted with the Griffon engine as opposed to the Merlin engine used in earlier models and was notably faster than its predecessor. The PR. XIX had extra fuel tanks in place of the machine guns, a retractable tail wheel making its profile more streamlined, and a pressurised cabin critical for the high-altitude reconnaissance flights.

RAF Museum Curator, Tom Hopkins, said:
“The Spitfire has only once made a brief appearance at Cosford, back in 2011, but regularly travels overseas to Kuwait, UAE and Bahrain for display at the British Embassy amongst other prestigious locations. Following its appearance at the Air Show the PR. XIX Spitfire will be displayed alongside the world’s oldest Spitfire, a Mk1 in the Museum’s War in the Air hangar as part of the Summer of Spitfire programme of events and activities. The two aircraft side by side will illustrate the diverse roles in which the Spitfire served, ranging from a fighter interceptor to high altitude photographic reconnaissance.”

Other Museum aircraft confirmed for the shows ground displays include the Gloster Gladiator 1, Harrier GR3, de Havilland Devon, Percival Provost T1 and the Hunting Percival Pembroke C1. The aircraft will be rolled out of the Museum’s Hangar’s especially for the weekend, providing aviation fans and photographers the perfect opportunity to capture stand-alone photos.

RAF Museum Public Relations Executive, Michelle Worthington said:
“An exciting new addition being previewed on the 9 June is a Spitfire Virtual Reality Experience which gives visitors the thrill of flying in a Spitfire! Those attending the Air Show will have an exclusive first look at this brand-new experience which puts the visitor in the cockpit and 10,000 feet in the air. Once you’re wearing the VR goggles you can enjoy a fully interactive panoramic view of a real Spitfire flight. We will also be offering families visiting our stand free Spitfire themed face painting throughout the day, as well as the opportunity to try on uniforms and hats from the Second World War handling collection.”

A fantastic Spitfire merchandise range including many exclusive items will be available to purchase from the Museum’s Spitfire Shop on the airfield. The Spitfire range includes clothing, jewellery, models, prints, toys, books and homeware to name but a few, plus a NEW Swift collection, an exclusive range designed for the RAF Museum inspired by the Swift featured on the tail fin of the World’s oldest Spitfire.

In addition to the Summer of Spitfire stand and aircraft displays, the Museum’s Access and Learning team will be running workshops in the Whittle Innovation Hub, situated on the airfield. Families can enjoy some hands-on fun and take part in rocket car activities during free drop-in sessions, just one of the many STEM themed activities running throughout the day within the hub.

Tickets for the RAF Cosford Air Show are advanced sale only and cost £29 per person with free entry for accompanied under 16s. Tickets will not be available to purchase on the gate so to avoid disappointment, visit the show’s website cosfordairshow.co.uk and book online. Tickets are also available to purchase in advance from the Museum.

To view the Spitfire PR. XIX and to experience the Spitfire 360° virtual reality, head to the Museum’s Summer of Spitfire stand at the Air Show on the 9 June. For more details on the packed Summer of Spitfire programme of events and activities and to book tickets visit: www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

The Museum is open daily from 10.00am until 5.00pm, entry is free.

Repainting Updates – Newark Air Museum

Heron at Newark Air Museum

With the advent of the better weather the pace of work on three aircraft repainting projects has stepped up a gear at the Newark Air Museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire.

Over the winter period as and when conditions have allowed paint stripping and de-corrosion work on de Havilland Heron 1.B G-ANXB has been progressing on a steady basis. Work has now just started on the application of primer paint to the upper wing surfaces and parts of the fuselage. Heron G-ANXB will eventually be repainted in the BEA Scottish Division markings it wore whilst serving as an air ambulance in the western Isles of Scotland.

Elsewhere on site, new painting teams have now also started work on the Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.14 WS739 night fighter aircraft and on the Avro Ashton fuselage from the WB491 flying test-bed aircraft. Both projects will be completed in parallel with various other restoration projects around the museum site.

Following detailed conservation studies on Avro Vulcan B.2 XM594 and some significant internal restoration work in the cockpit and bomb-bay areas of the airframe; planning is now in an advanced stage for some external restoration work on the aircraft. In the coming weeks a scaffolding structure will be erected around the tail fin, which will allow restoration work to be undertaken in a safe manner by another dedicated team of museum volunteers.

Progress reports on all of these projects will continue throughout the summer.

www.newarkairmuseum.org