Better than anticipated weather conditions during the autumn months have enabled the volunteers at Newark Air Museum to complete the repaint work on their MiG-23.
This extensive repaint work has seen the application of a new set of markings to the MiG-23, which along with the MiG-27 was taken off site back in 2019 for use in the filming of the Marvel movie, ‘Black Widow.
The completion of the MiG-23 repaint has ensured that both aircraft have now been returned to a good display standard.
A new self-published book by Newark Air Museum trustee, and part time author, Colin Savill, is now on sale from the Air Museum Shop.
With a foreword by the esteemed author Mr Ken Ellis and listing all the RFC and RAF units that were based in over thirty places in the county the book is the story of Nottinghamshire’s part in the story of the Royal Air Force and its predecessor.
For over a hundred years from the days of the Royal Flying Corps of World War One through the formation of the Royal Air Force, its 1930s pre-war expansion and World War Two, the Cold War and into the 21st Century the county has played its part in the story of the Royal Air Force. Not all places were airfields but are integral to the story.
The defence of the country especially in World War One, the air offensive by Bomber Command and the USA’s part in D-Day and Operation Market Garden in World War Two were, in part, events that took place from RAF bases in Nottinghamshire. Training of both air and ground personnel began at places in the county during World War One and continued into the 1990s.
Many of these places have now disappeared to be replaced by housing, industry or returned to agriculture, some have left traces of their existence that can still be found but sadly many have not. One or two still have aircraft flying from them but only one remains as an RAF station.
Men and women of the air forces of the British Isles, Empire and Commonwealth, USA, Poland and other nations have all trod the soil of the county; some still remain in the more than 70 Commonwealth War Graves sites, churchyards and cemeteries; many names are recorded on memorials to individual aircraft crashes within the county.
The book ISBN: 978-1-9996353-2-9 costs £12.00 and copies can be purchased from the Newark Air Museum Shop; which is open 10am until 3.40pm each day in the run up to Christmas. Please note that the Museum and Shop will be closed on December 24th, 25th & 26th plus January 1st.
It’s time to celebrate. While everyone around us is going Black Friday mad, we’ve got something far more exciting to announce. Our official RIAT merchandise store is now open and our exclusive RIAT Christmas jumper is ready to order and will be dispatched from Thursday 5th December.
So don’t delay, order yours now and make someone’s Christmas Day, or why not just treat yourself?
There’s something here for all the family. Browse our range of women’s, children’s and men’s wear, and find something special for the aviation enthusiast or future pilot and spark excitement for the skies.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – Direct from the UK – DEC. 14, 2023 Major Donation from the RAF Museum to the Bomber Command Museum of Canada ”Halifax Project”
As your Curator and Halifax Project Manager we are searching worldwide to recover and restore a Halifax heavy bomber for our national memorial museum, BCMC, in Nanton, Alberta.
It is my pleasure to now announce a great donation by the Royal Air Force Museum – a right-hand Hastings outer wing panel – which is the same design as the Halifax outer wing panels except for the aileron attachment points.
After weeks and months of negotiations between BCMC and the RAF Museum – handled in the main by Harry Raffal – Head of Collections and myself as Halifax Project Manager, this ”new” wing section is a great donation to our project and a BIG leap forward in our progress.
Time constraints were tight just before Christmas but thanks to Harry and his team today we were able to bring this wing out of long-term storage at Cosford and transport it to Thirsk, Yorkshire – all thanks to our crane team and our sponsoring transport company ”POTTER PLANT HIRE” and president Giles.
How do you extract a 25 foot wing weighing 1,900 pounds from a big RAF storage hangar, —- with expert help and very carefully. Well done lads.
Today was that exciting day as we lifted – loaded – transported this SECOND 25 foot wing for our Halifax Project from RAF Museum Midlands in Cosford to the storage facility of Patrick Smart at Maddison 4X4 in Thirsk, UK.
At Patrick’s shop we will build the steel shipping cradle needed to hold this RIGHT wing, as the LEFT wing is already prepared in its cradle.
