A vintage plane offering a glimpse into Leicestershire’s aviation history is set to move from storage to a new home in an aircraft museum.

Leicestershire County Council is considering moving the Reid and Sigrist Desford ‘Bobsleigh’ plane – nicknamed the ‘Desford Bomber’ – to Newark Air Museum where it will go on public display.

The twin engine light aircraft, built as a prototype trainer in 1945 in Desford, was acquired by the council in 2005 and took to the skies for a successful test flight in 2018 after being restored by Windmill Aviation.

Currently in the care of the specialist team who restored it at Spanhoe Aerodrome, the council’s museum service has never had the space to display the aircraft when fully assembled.

Councillor Richard Blunt, cabinet member for heritage, said: “This in an important plane that offers a fascinating insight into engineering and aviation history and a transfer to Newark Air Museum will ensure it can be put on display for all to see.

Newark Air Museum have shown they can provide the long-term care it requires. Their specialist expertise in interpreting, displaying and conserving aircraft will ensure that the plane is publicly accessible, appropriately interpreted and continues to be properly cared for and maintained.”

Howard Heeley, Newark Air Museum Trustee, said: “The museum trustees are excited at the possibility of being able to display the unique Desford aircraft, which fits several criteria in our Collecting Policy.

It will be a wonderful addition to our collection and we are pleased that it will now be displayed in the local area for everyone to enjoy.”

The proposal will be discussed by the council’s cabinet on 15 December – watch the meeting online at: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/webcast

www.newarkairmuseum.org

The Newark Air Museum (NAM) is a registered charity, located in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire; like many similar organisations it has been closed throughout the second Covid-19 lockdown.

The good news is that the museum will re-open to the public on Saturday 5th December at 10am. Throughout December and the Christmas Holiday period it will also be open on the following days; however, some restrictions will be in place:

Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th December
Weds 9th December
Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th December
Weds 16th December
Saturday 19th to Wednesday 23rd December (inclusive)
Sunday 27th to Thurs 31st December (inclusive)
Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd January 2021

To comply with the regulations, NAM will not be able to open the 2 Aircraft Display Hangars, the Engine Hall or the Small Object Display Hall to visitors, so only the outdoor exhibits will be accessible. There is no need to pre-book to pay NAM a visit. However, visitors will need to comply with Tier 3 Covid Regulations & Guidance. The museum has well-proven COVID-secure measures in place, allowing everyone to enjoy a socially distanced visit in a safe and Covid-Secure manner.

Under this revised method of opening visitors will be able wander around NAM’s 16-acre site and be able to see:
• 26 aircraft & helicopters (c/w ongoing restoration work on some days)
• 3 fuselage restoration projects
• 5 aircraft cockpits
• The Museum Memorial Garden
• The Dig For Victory Garden
• Various munitions – Yellow Sun, Blue Steel, ZPU-4 etc.
• The NAM Red Barrows
• The famous ex RAF Swinderby Post Box

In recognition of this much reduced offer the trustees have lowered the admission cost to £5 per adult (all ages), with FREE admission to accompanied children under the age of 16. Visitors with Motability needs should be aware that some exhibits are displayed on grass and these can be difficult to access during wet conditions – NAM is sorry about this, but please be aware if you plan to visit.

To comply with the regulations, there will only be a takeaway service from the Museum Café. This means that there will be no indoor seating available to eat or drink any purchases. The picnic benches outside will be accessible but visitors should comply with the Tier 3 Covid regulations. The food options will be limited to pre-packed sandwiches; cakes; snacks; hot & cold drinks; plus, our famed Toasties & Paninis – please remember that these have to be consumed outside the café.

The Museum Shop will be open as normal, for all of those aviation purchases such as aircraft kits, modelling supplies; books etc. – we recommend shopping early for Christmas, as some suppliers are struggling to provide us with requested stock.

Our revised opening times for this month are 10am-3pm (last admission at 2pm). The Museum Café will close 30 minutes before closing time. The Museum Shop will close at the same time as the museum, with last admissions for shoppers into the shop being 20 minutes before closing time.

