Newark Air Museum – Page 14

Cockpit-Fest 2015 Late Update

TSR2 cockpit

With less than a week to go the staff and volunteers at Newark Air Museum have received a last minute boost in relation to the 2015 Cockpit-Fest event, which takes place on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th June 2015.

The museum trustees are delighted to confirm that the TSR2 cockpit, which is currently on loan at the museum from the Brooklands Museum at Weybridge in Surrey, will now be on display at Cockpit-Fest.

The cockpit, which was originally displayed at the TSR2 anniversary event in autumn 2014 will be uncovered and will be available for external viewing on both Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June.

This will be a unique opportunity for visitors to see the TSR2 cockpit at Cockpit-Fest and we hope that you will take advantage of it being on display.

In Damien Burke’s excellent TSR2 book, the cockpit is described as follows: “Test forebody T5 …” and that it was “….Rescued from the Farnborough dump in 1992.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Cockpit-Fest at Newark Air Museum Coming Soon

Newark Air Museum

Preparations for this year’s 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”.

At this year’s event nearly 100 years of aviation will be represented. This is thanks to a fantastic new cockpit build project that is being displayed for the first time. The project that has got everyone talking is an accurate fabrication of a famous British biplane fighter from World War I, a Sopwith Camel, which is being displayed complete with a period-instrument panel.

This Sopwith Camel cockpit project joins more than twenty (20) other cockpits from across the history of aviation and includes other notable items such as the evocative Spitfire P9451 cockpit project; a de Havilland Hornet cockpit; and a Harrier AV8B cockpit.

From its humble beginnings, when a few like-minded enthusiasts first displayed one or two aircraft cockpit sections at the museum; Cockpit-Fest now regularly attracts, many more visiting cockpits and associated displays. Cockpit-Fest allows the owners the chance to display their prized exhibits to their fellow enthusiast and the general public.

This year’s event takes place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June; and has an international aspect to it, with visitors from Denmark and Belgium already booked in as visitors. We also have a Belgian seller booked in at the Aeroboot aviation and avionics sale that runs alongside Cockpit-Fest. 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 the Raptor Foundation with its owls; local history / archaeological groups; military re-enactors; book launches; and even more aviation related displays such as clothing and historical artefacts. As an added bonus this year’s event has a flypast by a Hurricane fighter on the Sunday.

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

Planning Permission Granted for Museum Project

Newark Air Museum

The trustees of Newark Air Museum are pleased to advise that official notification has been received from Newark & Sherwood District Council, granting Full Planning Permission for the new Education Room, Café & Toilet facility.

Full Planning Permission represents a huge boost to the museum’s plan to construct this important new visitor facility on its Southfield Site. Over the coming weeks the museum will be working with its project architect, Studio G Architecture LLP (SGA LLP) of Collingham, Notts to discharge the five planning conditions that were applied to the Full Planning Approval.

The aim of this work with SGA LLP will be to have a strategy in place to tie in with the outcome of one of the grant applications connected to the project, which should be known towards the end of March 2015.

It is now even more important than ever that the museum steps-up its fund raising activities to support this project. Online contributions can be made via a Just Giving page for the project https://www.justgiving.com/Howard-Heeley2

The wider fund raising appeal still allows project supporters to make a donation towards a Photographic Panini, which will carry their name and brief message. These Photographic Paninis are being displayed in the current museum café; they will then being incorporated into a presentation folder that will be displayed in the new education / café building when it is completed.

Perhaps the simplest way people can support the project is just by visiting the museum and we encourage people to do this by using the Gift Aid admission scheme. This enables the museum to reclaim fund from HMRC, which can give a huge boost to the project.

Regular updates about the project will be posted on the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org

Monospar Update 2015

Newark Air Museum Monospar

In recent weeks good progress has been made on applying the polyester fabric to the complex latticework structure of the starboard wing of General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH at Newark Air Museum.

The work is being undertaken in the museum’s on-site workshop by museum members who developed their fabric application techniques on the project during 2014.

