NASAM Update as of the 29th Jan 2022
[joli-toc]
General Updates
Updates aplenty
This edition was a first for me, as in four and a half years of editing and publishing the blog, two people sent me an update about the same thing; the visitor to 446. That visit was from Harold Janson who Pam mentioned in her update in the last edition. So, in addition to Pam V giving us some of the back-story on Harold. We also had Tony L reporting on the visit as it happened.
Also in the blog this time updates from John S in Engineering on the Flight Simulator progress and from Michael F and the Chippies sprucing up the site, especially the NAAFI and stage areas ……
Still Closed I’m afraid
The museum continues to be closed to facilitate the work being undertaken on both maintenance and the various projects preparing the site ready for visitors. I have been informed that because the half term is a little earlier this year, the Committee will be deciding on the Half Term opening dates in the next day or two ….. This will enable me to send out an update next week on some dates and days when we are likely to be open. Stay tuned therefore to the next blog or two to be able to put some dates into your diaries.
Also in the next few weeks, we will continue to populate the Social Media sites and our presence on other websites with more of the Special Events Days at the Museum, details of which were published in the blog two weeks ago NASAM Event Days in 2022.
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Visitor to 446 (Part 1)
‘On 22 Jan we were delighted to welcome Harold Jansen, chairman of the 446th Bomb Group Association and 446 BG historian. Harold was over from the USA, via Holland, to continue his researches and spent a couple of days with us.
He visited our Archive (see 446 Visitor 01 and 02), being particularly interested in contemporary photographs, and briefed us on the latest 446-related developments back in the States; their recently acquired B-24 is in bits in Harold’s hangar awaiting reconstruction … any volunteers?!
We toured the old Station 125 buildings outside Flixton; how sad it was to see the state to which they have been reduced. Luckily, a couple of the squadron murals are still in reasonable condition and in the dry! Our thanks to Mark for facilitating this visit (see 446 Visitor 03 thru 08).
Lunch at The Buck followed (see 446 Visitor 09 thru 11)– fish and chips all round (well, nearly!)’
Tony L
Visitor to 446 (Part 2)
As mentioned above, Harold Jansen visited the museum on Saturday 22nd January and we had a great meeting with him. Those meeting Harold were: Pam Veale, Tony Laceby, Andy Garner, Brian Johnson and Mark.
Harold gave us a bit of his background… bought up in Holland and his parents witnessed a B24 from the 446th Bomb Group crash on land near where they lived on 26th September 1944. Both the Pilot and Co-Pilot were killed, three crew were taken POW the others were hidden by the underground. When Harold grew up he decided to try to find families of these men. He traced the families of the pilot and co-pilot. in fact, in 1985 he wrote a book all about Flight 648. In 1989 he wrote to the veteran’s group and thus became involved with the 446th Bomb Group Association, which to date has 300 members. They have recently acquired a B24 which was bought from Colorado and at the moment is in a hangar in Texas.
Harold and the association are very keen to preserve the 446th buildings on the Flixton site. We visited the buildings, which are in a very poor state of repair, but the owner’s nephew (she is 99) is very keen to help with this project.
Harold spent Sunday 23rd at the museum with Lester Curtis going through the archives; and today with me. He plans to visit the museum on Tuesday during the time when the Volunteers are in. and possibly give a presentation to those Volunteers.
Pam V
(Photos) Visitor to 446
Engineering Update
20/01/2022 Flight Simulator Progress
The conversion of the Zenair crashed microlight aircraft into a flight simulator to house the equipment previously housed in our ANT-18 Link Trainer shell is progressing well. The dashboard is now populated with yoke, screen and switch panel (see Zenair-CH601-26 below). The rudder pedals are temporarily placed in position while we await a suitable 10 – 12-year-old trainer pilot to establish the seat packing and final rudder pedal position. We are also still planning where the controlling PC will be fitted inside the aircraft cockpit.
