NASAM Update as of the 4th Nov 2021

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Chairman’s Update

Empty Spaces and Opportunities

As regular readers will know, the replica Spitfire moved on two weeks ago, down to the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. This left us with a rare opportunity: what to do with the space?

For the first time in years, we were able to clear the floor in the North West corner of the hangar and are in the process of cleaning it so that we can then repaint it (Floor Space 01 and 02). Once that is done, the various Merlin engined aircraft from WWII will move into that corner, including the very rare portion of a Hawker Henley. The aim is to create a Merlin At War display, which isn’t exactly a snappy title, so better suggestions are welcomed.

(Photos) Empty Spaces

Closure Update

It has been decided to close the museum for most of the period from 15^th November to late February next year. It will become increasingly cold, and figures from previous years suggest that we don’t get many visitors anyway. Obviously, we remain open for Volunteers on Tuesdays in this period to carry out the maintenance work, and possibly also on a Thursday (Volunteers are asked to check this, however, before coming in).

NAAFI Cafe Update

Over the closed period, we will fit a false roof in the NAAFI; this will help improve the look of the area and keep the area warm. This is especially beneficial in the spring, autumn and winter, possibly less so in the height of summer!

Aviation Skills

On Saturday 30th October just under 100 Beavers and Cubs with their leaders and some parent helpers visited the museum to undertake their Aviation Skills badges. The youngsters from Norwich, Fressingfield, Harleston, Halesworth and Woodbridge took part in sessions to learn about parts of an aeroplane, the dangers found on airfields, the phonetic alphabet, jobs that aeroplanes do and what it is like to be a pilot.

On the more practical side they had the opportunity to fly a simulator plus build a stomp rocket and polystyrene plate glider.

There was also a quiz to take part in, and for the first time ever the winning team scored 100% so congratulations to 5th Woodbridge B team.

At the end of the day all of the participants had completed all of the requirements for the badge they were aiming for so congratulations to them all.

The next two days, both in 2022, are almost fully booked so we are adding another day in October next year. Get your bookings in quickly.

Steve

(Photos) Aviation Skills

General Updates

More from around the Volunteer teams at the Museum

Chippies Update 28th Oct 21

Or … do we do woodwork anymore?
Tuesday 19th found Michael continuing the task of painting the ornate panel for Les’s bench. First coat on and a start made on the second.

Tony got bored with making bird boxes so started on a pair of hedgehog houses (Hedgehog House 01).

Someone even remembered to polish up the stools and take them over to the bric-a-brac shop in the hangar for sale (Stools 01).
Thursday 21st and the second coat on the bench panel complete along with the little details like eyes and beaks. And before anyone complains that it doesn’t look like any real bird, well we know planes, not birds!

While we had the paint pots out, the lion heads on a pair of cast bench ends Ian S had brought in turned gold, ready for new seats to be cut (Bench Refurb 07 thru 10).

Tuesday 26th and Dave H came in to find a small disaster. The trolley which we left the lion heads leaning on had rolled ( or the mice had pushed it) and the bench ends had crashed down breaking the arm on one. As they are cast iron, making a strong repair is difficult. But we are hatching a plan to recover the situation … for a cold, wet day later this winter.

Meanwhile, the WiFi network across the Museum site needs extending to cover the VRP and library, and maybe a few other buildings. Rather than dig up the site for long Ethernet cables, Steve decided we should have a special radio network joining those buildings. These radios will need to have a line of sight between them so the first stage is to get suitable poles in place to mount them on.

For the VRP, the plan had always been to have a windsock so the time had come to erect one and use it for a radio mounting.

In the metal store, we found some recovered flagpole sections so recycled two sections for the windsock pole. Dave H made a new top cap on the lathe and, after much discussion as the best way to mount the windsock at the top, fitted a rotating eye bolt.

Thursday found Ash and Michael digging a hole and raising the pole into place – and yes we remembered to fit the windsock to the top before we put the top section on. Stage one complete (VRP Windsock 01 thru 04).

