Tag: Newark Air Museum

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.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

World War One displays opened

WW1 models Newark Air Museum

After months of planning and preparation two new displays at Newark Air Museum are now open for public viewing to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of World War I.A new display area in Hangar 1 has recently been completed to house some of the larger objects, which have recently been moved out of storage in the museum’s archive. The area chosen for this display is behind the Tiger Moth biplane and close to the General aircraft Monospar restoration project.

The Hangar 1 display features various wooden propellers, from a variety of World War One aircraft types including: Sopwith Dolphin, FE.2b, RE.8, Airco DH.9A, Avro 504k and SE.5a. In addition to the Palmer Cord aircraft tyres to display also incorporates various period items of flying clothing; helmet, goggles, Sam Brown belt, a Balloon Observers coat and Royal Flying Corps (RFC) flying boots; plus a hand-held ‘camera-gun’.

Elsewhere on site in the Small Objects Exhibition Hall, there is a new display of hand carved wooden models, which depict a wide range of World War One era British, French and German fighter planes. This display is supported by a series of personal stories from local military personnel that fought in the Great War.

Both displays are anticipated to remain in situ until at least early 2015.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Aviation Memorials in Nottinghamshire

After months of research and preparation a new 36 page A5 colour booklet entitled, “Aviation Memorials in Nottinghamshire” has now been printed and free copies can be obtained from the Newark Air Museum. 

The booklet has been co-produced by the museum and the Nottinghamshire County Council, as part of the council’s Local Improvement Scheme grant programme. It provides an insight into the county’s diverse aviation heritage as represented by 40 aviation memorial sites in the county.

Copies have been distributed to most Tourist / Visitor Information Centres and Libraries across the county; and work is underway to widen those distribution outlets.

People can call in at the museum now to pick up a copy and as part of its commitment to the project the museum is willing to send off copies by post to people who request them. Such requests can be sent in via email to admin@newarkairmuseum.org or telephoned through on 01636 707170 (10.30am to 4.30pm daily).

Enquirers are asked to provide postal addresses if they are requesting the printed version or a valid email addresses if they would like the PDF version.

The museum trustees hope that many people will obtain copies of the booklet and that it helps them to see how in Nottinghamshire “We love to commemorate our aviation heritage.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Hunter T7 goes on loan to Newark Air Museum

Hawker Hunter T7

In early May 2014 news emerged in the aviation world about the possible scrapping of Hawker Hunter T7, XL618, which was displayed at Caernarfon airfield in North Wales.

Heather Graham of Lakes Lightnings made strenuous efforts to ensure that the airframe was not scrapped and then set about finding a suitable location to display the airframe. Following an approach to the trustees of the Newark Air Museum, an agreement was secured for Hawker Hunter T7, XL618 to be placed on long-term loan at the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the border with Lincolnshire.

Hawker Hunter T7, XL618 was dismantled by a team provided by Lakes Lightnings and then moved to Newark Air Museum on the evening of Thursday 19th June, where it was reassembled the following day in an area on the museum’s Southfield Site.

The Hunter T7 fits a gap in the museum’s themed display of RAF training airframes and will help tell the story of RAF fast jet training. Following a detailed condition survey, which will be completed jointly by Lakes Lightnings and Newark Air Museum, the airframe will be restored back to its former glory in as yet to be confirmed colour scheme.

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org

Days to go until Cockpit Fest

Newark Air Museum Cockpit Fest

Cockpit-Fest at 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 and 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”.

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. This year twenty-two (22) visiting cockpits are already booked to attend. It has also developed a word to describe the participants – ‘Cockpiteers’; many of whom have lovingly rebuilt and restored these projects at home, Cockpit-Fest giving them the chance to display them in public.

The event is supported by a range of organisations and individuals; with the public 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 flypasts by aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on both days; plus the CGI Lancaster display from Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire.

Running alongside Cockpit-Fest is an Aeroboot aviation and avionics sale, which allows Cockpiteers and the public to search out those aviation artefacts, books and models.

This year’s event takes place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th June; and full details can be found on the News & Information page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org