We will however keep these dates under review and may change them if Tier 3 Regulations or our circumstances alter. We suggest that you keep up to speed by checking the website on a regular basis; following us on Twitter or by calling 01636 707170 before you visit.

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/latest-news

The Newark Air Museum (NAM) is a registered charity and throughout and Since the second Covid-19 lockdown was introduced its been looking at ways of selling aviation kits and books, with the aim of raising vital funds for its charitable activities.

We have therefore decided to reintroduce the Order & Collect system like we did in the summer and this will start to operate on Saturday 14th November, 2020.

Like before we have taken some photographs of the key sections of the Museum Shop to try and provide an idea of what is in stock. Copies of these can be requested via a page on the museum website http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/latest-news

The main product areas are listed as:
Italeri Aircraft Kits
Revell Aircraft Kits
Airfix Aircraft Kits
Airfix Quick-Builds
Tamiya Aircraft Kits
Assorted Aviation Books
Modelling Paints & Accessories

Anyone deciding to make a purchase can ask for the items to be reserved for collection at a convenient time on the days that the Shop is open – purchases will need to be made by card payment over the telephone, or by cash when you come to collect the item(s).

We have completed a set of Covid-Secure Risk Assessments for the Collection Area in front part of the site and full details about this process are listed on the website. Social distancing measures will be in place and Covid-Secure procedures will be used and normal access routes to the Collection Area will be in operation i.e. off Drove Lane via the entrance next to the Motor Auction Site.

A queuing area will be set up outside in the car parking area; N.B. there will be NO access to the wider museum site, display buildings or café.

We appreciate that this is not a perfect solution, but it does act as a step towards reopening again and also it gives us a chance to fully evaluate how social distancing measures might need to be implemented in the Museum Shop when we try to open normally.

All profits from the Museum Shop are covenanted to the museum to help fund its on-going development; so rather than shopping online or elsewhere please pay us a visit soon and help support your aviation heritage!

On Thursday 1st October 2020, another Puma fuselage arrived at Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. This arrival was accompanied by a significant collection of Puma spares.

The collection of donated items was transported from its former location in the south of England, to Newark as part of the museums’ efforts to effect a complete rebuild of Aerospatiale Puma HC Mk 1 helicopter, XW208.

As well as the Puma 9L-LSG fuselage, other significant items that arrived for the project were: a rotor head, gearbox, rotor blades, tail booms, tail rotor blades and troop seats. As with the arrival of XW208 back in February 2018, this latest collection and delivery project was completed by local contractor Gillivers Haulage.

“We are extremely grateful for this latest significant donation of parts”, commented museum trustee and XW208 rebuild expert, Kev Graham, he continued. “The first job will be to undertake an extensive spares recovery programme from the fuselage.”

He concluded, “Once this has been completed we will start refitting the recovered items to XW208 with the aim of making it the first complete Puma HC.1 to be displayed in the UK!”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

The Newark Air Museum (NAM) has taken the decision to cancel the Aeroboot /Aerojumble Sale that was due to take place on its Southfield Site on Saturday 26th September, 2020.

This decision has been reached following some detailed in-house discussions; and in response to the legislation changes announced recently by the government, who were responding to the increased levels of coronavirus infection around the UK.

The NAM had delayed sending out the participation passes to sellers as it tried to design a one-way system around the proposed sale. This was aimed at trying to encourage social distancing, but allowed people to access all sellers fairly. Based on observations at previous outdoor sales, NAM recognised that this was going to be challenging. One possible solution was that we may have been forced to request sellers did not put up gazebos and awnings; something that was not perhaps ideal for an outdoor sale of this type.

NAM was planning to use a voluntary listing system to meet our Track and Trace obligations for sellers and buyers attending the sale. However, the recent changes to the Track and Trace legislation, meant that as event organisers NAM would now have a legal obligation to record everyone’s information, or risk a fine. Given the outdoor nature of the event and the challenges of capturing the required information without creating unduly long queues, it was realised this was not going to be a viable option.

