Newark Air Museum – Page 2

Newark Air Museum Chinook Update

Newark Air Museum Chinook

Following the arrival of BV Chinook HC.1, ZA717 from RAF Cranwell back in February 2018 Newark Air Museum became the first Accredited Independent museum in the UK to acquire and display a Royal Air Force (RAF) registered Chinook helicopter.

Since its arrival the museum staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to acquire missing airframe panels and structures from many normal disposal sources, including the original manufacturer.

Sadly, these efforts have been to no avail, so the museum’s resourceful volunteers have now started to fabricate missing and damaged items for the nose section and side sponsons on this unique Chinook rebuild project.

The majority of the damage that is being repaired was caused during a non-fatal flying incident on 25th July, 1989 that saw ZA717 ‘written-off’ at RAF Mount Pleasant, in the Falkland Islands. Having been transported back to the UK, ZA717 was later used at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire to train Aircrew Loadmasters in slinging techniques and load securing methods.
These ongoing repair and restoration works will soon be more visible as the museum is planning to reposition the Chinook and nearby Puma XW208 helicopter, to make them both more accessible. This move will also benefit the museum’s long-term plan to use ZA717 as an interactive education space / resource for visiting groups of school children, Scouts, Cubs, Beavers and Air Training Corps (ATC) cadets.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Restoration Outlook at Newark Air Museum

Newark Jaguar

During 2023 volunteers at Newark Air Museum logged in excess of 18,300 (eighteen thousand and three hundred) hours of working on a host of projects around the museum’s sixteen-acre site in north eastern Nottinghamshire.

In 2024 the museum trustees hope to harness similar levels of dedication and support to continue with similar restoration work and associated repainting projects.

High on the priority list will be continued work on Avro Shackleton, WR977, to carry on from the work on the aircraft’s nose section that was completed in autumn 2023. Some preparatory work had already taken place on the upper fuselage surfaces in the mid and rear sections of the aircraft.

On the sister Avro airframe, Vulcan, XM594, some additional structural repairs and maintenance repairs will continue, with the aim of keeping the airframe in a good overall condition, both externally and internally.

As the better weather arrives work will recommence on the repainting of the MiG-23; whilst structural repairs will continue on nose section of Chinook, ZA717; and progress will continue with the rebuild of the Auster AOP9.

A number of new repainting projects are also scheduled to start. This will include the application of distinctive 92 Squadron markings to Hunter T7. Currently it is marked as XX467, however it entered RAF service as XL605 and was part of the Blue Diamonds Display Team, it will wear these markings. Jaguar T2, XX829 will be repainted in a grey/green camouflage scheme, which the airframe wore during its early service with 54 Squadron. Both airframes have recently been cleaned in preparation for their repainting.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Harvard news round-up from Newark

Newark Harvard

The long-term in-depth restoration of the North American Harvard II B in Newark Air Museum’s on site workshop continues and recently work has been undertaken on preparing to refit the restored nose cowlings to the fuselage.

The previous owners had modified the cowling fixtures and fittings, which has been challenging the museum’s team of volunteers. However, a recent glimpse into the Workshop indicates that
progress is being made.

The airframe being restored is 42-12417 (Dutch AF B-163 and RCAF FE930) and the restoration programme is now well underway, with rumours of a potential reassembly being made sometime this year.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Newark Air Museum Winter Pre-Owned Aviation Book Sale

Newark Air Museum Book Sale

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.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Shackleton WR977 Work Finishes at Newark Air Museum

Newark Shackleton

After four months the scaffolding has now been removed from the nose and forward fuselage of Avro Shackleton WR977 at Newark Air Museum (NAM).

The bespoke scaffolding system was installed to allow teams of museum volunteers to work on this significant restoration and repainting project in safe conditions.

This work has included:
– replacement and re-sealing of the main cockpit glazing
– in-depth cleaning and lichen removal on the upper fuselage surface
– re-sealing the upper escape hatch just behind the cockpit
– conservation of, and the painting of this area of the aircraft

During the work period, WR977 remained open as part of the museum’s open cockpit offer. The modest contributions for accessing this iconic aircraft contributed towards the cost of scaffolding hire, materials and paint/chemicals. The museum is also thankful to those who contributed to its Just Giving Campaign, which is now closed.

In future further restoration work will be undertaken on the remainder of the airframe. A scheme will also be evaluated to raise the aircraft nose wheels from their current position. This will involve the analysis of data from the jacking pads that were constructed underneath the aircraft and the refurbished jacks to be installed under both wings of the aircraft.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Disappointing news regarding Eurofighter Typhoon DA4 (ZH590)

Newark Air Museum Eurofighter

Just under four years ago, in January 2020, the proposed transfer of Eurofighter Typhoon DA4 (ZH590) from the Imperial War Museums (IWM) to the Newark Air Museum (NAM) was put on hold. Information is now available about that transfer and sadly, the disappointing news is not what the NAM trustees, volunteers and staff have worked long and hard for.

We anticipate that a joint Press Statement from IWM and the RAF will be released that explains the situation, we will share this with everyone when it is available. Apart from thanking the staff at IWM Duxford for their support throughout the project to transfer DA4 to Newark; at this time the NAM trustees do not wish to make any further statement about the complex and at times baffling situation.

