NASAM Update as of the 26th Aug 2022

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From the Chair

CLICK on heading to GO

August Numbers

It’s been a busy month so far, with over 3000 visitors since the start of the school holidays. On some non-event days, we have had so many cars that the main car park has been filled, and cars have been parked on the grass. Luckily the hot, dry weather means that the grass is hard enough to drive on.

The cockpit gang have been kept busy showing visitors into several of the cold War fighter cockpit sections, and the aircraft gang is equally busy showing people into the Valetta, the Sea Prince and the F27, although on some days, we have had to close the Valetta as it has been simply too hot inside.

Whilst all this is going on, the behind-the-scenes volunteers have been busy maintaining various displays and keeping the place looking good.

Eyes are also being kept on the future, we are taking a good look around and deciding which areas to work on across the winter. We have a few ideas so far, but watch this space for details. There will be some exciting new displays coming up.

Steve B

(Photos) The Cockpit Area

General Updates from Around The Museum

In addition to the update from Steve above, we have an update on the Fire Drill from Cliff. This has now been rescheduled as below in order to allow the Volunteers to practice the procedures.

Also, in this edition of the Online Flier, another photo from Graham in the Archives. The recent Tribute to Ivan Last prompted Graham to send this to me for publication. More next week from the Archives when we have another story from the ‘Over to You’ wartime booklet.

We have updates from the Paint Team, with Barry giving us an update on the continuing work in the lower compound on the Javelin and Whirlwind.

Malcolm continues his work on the models that appear around the museum, with more on the Stuka and two models not mentioned before the Hart biplane and a Lightning aircraft.

Michael F returns to the Chippies workshop with more from the woodworkers, cum painters, cum welders, cum building repairers. “All in a days works” they call it.

As always, click on the photos to expand them.

Pete S

Volunteers Fire Drill

There will be a Museum Fire Drill on:

Tuesday, the 6th of September 2022, at 1145 hrs.

All volunteers attending on the day are requested to familiarise themself with the procedures and participate in the drill.

Cliff F

Next Special Event Day

For the people that like to attend on the Special Events Days, then a date for your diary is Sunday the 18th of September 2022. We will be open from 1000 to 16000 for the Museum’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations and the ROC Day at the Museum. More details of this event will be in a future blog.

Remember also that we are open three days per week at present. That is Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The opening times are from 1000 until 1600. No booking is needed, just turn up and enjoy a great family day out in the heart of East Anglia. Dogs are welcome, provided they are kept on a lead (no dogs in the shop, please).

Pete S

From the Archives

I discovered the attached photo in the magazine store a couple of weeks ago – and was going to offer it up as another “Rogues Gallery”. Maybe now it is more appropriate as a memory of Ivan Last.

Graham

(Photo) The Meteor Team

20220826 ARCHIVES

Painters Update

16/8/22 – Flat Iron fully flattened!

Tongue twisting headlines aside, this week, the Javelin team achieved a major milestone in the restoration. Come early afternoon, the Skipper (Cliff) had pronounced that the surface prep of the ‘Flat Iron’ was complete. Hurrah! Some actual painting may ensue next week. Earlier in the day, the scaff’ towers had been deployed to full height to enable Ian Cliff to prep the final areas at the top of the tail (see Javelin Repaint 25 pic).

Next door on the Whirlybird, Mark and Barry completed the ‘cutting in’ of the Post Office Red at the rear of the fuselage and along the tail spine. Just look at those crisp edges (see Whirlwind Repaint 37 pic); sharp enough to cut a finger on (although no painters were harmed during the day’s proceedings). After lunch, the boys cracked open the Light Aircraft Grey and set about painting the lower areas towards the tail. Upon opening the tin, the paint looked more like a cup of tea, however, after a good stir, the colour changed to a shade of grey that ended up as imperceptibly no different to the grey primer already on the aircraft! This caused some initial head-scratching. “How are we going to know what we’ve done?” exclaimed Mark (especially with our short-term memory loss!). Fortunately, as the Light Aircraft Grey dried, it took on a nice sheen helping the boys keep tabs on the surfaces done versus not done. Play was then curtailed at 2:15pm when some unusual objects started falling out of the sky (raindrops? – Ed.).