Furthermore, a review of the locations that some sellers were travelling from indicated that they were likely to be travelling from areas of the country that were already subject to additional coronavirus restrictions already. As such the trustees felt uncomfortable encouraging people to meet up at a special event.

The decision to cancel, was not taken lightly and NAM does appreciate that this could upset some people. However, many sellers and buyers often travel long distances to attend the event and it was felt necessary to give these people as much notice as possible of our intentions.
The NAM is sorry for any inconvenience these changes may cause but we are convinced that it is the right decision.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

On Tuesday 1st September 2020, the latest addition to Newark Air Museum’s collection of aero engines arrived at the museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. Today’s arrival was a Rolls-Royce Conway engine RC 042-540.

The engine was transported from its former location at Bruntingthorpe, Leics, over to Newark thanks to the generous support by members of the VC10 Preservation Group. As an Accredited Museum, the trustees of Newark Air Museum were able to accept the transfer of the existing loan agreement between RAF Brize Norton and the VC10 Preservation Group.

This is a cutaway R-R Conway engine prepared by British Airways (BA) apprentices in 1981. The cut away engine is powered electrically, with rotating parts, which are displayed behind Perspex covers. The engine is noted for having flown 31,587 hours’ in a BA VC10 and fills another gap in the museum’s extensive aero engine collection. Initially it will be displayed in Hangar 2 close to its off-loading point, but eventually it is hoped that it will be displayed close to the museum’s TriStar CIM at the eastern end of the building.

“We are extremely grateful to Chris Haywood and Jason Kelly from the VC10 Preservation Group for helping us to complete this latest acquisition”, commented museum trustee Colin Savill, he continued. “Based on my own RAF service career the VC10 is an aircraft type that is close to my heart, and it is great that we have been able to secure this Conway engine that in itself was an important part of the VC10 fleet.”

He concluded, “We look forward to being able to demonstrate some of the workings of the mighty Conway to the public in the coming weeks and months!”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

As volunteers have returned to work at Newark Air Museum in increasing numbers, long-term projects are once again slowly starting to receive attention again.

In recent weeks to distinctive VH-UTH identification markings have been reapplied to fuselage of the General Aircraft Monospar ST-12. This represents another step forward in this iconic project, which has drawn positive comments from around the world.

The project is still clearly visible to visitors in Display Hangar 1 as they are guided around the site’s one-way system that helps it comply with its Covid-Secure obligations, since reopening in early July.

A loss of revenue from not being able to open aircraft cockpits on a regular basis mean that the museum has also introduced a major fund raising campaign to help it continue with its diverse range of aircraft restoration projects. Their Just Giving page can be found here https://justgiving.com/campaign/Newark-Air-Museum-2020-Restorations

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Saturday 26th September 2020

Newark Air Museum has now been re-opened to the public for three weeks and visitors have adapted well to the Covid-Secure processes implemented around the 16 acre Gateway Aviation Site, which is located in eastern Nottinghamshire close to the Lincolnshire border.

Building on the experiences of this challenging time the museum trustees have decided to move forward with hosting an outdoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Sale at the museum’s site on Saturday 26th September, 2020.This charity fund raising event has attracted interest from a wide range of sellers and around 70% of the spaces have already been booked..

This sale will take place on the western end of our Southfield Site, and will follow a similar format to the outdoor sales that have previously accompanied Cockpit-Fest. The Aeroboot will be a stand-alone event, with no general access to the main museum site or facilities; these will continue to operate on the current Covid-Secure basis. Toilets will be provided and there will be a catering unit on site; car parking for the sale will be close by, on the northern section of the grassed site.

