05/06/2021 – NASAM Update …

In This Edition Of The Online Flier

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Keep Up To Date

To keep up to date with further information, please keep an eye on our Social Media or click on the button below to be notified of any upcoming changes in the latest blog.

COVID Restrictions

The full COVID restrictions around the opening can still be found on the blog @ COVID Situation – 17th May 2021 Onwards

Three Days Per Week

As we move forward with the COVID restrictions being lifted even more slightly, the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is now able to open on three days each week (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday). And although we are able to open up some of the areas inside the Museum, the rooms behind the shop are still not open.

The NAAFI café is once again serving hot and cold drinks with some snacks inside a dedicated area within the main hangar. This area also shows off some of the artwork that the museum is privileged to have been donated.

These June dates are shown in our opening hours on Facebook and Google.

The June dates are as follows:

Saturday 5th of Jun
Sunday 6th of Jun
Wednesday 9th of Jun
Saturday 12th of Jun
Sunday 13th of Jun
Wednesday 16th of Jun
Saturday 19th of Jun
Sunday 20th of Jun
Wednesday 23rd of Jun
Saturday 26th of Jun
Sunday 27th of Jun
Wednesday 30th of Jun

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Update from the Chairman

Busy Bank Holiday

On a warm sunny bank holiday, the museum proved very popular with visitors including a 1952 ex RAF Landrover (RAF Landrover) and an American classic car group from Colchester (Colchester Classic Cars).

What Next

Assuming that lockdown continues to ease at the planned rate, then three of our remaining annual event days will be able to take place.

These event days are:

Sunday 25th Jul – Family Fun Day (Battle of Britain Memorial flight Spitfire scheduled)

Sunday 8th Aug – RAFA and Veterans day

Sunday 19th Sep – Royal Observer Corps day ( with possibly another theme?)

Note that at the moment, the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight have only released their schedule up to 31st July, so fingers crossed, in addition to the proposed date above, the other dates we have requested may well be granted. More news nearer the time in the Blog and on our Social Media pages. Obviously, the usual criteria for these displays will apply that they will be subject to weather and operational commitment at the time.

Steve Bell

General Updates

Paint Team Update

Barry sent in two updates on the Paint Team activities along with a couple of photos:

Tuesday 25^th May …

Mr UK Weather was not playing ball once again and the Paint Team were greeted with cold and wet weather. The team immediately deployed the Mega Gazebo (in half the time compared to the week before!) and covered the outer portion of the Meteor Starboard wing. After a bit of towelling down, the gazebo enabled Mark and Ian to continue sanding down the Meteor throughout a very showery day.

Following a bit of a ‘hurry up’ from John in the workshop, Barry diverted off Meteor duties in order to paint some priority panels on the Auster; in the warm and dry! John should now be in a position to get the Auster back on its own wheels; which is a bit of a milestone.

The big breaking news of the week, however, was Gwen announcing that; after many years of fantastic service; she was stepping back from the role of Paint Team Leader. Cliff will now be adding the role of Paint Team Leader to his extensive bag of existing responsibilities at the museum. Gwen will remain an active member of the Paint Team and we look forward to seeing her continuing to shimmy up the 5m scaffold tower (not bad for an octogenarian!).

Tuesday 1st June …

Mr UK Weather did play ball this week and the Paint Team enjoyed a warm and totally cloudless day!

Ian, Mark and Barry continued with the strip back of the Meteor, which is not relinquishing its various coats of paint very easily. The duck egg blue primer, in particular, has an almost plastic quality to it and refuses to feather under sanding. This means that the team are having to go right to bare metal in places; a long job but we will never surrender! Most of the top surfaces are now prepped (see Meteor Prep ) but we still have the undersides and undercarriage to tackle.

Meanwhile, in the next field, Gwen commenced the ‘light makeover’ of the Valetta. The plan this year is to refresh the detailing only; in other words the red bits, the blue bits, the black bits and the yellow bits. The main fuselage, wings, tail and undercarriage (the white bits and silver bits) will be left until 2022. Working back to front, Gwen has made a start on the red bits on the port side (see Valetta Light Makeover).