WHY the steel cradles for BOTH of these wings — over 50 feet of outer wing for our Halifax — because the RCAF will be airlifting these 2 wing panels direct from the UK to RCAF TRENTON, Ontario in the weeks ahead.
From there the wings will be going to our Halifax rebuildshop in Arnprior, Ontario – see the Facebook page called ”REBUILDSHOP” to see all of our Halifax rebuild magic performed by KNOX TECH — https://www.facebook.com/rebuildshopKT
See the photos and video of working on this little darling addition today, coming to Canada soon.
Our sincere thanks again to the RAF Museum and their great team for donating this treasure to us for the Halifax.
This is a great example of museums helping museums while sharing and saving our aviation history together.
regards, Karl – Curator
We promised you a special announcement this month, and here it is…
We’re pleased to announce our first confirmed aircraft for RIAT 2024, in the shape of the McDonnell Douglas CF-188A Hornet from the Royal Canadian Air Force!
The display will be part of our celebrations of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Centennial at RIAT 2024. This will also include a themed static display area on the showground itself.
Regular weekly announcements won’t start up properly until next year, but you can check out more on our Canadian Centennial theme on our website here.
Be sure to secure your place at this year’s show, treat yourself and the family this Christmas with some tickets to RIAT.
Packed full of firm favourites and some brand-new events, Brooklands Museum’s programme is set to provide many memorable days out throughout the year for all ages.
Our ever-popular New Year’s Day Classic Gathering kick-starts the season, the first of three Classic Gatherings in 2024. The second is the recently established Easter Classic Gathering on 30 March and later the Summer Classic Gathering & Autojumble on 28 July, where enthusiasts can grab a bargain amongst the large array of trade stands.
Vintage and veteran motoring fans will be able to enjoy watching competitors tackle complicated courses in the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s annual Driving Tests taking place on 28 January. Later, the Brooklands’ Double 12 weekend will see the Mercedes-Benz World track packed with action on 15 June, and then step back in time to Brooklands’ hey-day, with Brooklands Double 12 Relived on 16 June. Featuring Driving Tests on the Finishing Straight, Pride of Brooklands Concours and Test Hill ascents, alongside vintage themed music, costume and food, the spirit of Brooklands will be well and truly reignited.
There will also be plenty of celebration events this year including the Brooklands Sunbeam 100 on 17 March, to celebrate the centenary of the Sunbeam Motorcycle Club, where all pre 1940s motorcycles will be welcomed to join in the spectacle. 60 Years of Ford Mustang will be held on 20 April which would also welcome all American vehicles and the MG Centenary will be on 19 May.
As always, Brooklands Museum will be celebrating the best of manufacturing from around the world as it hosts event days for specific nation’s marques with key favourites Italian Car Day on 4 May and American Day on 1 September. Following successful events last year French Day will be returning on 11 August and German Day will be on 29 September. See the site filled with amazing marques, complimented with busy trade and food stands along with entertainment to make for a fun day out with friends and families alike.
Our younger fans will be in for a treat with Paddington Bear making special guest appearances at Best of British on 27 May, which will combine the best of British manufacturing alongside traditional British family entertainment. Following Working Vehicles Day’s inaugural event last year, where the site was filled with working machines such as tractors, mobile cranes, airfield vehicles and more, the beloved children’s character Bluey will be joining us for special guest appearances on 20 July. And not forgetting the yearly favourite Emergency Services Day on 15 September, giving everyone a chance to thank the everyday heroes of our country, with PAW Patrol’s Skye, Chase and Marshall coming back to say hello.
All the usual favourites including Mini Day on 24 March, Motorcycle Day on 7 July and Autumn Motorsport Day 13 October are in the diary alongside London Bus Museum’s three popular events – Spring Gathering, 14 April, Summer Festival, 23 June and Transportfest, 20 October.
Explore the full calendar to see all the other events that will be taking place including fly ins, talks and club meets, and enjoy all the fun activities on offer during the school holidays for families to enjoy.