Buyer’s admission rates to the Aeroboot will be £3 per person. To help buyers enter the event quickly they will be encouraged to have the correct cash available when they arrive. The Aeroboot admission ticket will allow buyers a discounted admission to the museum, but this will need to be made via the new Covid-Secure one-way system that now operates around the whole Museum site. The funds that the museum generates from organising the event will be used to support the development of additional facilities at this challenging time

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 aircraft parts. Regular updates / seller’s information are being posted on the news page of the museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org

The Aeroboot sale and museum opening times will be 09.00 to 16.00 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.

Before Christmas 2019 the Newark Air Museum announced the impending arrival of Eurofighter Typhoon DA4, ZH590. As part of this project a new section of hard-standing was laid behind the Museum Café and four aircraft were moved to the western end of the site’s existing hard-standing area.

This work all took place just before the Covid-19 pandemic was declared and the country went into lockdown. At that time there were twenty (20) separate aircraft movements that were needed to take place to complete the project ready for the arrival of DA4.

As the museum trustees started to undertake the Covid-Secure reviews and assessments for their 16 acre Gateway Aviation Site, it became apparent that it would be useful to complete these remaining aircraft moves before the museum re-opened to visitors. Not only would it mean the museum was ready to receive Eurofighter Typhoon DA4, but it would also simplify the implementation of a new one-way route around Display Hangar 2.

Following the Government’s announcement that heritage sites were amongst the locations able to reopen in early July, the plan was quickly reactivated. The first of these moves then took place on Wednesday 24th June, 2020.

At the present time several aircraft are temporarily located outside Hangar 2, but these will be move back undercover once the Wessex helicopter XV728 has been moved over to form the centre piece feature of a new admission area for the museum site. Also due to remain outside is Canberra B2 (mod) WV787, which will remain in its new display position on the new hard-standing area behind the Museum Cafe.

At the present time the museum still does not have an arrival date for Eurofighter Typhoon DA4, which has been delayed by the lockdown. The current aim is to have the Newark Air Museum site open to receive visitors on Monday 6th July, 2020.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

The Newark Air Museum (NAM) is a registered charity and throughout the Covid-19 lockdown NAM has been trying to generate vital funding by selling aviation kits and books, through its associated trading operation the Newark Air Museum Shop. Until now this has been via and Order & Collect system.

Recent changes to the non-essential retail trading guidelines mean that NAM is now re-opening its shop on Tuesday 16th June 2020. A full set of Covid-Secure Risk Assessments have been completed for the Shop and it will operate on the following basis:

• The Shop will be open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Opening times will be 10am to 11am for museum members and 11am to 4pm for the public
• Only one shopper will be allowed into the Shop at a time & there will be a contact number by the entrance for people to use to gain access (please bring your phones)
• Social distancing measures will be in place and Covid-Secure procedures will be used
• Contactless payments are preferred, but credit cards, cheques and cash will be accepted
• Shoppers will be encouraged to collect kits and books off the displays themselves; but they will be discouraged from opening kits and spending time ‘reading’ the books
• Normal access routes to the Shop will be in operation i.e. off Drove Lane via the entrance next to the Motor Auction Site
• A queuing area has been set up outside in the car parking area; N.B. there will be NO access to the wider museum site, display buildings or café

To help people to decide whether or not to come and shop, NAM has created virtual product lists, which feature photographs of the key sections of the Museum Shop to try and provide an idea of what is in stock. Shoppers are encouraged to email in to request copies of these lists for these main product areas:

Italeri Aircraft Kits
Revell Aircraft Kits
Airfix Aircraft Kits
Airfix Quick-Builds
Tamiya Aircraft Kits
Trumpeter Aircraft Kits
Assorted Aviation Books

For any such enquiries NAM will email out details explaining how shoppers can check for stock availability and request a price for the items. As things start to operate normally, the stock availability will change and NAM cannot be held responsible if an item is no longer available when shoppers arrive.

The museum trustees appreciate that this is not a perfect solution, but it does act as a step towards normal opening and help generate vital fund at this challenging time. This gradual reopening process will also provide important experience to help NAM to evaluate and understand how social distancing measures might need to be implemented elsewhere on the larger site when the museum is eventually able to reopen.

www.newarkairmuseum.org