That said, the trustees are mindful that a number of people have made financial contributions towards the costs associated with planned move of DA4 to our site here in eastern Nottinghamshire.

Whilst all of the funds raised were used towards the cost of laying an additional hardstanding area behind the museum café that would have allowed for the safe reconstruction of DA4, the NAM trustees appreciate that some people may not feel that their donations from the original fund raising appeal were used as intended.

Anyone who wishes to seek the repayment of their donation is asked to make contact with the museum via this EMAIL link and provide details of their contribution.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Newark Air Museum Day-Night Photo Shoot

Newark Mig 27

The date for Newark Air Museum’s Autumn Day-Night Photo Shoot event has been set for Saturday October 28, 2023.

Spaces are still available and booking forms can be downloaded from the museum’s website by following the advice on this page of the museum website: http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/Museum-Events

Night-photo shoot activities will formally commence after the museum closes to the public at 1700 hours; however anyone signing up for the event will be eligible to arrive at the museum from 1000 hours onwards on October 28th so that they can enjoy a whole day taking pictures around the museum site.

The event will feature themed ground equipment; uniformed personnel; and illuminated aircraft; alongside the following museum aircraft: MiG-27; T-33; Meteor NF.14; Lightning T.5; Jaguar T.2A; Canberra T.19; Wessex; Vulcan.

Admission cost for Day-Night Photo Shoot event is £40 per person and places will be limited to 50 people. Various payment options are detailed on the booking form, or you can call in at the museum in person; or by telephoning 01636 707170.

Vulcan XM594 60th Anniversary of Operational RAF Squadron Service

Vulcan XM594

On the weekend of 16th/17th September 2023 it will be sixty (60) years since Avro Vulcan XM594 entered operational squadron service with the Royal Air Force Vulcan Wing at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire.
To mark the anniversary, the Newark Air Museum (NAM) is hosting an Anniversary event at its site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. The event is giving members of the museum’s Cockpit Opening Team the opportunity to provide FREE cockpit access to the Vulcan, to those people on the Reserve List for the 40th Anniversary event in February 2023.

Participants for the free cockpit access to XM594 are being notified of their timed ticket arrival time for going on board the aircraft, where they will be hosted by several former Vulcan personnel.

Throughout the weekend various Vulcan related displays are being hosted around the museum site and in the display hangars. On the Saturday NAM have an Aeroboot/Aerojumble aviation sale taking place, where people can search for various aviation items that will be on sale.

In addition, a series of talks by ex-Vulcan aircrew is planned to take place throughout the weekend in the Dambusters Hut; whilst various former Vulcan air and ground crew will be hosting walk-round tours of the XM594.

During the weekend various other museum aircraft and cockpits will be opening for viewing, as per normal, a small additional fee/donation is charged for access to these aircraft.

The event is open to the public and normal museum admission rates will apply.

www.newarkairmuseum.org/2023-24_Special-Events

September Update at Newark Air Museum

Newark Meteor

Good progress is also being made on two aircraft repainting projects at Newark Air Museum.

During the summer most of the surface preparation work has been completed on the MiG-23, 024003607 ‘07’ and the main surfaces are now being primed and top coat paint applied.

Work on Gloster Meteor T.7 VZ634 has also been carried out during the summer, with the final detailing work and application of the markings now underway. It is hoped that the work on VZ634 will be completed in time for the Day/Night Photo Shoot that is taking place on Saturday 28th October, 2023.

With more good weather in the forecast other projects are expected to progress well into the autumn.

Things also look nicely set for the final outdoor Aeroboot event of the year on Saturday 16th September, 2023; and the associated event to mark the 60th Anniversary of Vulcan XM594 entering squadron service in September 1963. This event will run on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, September, 2023.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Shackleton WR977 Work Starts at Newark Air Museum

Shackleton at Newark Air Museum

On 25th July, 2023 installation work started on a bespoke scaffolding system around the nose and forward fuselage of Avro Shackleton WR977 at Newark Air Museum (NAM). This will allow teams of museum volunteers to work on this significant restoration and repainting project in safe conditions.

In 2023 NAM successfully installed jacking pads underneath the aircraft, which allowed refurbished jacks to be installed under both wings of the aircraft. This allowed NAM to make the aircraft safe; helped to mitigate issues with the main undercarriage structures; and allowed the visiting public to once again have some access inside the aircraft.

The installation of the new scaffolding by Inspired Scaffolding Services from Bilsthorpe near Newark will allow for restoration work to be undertaken on the front section of WR977 in a safe and secure manner. This work will include: sealing the main cockpit glazing; in-depth cleaning; conservation of, and the painting of this area of the aircraft.

For most of the work period, WR977 will remain as part of the museum’s open cockpit offer. The modest contributions for accessing this iconic aircraft (when possible) will contribute towards the ongoing fund raising campaign to cover the scaffolding hire costs and the cost of the weekly safety inspections.

The current anticipated timeframe for the work is ten weeks; from the end of July through to the first week of October.

In these challenging times NAM is seeking support to help fund the costs associated with the hire and regular safety inspections of the scaffolding. This NAM fund raising campaign can be accessed via the following Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wr977-scaffolding-2023