Breaking News:

The blue stool Dave H painted (Flier 22nd October) went on sale last weekend – and sold on Sunday! If anybody out there has got more stools like that we can refurbish and sell for the Museum, please let us know.

And Finally,

Our Volunteers wouldn’t pass the Beavers and Cubs badges for observation; in a straw poll of volunteer visitors who walked into the chippies workshop on Tuesday, 50% didn’t notice the great big pole with a bright orange windsock on top at the entrance to the Museum (VRP Windsock 04).

Michael

(Photos) Chippies Update

Painters Update

26/10/21 – A Whirlwind Romance?

With the weather set fair again, Ian and Gwen cracked on with the prepping of the Whirlwind. I can’t say that I’m falling in love with the Whirlwind; there are sooo many rivets! There is hardly a panel big enough and flat enough to actually get a sander on. Consequently, the wire wheels are getting a thorough workout. Anyway, progress this autumn is actually not that bad with probably over 50% of the airframe now sanded and primed ahead of the winter (see Whirlwind Repaint 06). There will need to be a decision to be made soon over the rotor blades and how best to preserve them. Due to their flexible nature and the awkward access, conventional sanding and painting may not be viable. We may have to get Lottie to knit some long woolly socks instead! Removing the blades to paint them isn’t an option either as the central retaining bolts are corroded on for good.

Meanwhile, up in the Metal Workshop, EPS turned up to fit the registration decals to the Auster fuselage and wings. Paul and Tom fitted the registration to both wings; one facing forward and one facing aft; and then applied the side stripe and registration to the fuselage (see Auster 03 thru 05) (More Auster updates and pics in the Engineering Section – Ed). That leaves just the tail markings to go on next week.

2/11/21 – Blades of Glory?

The team rocked up at 9am to find a cold and damp Whirlybird sitting in the golden autumnal sunshine. The first half-hour of the day was spent blowing off the heavy dew and then drying the panels to be worked on with a heat gun; which proved very effective. Gwen and Ian then set about prepping those areas that had been dried off while Barry spent most of the morning taking measurements of all the markings that Gwen and Ian were rapidly covering over with grey primer!

Immediately after lunch, Ian and Barry helped John and Roger move the Auster wings onto the support stands in the Metal Workshop, in order to create a bit of swing space to enable final Auster fettling to take place.

In the pleasant afternoon sunshine, Gwen moved on to prep the upper quarters on the starboard side of the Whirlwind (see Whirlwind Repaint 07) while Ian, joined by Cliff, concentrated on the starboard tail section (see Whirlwind Repaint 08). At the same time, Barry climbed up to cockpit level to set about sanding around the cockpit windows and areas immediately below the rotor assembly. It quickly became evident that some repairs were going to be necessary in the coming weeks as there were several gaping holes around the perished window rubbers on the starboard side.

There was much head-scratching and sucking of teeth late in the day as the team contemplated how to prep the 3 main rotor blades; being unsupported bendy things stuck twenty feet up in the air. Answers on a postcard please!

By the end of the day about 75% of the Whirlybird had been prepped and primed; not bad progress for very late in the season.

Barry

(Photos) Painters Update

Engineering Workshop Update

27/10/21 – Auster Update

Yesterday EPS from Halesworth applied the transfers to the wings and fuselage of the Auster and I think it looks very smart (Auster 06 thru 10). There is one small transfer still to be applied to the fin, where the masking tape is, which is a nod to the original Army AOP6 registration, VX123. It’s fairly small and will probably be 20% opacity as “ghost” script.

I’m waiting for a contact to supply both the cockpit top Perspex and one lift strut.

The plane will probably be displayed in the Wallis Hall with only one wing attached due to space limitations. However, there are two struts per side so I’ll have to make the missing strut using the one we obtain as a guide.

John

(Photos) Engineering Workshops

Once again many thanks to the contributors for their input to this edition and to the dedication that they put into their Volunteer work.

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The Repeat Info

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