Furthermore, we are excited to announce we are reducing our child ticket in the New Year to under £10 when booked in advance. Or there’s our amazing value membership where you can enjoy unlimited admission all year round including our large list of events. Plus, there are a range of benefits including a bi-monthly magazine and discounts on member talks to name a few, and as a registered charity and protected heritage site, a Brooklands membership goes a long way in helping preserve the original home of British motorsport and aviation.
Plan your 2024 calendar and fill it with fantastic memories at Brooklands.
Following several recent bequests and donations of aviation books the Newark Air Museum has decided to host a special Autumn Aviation Book Sale on Saturday 16th December 2023 from 10.30am until 2.30pm in the Volunteer Crewroom at the main museum site.
The museum regularly receives offers of donations; however, that lack of appropriate storage space means that not all ‘donations’ can be automatically accepted. When they are accepted, it is on the basis that books that duplicate anything already held in the collection can be sold to raise funds, with the item that is in a better condition being the one that is retained.
There are over 200 books that will be available for sale and these have all been accepted on the conditions mentioned above. ALL items will be sold as seen and the museum is unable to arrange for any mail order despatch of these items, or provide detailed lists of what is available. Cash sales are preferred for this Pre-Owned Aviation Book Sale.
There will be no admission fee due for people just wanting to view and purchase books. Normal museum admission fees will need to be paid for anyone wishing to view our displays, and visit the café. There are toilet facilities in the Volunteer Crewroom and shoppers are welcome to visit the Museum Shop on the usual basis.
Hurry up… not long left to grab 15% off enclosures ?
On the 2nd January ’24, our 15% discount offers will end on ALL enclosures.
Aviation Club – already SOLD OUT Saturday
First Class Lounge also SOLD OUT Saturday and Sunday fast on its heels
Cotswold Club – almost gone ?
Why not secure a bird’s eye view of aircraft taking off, whilst relaxing in a vibrant atmosphere in one of our grandstands? Or enjoy the café style ambiance of our newest enclosure ‘The Wingtip Garden’.
RIAT24 will return on 19th, 20th and 21st July. For more information on our hospitality packages click here. See you at RIAT 24.
On 22 December 2022 Airscene had the chance to preview the new exhibition at the Cambridgeshire branch of the Imperial War Museum. Following on from the success of last year’s popular display of 12 Supermarine Spitfires, this year, the famous Duxford Aerodrome is playing host to a unique collection of Hawker Hurricanes, the unsung hero of the Battle of Britain. The exhibition brings together seven unique and airworthy examples of the Hurricane alongside examples of the Hawker Fury, Nimrod and Hart biplanes – all of which provided the blueprint for the monoplane Hurricane.
During the Battle of Britain, Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires consistently by two to one. Designed by Sydney Camm, the chief designer at Hawker Aircraft Ltd, the Hurricane would prove to be the workhorse of Fighter Command. With the dawn of the 1930s, the Air Ministry decided to issue a specification for a new high-speed monoplane fighter. These new fighters would require the capability to fly at 250mph while armed with four machine guns. Camm initially presented two designs to the Air Ministry, but both were rejected due to their cautious approach. Undeterred, and without any government backing, he decided to pursue his designs further. The result was the ‘Fury’ monoplane, a development of Camm’s earlier Fury biplane.
The Fury monoplane was ready for flight when the Air Ministry released a revised specification for the new fighters. They would now need to carry eight machine guns instead of four. Rather than allow for a complete overhaul, Camm simply fitted a new pair of wings capable of carrying the extra weight. The Hurricane was born. Despite the hundreds of hours invested in its design, the Hurricane retained many features of its biplane forefathers. It had a wooden frame constructed around a wire-based framework of metal tubes. Over this was stretched fabric, painted thickly with lacquer to stiffen, and protect it.
This marriage of old and new was ingenious. The Hurricane was economic, easy to produce and easy to maintain. Its fabric and wooden frame was less susceptible to enemy cannon fire than all-metal constructions. Shells would simply pass through instead of exploding on impact. Moreover, the Hurricane was easy to repair. RAF mechanics were already well trained in how to service aircraft of its more old-fashioned construction. By contrast, the stressed-metal construction of the Spitfire required skilled training.