The innovative yet complex structure of the Monospar wing can be seen through the recently applied fabric and by looking inside the covered wing. As the warmer weather approaches the work will be progressed and a top coat of paint applied.

As previously reported some work is still to be completed on the ‘top hat’ longerons on the Monospar fuselage, but once this has been undertaken the fuselage fabric will also be applied.

All of the rebuild work on the General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH at Newark Air Museum is being without any working drawings or airframe plans.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Newark Air Museum Events for 2015

Newark Air Museum Victory Day

Here at Newark Air Museum, a registered charity, we’re already starting to make plans for our 2015 special events and we hope that you may be able to join us…

7 March 2015 – Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Table Top Sale 48 sellers tables all hosted inside Display Hangar 2 amongst the aircraft at the museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire. {Special discount admission rates apply, open to everyone to attend.}

16 & 17 May 2015 – Tribute to our Training Aircraft an open cockpit style event based around the museum’s extensive display of training aircraft, cockpits and CIMs; with viewing opportunities and in some cases aircraft access. {Normal admission rates apply; and small additional fees when going inside aircraft.}

13 & 14 June 2015 – Cockpit-Fest 2015 & Aeroboot / Aerojumble; this regular two day event provides the perfect opportunity for the public to view a diverse range of visiting aircraft cockpits. {Normal admission rates apply}

25 & 26 July 2015 – Victory Days 2015; this weekend will include 40’s attractions such as the Anderson Shelter and Dig for Victory Garden experience, music, re-enactors, period traders, Tea Tent, period food, vintage civilian / military vehicles, and displays of period clothing and other items; all set amidst the museum’s aircraft collection. A flypast from the BBMF has been applied for. Anyone visiting is encouraged to wear period clothing but no Axis uniforms will be allowed as this is a Home Front event. {Normal admission rates apply}

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Monospar Autumn Update 2014

Newark Air Museum Monospar

Following the successful application of polyester fabric to the inner wing sections of the General Aircraft Monospar airframe during the summer, work is about to proceed with the more complex wing sections.

The starboard wing has just been moved into the museum’s on-site workshop and an epoxy primer coating is being applied to the complex lattice work structure of the wing. After this has cured the complex task of applying the fabric will commence, this work will be undertaken by the members who developed their fabric application techniques earlier in the year.

Sufficient fabric and associated materials have now been ordered to allow both the Monospar airframe and the Auster AOP9 fuselage to have fabric applied. Some work is still to be completed on the ‘top hat’ longerons on the Monospar fuselage, but once this has been undertaken the fuselage fabric will also be applied.

All of the rebuild work on the General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH at Newark Air Museum is being without any working drawings or airframe plans.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Dominie moves undercover

Dominie at Newark Air Museum

After a relatively straightforward reassembly process, which took just over six weeks Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 XS726 has now been moved to its new display location inside Display Hangar 2 at Newark Air Museum. Work will now be completed on ‘panelling-up’ up the airframe and returning it to full-display condition.

This carefully co-ordinated move took place on Wednesday 12th November 2014 and it involved a lot of hard work and careful manoeuvring by the Restoration Manager and a team of volunteers. It has involved the Fairey Gannet moving outside on a permeant basis and the brief move outside of the museum’s Folland Gnat trainer, this has now been moved back into Display Hangar 2.

The Dominie was moved to Newark Air Museum in September 2014 having been acquired thanks to the generosity of two long-standing museum members, Mike and Kathy Smith, and placed on long-term loan with the museum.

By moving Dominie T1 XS726 undercover it becomes the first example of this RAF training type to be displayed undercover in the UK. In Display Hangar 2 it is now displayed alongside several other training airframes, like the Varsity, Jetstream, Bulldog, Gnat, Chipmunk and Jet Provost. XS726 is expected to retain its current training scheme markings and retains its original in-service configuration.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Winthorpe book published

RAF Winthorpe book

During World War Two Royal Air Force Winthorpe was a major RAF station providing vital training for aircrews destined for No.5 Group bomber squadrons operating in Lincolnshire. A new book is now available about the station in Nottinghamshire, which was located close to the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire county border.After several years of detailed research, Colin Savill BA (Hons) has written a new history of RAF Winthorpe. The book has just been published by the Newark (Notts & Lincs) Air Museum, which is located on part of the former RAF Winthorpe airfield site.