John S
(Photos) Engineering Update
Chippies Update
20/01/22 A New Year, a new activity
When we Chippies started work last year on the NAAFI, we had to remove the broom cupboard from beside the drinks cabinets as it was in the way of the new swing door. We also saw that the coat cupboard in the corner was looking very tired. So when we returned after the Christmas break, we decided to build a new combined cupboard to go in the corner. Slightly bigger, NAAFI cleaning brooms and buckets will go in the lower part, a shelf at the top for putting handbags and man bags and hooks on the door to hang coats. Construction took our working days over two weeks and this Tuesday 18th, Morris took over to start painting it (see NAAFI Cupboard 01 thru 08).
Last week, 11th, Peter, in the Modeller’s Den, after taking out all the models and furniture, came to the workshop hunting bits of wood and fittings. For a change, he didn’t want new bits like everybody else does, but pieces that could look like period fixtures. Digging around the dusty corners Michael and Ash found some almost perfect wood and created a new modellers worktop from what looked like a old map cabinet top. We also fitted a new plywood wall to one end of the Den which was looking very jaded ( see Modellers Den 01 and 02).
This week, Paul informed us that things were moving on with the Cold War Aircraft Display Cabinets we had built some time in the dim and distant past. Jim has been painting maps of East Anglia on perspex which would have a light highlighting each airfield. Could we, Paul asked, work out how to mount these inside the cabinets and build him a switch panel for the buttons for visitors to press? No problem – after Ash worked out with Paul what he wanted, Dave H knocked out the first map to size and knocked up a prototype panel. Paul and Steve could see now what we thought they wanted and could show us what they really wanted. From this, Dave created the final panel (Cold War Cabs 01).
Thursday 20th saw Dave, Michael and Ash starting work on boxing in the back of the stage area so it can be used as a “cinema” to show visitors films. Ash and Michael started on Tuesday with detailed measuring and planning, but even so, Thursday morning involved a lot of discussion and trying things out before finally the first corner post went in before lunch. Now we knew what we were doing (almost a first) and the afternoon became plain sailing, with the rest of the rear wall framed up and the shuttering plywood wall complete (Stage Wall 01 thru 05). Time for a cup of tea…
25/01/2022 Enter Stage Left
Tuesday 25th January and the Chippies expanded their “cast” of “performers” for the stage refurbishment. Tug joined Dave H, Ash and Michael F “on stage” in the Main Hangar to complete the boxing-in of the rear stage. “Should be straightforward ” said Dave, “frame up the sides and two full sheets of plywood each side”. Oh, how we wish the Hangar had one right angle. However, by the end of “Act 1”, the “Interval” for lunchtime, we had “stage left” complete (Stage Wall 06 and 07) so we stopped disturbing the rest of the volunteers in the NAAFI and left them to their lunch. After lunch, in “Act 2”, we did the “easy” “stage right”, rounding off the performance just at going home time (Stage Wall 08 thru 11).
What’s the encore on Thursday? Box in the building frames at back and front, quadrant round the corners and, the Chippies favourite, paint. And maybe take a bow…
Michael F
(Photos) Chippies Update
The Repeat Info
The repeat information is still here I’m afraid, and I make no apologies for keeping his section in our blog. We are a charitable organisation relying on monies from the public to keep us going. Any help we receive is gratefully accepted and enables the museum to continue in our mission “To conserve, preserve and promote the history of aviation in East Anglia, whilst providing a fun, family-friendly and interactive museum, promoting education and remembrance of the events of the past“.
Are you thinking of helping ??
We obtain most of our finances by donations and by membership fees. We save money by having a dedicated group of volunteers that keep the museum and the exhibits both manned and maintained. We hope therefore a few people may consider helping in the ways below.
There are three easy ways to help: Help by becoming a Museum Member, also by Volunteering to help at the museum, or by Donating to assist in our running costs. Please click on the appropriate button below to access the appropriate information:
Click to see how to becomeMUSEUM MEMBER Click to see how to becomeMUSEUM VOLUNTEER 
Click to make aDONATION
Keep Up To Date
To keep up to date with further information, please keep an eye on our Social Media (see the Social Media buttons at the foot of this blog) or click on the button below to be notified by email of any upcoming changes by seeing the latest blog.
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