The Hurricane was also extremely effective in battle. Its eight guns were fixed as two groups of four as close as possible to the fuselage. This made it perfectly suited to tackling the waves of German bombers it would soon be faced with. The first protype, K5083, flew at Brooklands on 6 November 1935. It was piloted by George Bulman, Hawker’s chief test pilot. Bulman was impressed by how easy the aircraft was to fly. Seven months later, the RAF placed an initial order for 600 Hurricanes. The most numerous RAF fighter during the Battle of Britain, the Hurricane equipped 33 squadrons by September 1940.
During the battle, Hurricanes accounted for 656 German aircraft shot down – more than the Spitfire’s total of 529. Between 30 July and 16 September 1940, 404 Hurricanes were destroyed.
The exhibition features four Mk I Hurricanes (P3717, V497, P2902, R4118), a Mk IIa Hurricane (5711, marked as R4175) and a Mk IIb Hurricane (1374, painted as BE505). The later of which has recently been fitted out as a two-seater and can be booked for passenger flights. The Shuttleworth Collections Sea Hurricane (Z7015) will join the collection in the new year once maintenance is complete. Alongside the Hurricanes you can also see Hawker Fury Mk I (K5674) and the unrestored airframe of a Hawker Hind (L7181). You can also see the Imperial War Museums own Mk Ia Spitfire offering a comparison between the two iconic fighters. Currently, a Hawker Nimrod is filling the space that will eventually be occupied by the Sea Hurricane.
To learn more, visit Hurricane: Unsung Hero, opening 27 December 2022 at IWM Duxford. Also, look out for several celebratory events around the exhibition, including a day with Airfix on 15 January, an evening photoshoot on 4th February and a full day of Hurricane history for the Hurricane Conference on 18 February. Check out the Imperial War museums website for further details;
https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/Hurricane-unsung-hero
The RAF Museum is delighted to announce that we have been granted the Royal Charter in our 50th birthday year.
On Monday 12th December, the Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Barnet, Martin Russell and the RAF Museum Chair, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, formally unveiled our Royal Charter, which is now on public display in our newly refurbished entrance to our Hangar 3 entrance at London.
The Royal Charter was granted by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who also officially opened the Museum in 1972.
Maggie Appleton, Chief Executive Officer, RAF Museum said:
‘It is a great honour to have been granted a Royal Charter by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. All the Museum team – Trustees, staff and volunteers – are incredibly grateful for this recognition. We are inspired even further to fulfil our dual role as a National Museum and community resource and partner, collecting and sharing globally significant stories for and with everyone.’
What is a Royal Charter?
A Royal Charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch which confers an independent legal personality on an organisation and defines its objectives, constitution and powers to govern its own affairs. Incorporation by Charter is a prestigious way of acquiring legal personality and reflects the high status of that body.
Only pre-eminent leaders in their field are granted this honour and Charter status provides an appropriate governance structure for the future and is an affirmation of the national importance of the Museum.
According to the Privy Council there are now over one thousand Royal chartered bodies. The first ever organisation to receive a Royal Charter was the Weavers Company in 1155. This year, the RAF Museum became the 1,038th company to receive their charter. Other famous fellow chartered bodies include the BBC, the British Red Cross and the Honourable Company of Air Pilots.
How did the Museum receive the Royal Charter?
The Royal Charter was granted to the Museum in recognition of its objectives to educate and inform the public and members of the RAF about the history and traditions of the RAF; and
the role of the RAF in relation to the armed forces of the realm, other air forces and aviation.
Applications for a Royal Charter take the form of a formal Petition to The Sovereign in Council. The Museum’s own petition included signatures from five previous RAF Chiefs of Air Staff
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns (1997-2000); Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy (2006-2009); Air Chief Marshal Sir Andy Pulford (2013 – 2016); Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier (2016-2019) and Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston – Chief of the Air Staff incumbent.
Original support was given by the Museum’s former Royal Patron, His Late Royal Highness Prince Philip.