After going ‘off piste’ for a couple of hours to undertake Project Makro; which seemed to involve the bulk purchase of Eccles cakes for the NAAFI; newly appointed Team Leader, Cliff, joined Gwen on the Valetta for a spot of light sanding after lunch.

Carpenters Update

The update from the chippies this week saw Michael send me updates for the two weeks since the last blog:

Tuesday 25th May …

Marion in the shop needs a rack to hang and display some of the new Museum-branded clothing. Dave H and Ash used two metal frames taken from the old filing cabinets removed from the office store and a couple of stainless steel shelves recovered from a shelving unit, inverted to make trays, to make the rack. With some recovered hardwood for strengthening, a pole from our stores for a rail which we mounted on some leftover softwood, the total cost to the Museum was very little. (Recycling for the Shop 01 thru 05).

Because of the one-way traffic needs for COVID precautions, there is not a convenient donation box near the NAAFI exit of the hanger. Using some recovered wood from a set of old lockers, Ash built a new stand to attach the under-used box from the link trainer area. After a coat of paint, this is ready to go out this weekend to earn its keep (Donation Box Stand 01).

Finally, Michael F has completed the detailed painting of the refurbished drawing table for the kids. It just needs a coat of varnish and will be ready the weekend after next (Drawing Table 01 & 02).

Tuesday 1st June …

First photos of the donation box stand in the NAAFI (Donation Box Stand 02), and the new rack in the shop ready for stock (Recycling for the Shop 06 & 07), to complete last week’s report.

Today’s work has been about preparing for the next project: creating a new walk-in closet beside the main entrance to the hanger. The idea is to make the visitors first view of the hanger more welcoming and less unsightly. This involves hiding the existing electrical cupboard and fire alarm panel together with a suitable space to store the hanger cleaning equipment. The steel cabinet that is there now for the cleaning equipment will move to the NAAFI for storing the NAAFI cleaning equipment.

Today’s preparation work involved Dave H, assisted by Michael F and Ash, sketching out the design and measuring up. They then sawed the frames for the floor and walls in the workshop for a flat pack kit ready to assemble on-site (Closet Flat Pack).

Meanwhile Brian the electrician is moving a ceiling light out of the way of the building work and installing fixtures to provide light for people working inside the closet. When Brian finishes, the chippies will move the metal cabinet and commence building work.

Model Maintenance Unit

Malcolm continued his work in preparing and rebuilding models that have been donated to the museum. His latest update was on the Bristol Beaufighter Mk.X which he has just started.

“Initial assessment showed many missing parts which normally would lead me to reduce the model to spares. However, having previously scrapped a similar model my spares bank had most parts needed to bring it back to life.

So what is missing: 1 full undercarriage, u/c struts, 3 u/c doors, tailwheel, 1 complete prop, 1 prop blade, mid turret gun and various aerials. Having already restored “NT950” previously, the decal bank was raided and decals for SAAF a/c operating in Italy 1945 were found. Full repaint then although scheme similar except for d-day stripes.

1st stage to reattach undercarriage, all bar one strut from the previously dismantled beau. Strut made from a spare wing strut found in the general spares box. Model placed aside for undercarriage to set.” (Beaufighter Model Restoration 01 thru 03) tbc

Many thanks to the contributors again for their input to this edition. No doubt we will have more updates from around the site in the next edition.

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Would You Like To Help

We are now seeing visitor numbers increase on the limited opening days, however, because of the restricted numbers due to Government guidelines, the donations are still well below the levels of previous years. The museum continues to incur expenses for insurance, maintenance and essential running costs, I make no apologies for keeping this section in the blog, therefore, hoping a few people will consider helping in the ways below.

If you think you can help the museum, there are several ways you can do this. Help by becoming a Museum Member, also by Volunteering to help at the museum, or by donating to assist in our running costs. To become a Museum Member or to Volunteer Member, please click on the appropriate button below to see the details on our main website.