Barry

(Photos) Painters Update

Model Maintenance Unit

Firstly an update on the Ju-87 Stuka. With wings and wheels in place, it has reached the painting stage. After an overall covering of grey undercoat, two coats of light blue (Humbrol 65) were applied to the underside. Once dry, the first coat of “Dunkelgrun” (Humbrol 242) has now been painted on the upper surfaces (see Model Ju-87B-2 05 and 06). So far, so good. Have invested in a paint mask set for the canopy as there is no way I could free paint the framework on that. It will still be a challenge when I get the right mindset to do it.

Other projects include an old Airfix Hawker Hart and a Lightning F6, model make not sure of.

The Hart was originally set aside for the display I put together for the Aviation Art and Model show last May. Structurally it is in good nick but the paintwork over time had severely yellowed. It’s always a challenge to repaint a biplane, especially when the maker has done a very good job of adding bracing wires. Seen here after a coat of Silver (see Model Hart 01 and 02), a second coat to be applied. Now just waiting for a decal set from Hannants to complete the refurb.

The Lightning originally only needed a clean as it is complete and with appropriate markings (see Model Lightning 01 and 02). However, for some reason, parts of the decals on the upper wing disintegrated when the damp cotton bud passed over them. I have decided the only way forward is to remove all the upper wing decals, repaint and apply new ones. The rest of the model is fine.

Malcolm

(Photos) MMU

Chippies Update – a world of mysterious happenings

2nd August – Ash got a request from the Volunteers who help on the Ejector Seat demonstrations for a stand for the Pilot’s Helmet and the paraphernalia they use to clean it and the seat after each visitor. So he “knocked it up” from some spare wood and ply a nice little stand. All in a days work really (Helmet Stand 01).

Dave H meanwhile was asked for a modification to some steps to make it easier for younger visitors to climb into the Gnat demonstrator in the Cockpit Area. The last of the timber from the headboard (that seems mysteriously to have been able to just go on and on), some steel tubes from around the back of the Engineering Workshop, a spot of welding and his magic was done.

Mind you, every new job we get asked from displaces one already in progress and the signboard for the Buck entrance dropped off to the side … again.

9th August – Back up to strength with Michael back from his travels. Today was delivery day and first the stand and then the steps went to their homes. A bit of reworking got the steps to fit nicely against the Gnat and a bit of pipe lagging at the edge to protect the Gnat’s paintwork. The second set of steps, which had been used before and were simply not high enough, went in alongside for the Volunteer Demonstrator to stand on and supervise the visitor in the cockpit.

Back in the workshop, Tug was repairing one of the many benches from around the Museum. These get a lot of wear and tear over a season and sometimes need some TLC better known as fixing breakages. In this case, the middle “rung” of the seat broke, so Tug cut a new one from some decking, fixed and then painted it. By the end of the day, it was back in its place ready for use by the visitors tomorrow (Bench Repairs 01 and 02).

And then another mysterious thing happened – the workshop bench suddenly cleared. After several weeks of constant use, a short pause came and the tools went away, the bench got swept and momentarily it was empty (Empty Bench 01). But not for long. A job which had been waiting for this moment rushed in and took over. You see, nature abhors a vacuum.

Ash and Michael, assisted by Dave H, measured, sawed and screwed and in the space of an hour, the skeleton of a new display case occupied the bench (Spitfire Man Case 01). This will be for “Spitfire Man”. Or half Man. As part of his Spitfire display next to Merlin Corner, Ian H will use the case to show off a typical RAF Pilot’s flying gear on the upper half of a dummy.

11th August – Ash and Michael spent the day completing the display case ready for painting (Spitfire Man Case 02). Dave H, at last, completed the Buck sign (Pub Sign 03), adding the last piece, a shield to stop rain from entering the case from above.

16th August – another long outstanding job cleared off the list. For some time, the Leckies have been struggling with opening and closing the door of their building. Once again, the natural movement of the building jammed the door against the jamb. With multitool on several different configurations to get between the top of the door and the porch roof, an awkward space, Ash assisted by Michael, with passing comments from various Leckies, gave them a nicely opening door.

Back to the short-staffed Workshop and with no painters, Michael, Dave H and Ash all mucked in to give the “Spitfire Man ” case its undercoat (Spitfire Man Case 03).

Then a harmonious team of the Daves, Dave H and Dave D, assembled the new memorial bench for Andrew Gilham (Andrew Gilham Memorial Bench 01). Andrew, who died recently, was the kind gentleman who sold the Museum the land on which the Museum now stands and thus enabled it to come through the COVID crisis in a healthy financial state.

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:

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