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.
After a short set of negotiations, the Newark Air Museum has completed the purchase of Short Tucano T1, ZF372 from Everett Aero of Sproughton, Suffolk. Funding for the acquisition was made possible thanks to a legacy from the Estate of John Dove, a former museum member and RAF Winthorpe veteran.
On Wednesday 23rd October, 2024 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 team, thereby assisting the museum volunteers to reposition it on its undercarriage.
The Tucano fills yet another important gap in the museum’s themed display of training aircraft. Whilst in service, Tucanos were a familiar sight in the sky above the museum; when they were retired from RAF service in October 2019 the museum was unsuccessful in an attempt to acquire an airframe for its collection.
“By adding Short Tucano T1, ZF372 to its collection the museum has fulfilled the desire to add the type to its display,” commented museum trustee, Dave Hibbert, he continued, “It’s addition is in line with one part of the museum’s stated Collecting Policy, of acquiring. “Aircraft used in a Training role.” He concluded, “We are extremely grateful to the Everett Aero team, who did an excellent job with the main reassembly work on the aircraft, our volunteers will continue this work in the coming days.”
The airframe retains its last operational configuration and volunteers ZF372 will be moved inside Hangar 2 at the museum. Museum staff and volunteers will complete its reassembly and start the long process of sourcing instrumentation to complete the cockpits. In Hangar 2 it will be displayed alongside several other training airframes, like the Jetstream, Dominie, Bulldog, Gnat and Jet Provost. ZF372 is expected to retain its current training scheme markings.
Tucano T1, ZF372 was one of several airframes that had been in deep storage at RAF Shawbury Shropshire and is believed to have been moved to Sproughton in October 2024.
Throughout 2023 and 2024 the trustees of the Newark Air Museum [NAM] have been in discussions with the Royal Air Force Museum (RAFM), regarding the loan of the Gloster Meteor F.8 (mod) WK935 / 7869M, which is often referred to as the Prone Meteor.
The Loan Agreement was finalised on 21st June, 2024. Thanks to a lot of pre-planning and preparation work the Prone Meteor was moved from the RAFM Cosford site to NAM’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the border with Lincolnshire, on Monday 24th June, 2024.
Staff from the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre (MBCC) at Cosford supervised the move, which was undertaken by their preferred contractor, SPH Plant Limited from Telford, Salop. During a subsequent two-day time period the MBCC staff reassembled the Prone Meteor, before moving into Hangar 2 on NAM’s Southfield Site. Local forklift hire was kindly arranged by AEM Lifting from Tuxford, Notts.
“The museum first contemplated trying to take the Prone Meteor on loan, at the suggestion of aviation historian Ken Ellis, whilst developing the Interpretation Plan for the other British prone trials aircraft, the Reid and Sigrist Desford.” commented Newark Air Museum Trustee, Colin Savill.
“We are grateful to the Royal Air Force Museum staff at both London and Midlands, who have helped implement this loan agreement.” He concluded, “Securing the loan of the Prone Meteor allows us to display these two unique aircraft from the golden age of British aviation, together at one location; something that has never happened before!”
An additional comment has also been made by Dr Harry Raffal at the RAF Museum: “We are delighted that through our loan of the Meteor F8 to Newark Air Museum new audiences will engage with this unique strand of the RAF story. The loan will provide an exciting new exhibit at Newark Air Museum whilst helping the RAF Museum share our collection more widely.”
Arrangements for the 2024 Cockpit-Fest are well advanced at Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire. The museum is a registered charity located on part of the former site of RAF Winthorpe; this year’s Cockpit-Fest is once again taking place in its traditional June time-slot; on Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd June, 202.
This will be the twenty forth (24th) 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.
As ever this event will see a diverse range of aviation subjects represented. Twenty-seven (27) cockpits and airframes are due to attend, incorporating military jet cockpits, helicopters and civilian types.
In addition, eighteen (18) visiting aviation related exhibits will be displayed inside; with seven (7) special displays outside in different parts of our 16-acre site. Alongside Cockpit-Fest an Aeroboot / Aerojumble aviation and avionics sale is being held. Here enthusiasts and the public can search out those missing aviation artefacts, books and models from the thirty-seven (37) sellers who have booked spaces.
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 groups; re-enactors; and even more aviation related displays such as clothing and historical artefacts.
Full details about the events and a full list of visiting cockpits and displays can be found on the Museum Events page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org
A Campbell-Bensen B.8M gyrocopter, G-ASNY that has been on loan at the Newark Air Museum (NAM) for more than fifteen (15) years was recently bequeathed to NAM in the will of the late gyrocopter collector, Roger Light. This complete airframe has been displayed in Hangar 1 since it arrived at the museum in April 2009.
Additional actions by the museum trustees and its volunteers has also safeguarded a significant collection of other gyrocopter airframe structures, engines, parts and assorted spares.
During several visits to north-west England, the items have been carefully gathered together and moved into storage at the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire.
Work is already underway to sort the items out and to produce an inventory of what has been recovered. All items are in a good condition and early indications suggest that there are at least two nearly complete machines, with three additional main-frame structures.
The NAM trustees have agreed with the executor of the Roger Light Estate that eventually these gyrocopters should be made available for disposal to other suitable aviation collections across the UK.
Following a short meeting on 9th April 2024, the ownership title of several objects that had been on long-term loan from the Royal Air Force Museum (RAFM), were formally transferred over to the Newark Air Museum [NAM].
These items comprised of: A Rolls-Royce R.B.108 engine and jet pipe; a Yellow Sun bomb casing; and a Fireflash Missile and trolley. Some of these items have been displayed at NAM’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the border with Lincolnshire, for more than fifteen years.
The generous donation was made as part of ongoing discussions between the two organisations, about a range of subjects. It follows a similar donation of the Lockheed TriStar simulator from the RAFM, back in autumn 2015, which is now displayed in Hangar 2 at the museum.
“The museum trustees are grateful to the RAF Museum for donating these objects to the museum,” commented Newark Air Museum Trustee, Colin Savill. He concluded, “Such donations illustrate the benefits of our Accredited Museum status, and we look forward to the possibility of working with the Royal Air Force Museum to explore similar loans and donations in the future.”
An additional comment has also been made by Dr Harry Raffal, Head of Collections and Research, RAF Museum. “The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to be gifting these objects to Newark Air Museum with the knowledge that we are sharing the RAF story and making it more accessible to people across the country. We look forward to continuing to develop our relationship and working together to inspire new generations.”
Saturday 13th April, 2024
The next Newark Air Museum Outdoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Sale at the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire takes place on Saturday 13th April, 2024. This charity fund raising event has attracted interest from a wide range of sellers across the UK and is taking place alongside the quarterly meeting of Aviation Heritage UK (formerly known as BAPC).
The funds that the museum raises from organising the event will be used to support the development of facilities at its Gateway Aviation Site, which is located in eastern Nottinghamshire close to the Lincolnshire border.
More than thirty (30) sellers, who come from around the UK have pre-booked selling spaces on the wide expanses of our Southfield Site, close to the aircraft display line and the museum café.
Buyers / visitors who attend this fund raising event will have the opportunity to search through a varied selection of aviation and avionic items: including books, paintings, prints, DVDs, plastic kits, die-cast models, clothing, radio equipment and a wide range of aircraft parts.
Normal museum admission rates will apply: Adults £11.00, Over 65s £10.00, Children £5.50 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £30.00.
The museum opening times will be 09.00 to 17.00 hours; with the sale taking place between 09.00 and 14.00 hours; to get the best bargains we suggest that you get there early.
Further details are available on the Events Page of the museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org or by telephoning 01636 707170.
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.
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.