The book is entitled RAF Winthorpe – The Story of an Airfield 1939 – 1959 and it is the story of RAF Winthorpe from its beginnings to its demise as an RAF station.

The book (ISBN 978-0-9500341-6-4) is in a softback format; 216 pages (paper weight: 130gsm); with circa 120 black & white photographs and illustrations; and it includes a Foreword by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford KCB CBE ADC RAF.

Copies of the book are now available to purchase from the Museum Shop and they cost £15.00 each. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy can visit the museum between 10am and 4pm daily and you do not need to pay a museum admission fee if you just wish to shop. Copies are also available by mail order – please check for rates; telephone 01636 707170.

A book signing event will take place in the Museum Shop on Saturday 15th November 2014, between 10am and 3pm when Colin will be on hand to sign copies of the book and to discuss aspects of his research.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Dominie finally acquired for Newark Air Museum

Newark Air Musuem Dominie delivery

After a short set of negotiations the Newark Air Museum has completed the purchase of Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 XS726 from Everett Aero of Sproughton, Suffolk. Funding for the acquisition has been provided thanks to the generosity of two long-standing museum members, Mike and Kathy Smith.

On Wednesday 24th September 2014 the airframe was delivered to the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, which is close to the border with Lincolnshire by a team from Everett Aero. As part of the purchase agreement the wings were refitted to the aircraft by the Everett Aero personnel.

The Dominie fills an important gap in the museum’s themed display of training aircraft. The type was used to teach the skills of systems management, air leadership, decision making and teamwork to various aircrew members including: weapon systems officers and operators, air engineers and air loadmasters.

Dominie’s were retired from RAF service in early 2011 and at that time the museum was unsuccessful in an attempt to purchase one of the airframes that had been operating from nearby RAF Cranwell. The acquisition of Dominie T1 XS726 fulfils this aim and is in line with one aim of the museum’s stated Collecting Policy of acquiring:

“Aircraft used in a Training role.”

The airframe retains its original configuration and is essentially complete. Once reassembled by the museum staff and volunteers XS726 will eventually be moved inside Hangar 2 at the museum. Here it will be displayed alongside several other training airframes, like the Varsity, Jetstream, Bulldog, Gnat and Jet Provost. XS726 is expected to retain its current training scheme markings.

Dominie T1 XS726 was delivered to the RAF on 25th October 1965 and served at RAF Cranwell and with both 3 and 6FTS. Its final training role was as an instructional airframe (9273M) at RAF Cosford and it was delivered there on 24 June 1997. XS726 was moved to Sproughton in 2007.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Lancaster Corner Redisplay at Newark Air Museum

Newark Air Museum Lanc Corner

Work is nearing completion on the redisplay of the Lancaster Corner display area at Newark Air Museum, which is located on part of the former RAF Winthorpe airfield in Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire.

The major part of this work has seen the fuselage section of IX(B) Squadron Lancaster W4964 WS-J lifted off the ground and turned into a new display position, which allows improved views of both sides of the exhibit.

This particular fuselage section was donated to Newark in 1974. Its ends had been boarded up and it had been used as a workman’s hut for a road repair team and also as a garden shed. W4964 flew 106 Ops and its 100th Op was a ‘Tallboy Op’ on the Tirpitz battleship in Alten Fjord, Norway. It carried the nose art of the ‘Johnnie Walker’ whiskey company and the exhibit still wears its original wartime paintwork and squadron codes.

Other exhibits in this area of Hangar 1 include: a 619 Squadron ME846 Lancaster display; an UPKEEP Mine (Bouncing Bomb); various 617 Squadron artefacts; Lancaster wing-tip from Lancaster R5726; and various turrets.