NASAM Update as of the 27th Nov 2023
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Summary of Contents
What’s In This Edition
From Around The Museum
First up in this edition’s “Around the Museum”, we have photos from Brian J of Pam and Lester, who attended and laid a wreath in Bungay on Remembrance Day.
Next, we have Barry and the Paint Team updates covering two weeks in November when work continues on the Valetta and on the buildings around the Museum.
Joe S sent in some pictures from the Forever Two Wheels UK visit on the 12th of November.
In the previous edition of the Blog, a special on Chipmunk WB627, we saw many pictures of the fuselage being brought to the Museum and moved into the Workshop. John S has now sent in a photo of the cradles he has built to hold the fuselage whilst it is being worked on.
Also, from John S, we have a picture of some Mustangs that arrived on Sunday, the 12th of November. These were parked with our Hunter for a group shot.
Finally, in “Around the Museum” we have some information from Cliff pertaining to the red “cheat line” on the side of the Valetta.
A reminder of the opening dates/times
- In December, we are open on two days only, Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th December from 1000 until 1500.
- We are then closed until the February half term, when the Museum will reopen on Saturday, the 17th of February 2024.
- From Saturday the 17th of February 2024 we revert back to our normal opening times of:
-
- Every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
- Plus, Bank Holiday Mondays
- From 1000 until 1600,
- Until further notice.
-
Pete S
From Around The Museum
Remembrance Wreath Laying
Some pictures today (Remembrance Sunday, the 12th of November 2023) of Pam and Lester placing the wreaths and two American Airmen as well.
Brian J
(Photos) Wreath Laying Bungay
Painters Update
14/11/23 – Where Eagles (and the Paint Team) Dare!
With another unseasonably dry and mild morning, Ian and Barry went (quite literally) out on a limb this week to try and remove the rest of the masking tape off of the Valetta’s cockpit windows and upper fuselage observation blister. This necessitated extending the scaff’ tower to its full height and then partially stepping off the platform and onto the top of the fuselage. There are no photos included here of this ‘high wire’ act in case some of our blog readers are of a slightly nervous disposition, but the close of play position was however captured (see pic 2311 15). But in all seriousness folks, a full risk assessment was carried out, no undue risks were taken, and no painters were harmed in the process.
Earlier in the morning, Ian and Barry removed the masking tape from the port side windows from the safety of the full platform (see pic 2311 16). As per last week, this required the boys to get well and truly ‘stuck’ in to the task! Play was brought to an early conclusion by a sharp shower around 2pm, with the starboard side of the observation blister still to be cleared (hopefully next week).
Also down at the big bird, the Skipper (Cliff) set about dealing with a ‘blow out’ on the starboard side. The high winds from Storm Debi had evidently blown out the temporary window in the number 2 slot on the starboard side and the Skip spent some time reapplying the temporary Perspex sheeting (with significant amounts of duct tape).
Elsewhere, Gwen dealt with her faux pas from last week and painted in the ‘missed bit’ on the top of the lamppost by Coastal Command (see pic 2311 17). Gwen then moved on to spruce up the Ground Force/Tug shed, giving it a fresh coat of Deep Sea Green (see pic 2311 18). Marky Boy, now free of domestic electrical issues, sadly didn’t make it to the starting grid again this week, having been laid low with a cough and a cold. We hope he rediscovers his spark next week!
21/11/23 – From Pole to Pole…
No folks, this was no ex. Python-esque travelogue. Oh no, there were some very hard yards to be had today as the boys set about removing the tatty flagpoles from down Main Street in the mizzle. Much grunting and groaning was to be heard as our chief pole-sters, Mark and Ian rocked and waggled said flagpoles loose in the soft ground and their plastic sleeves. A couple of potential hernias later and the boys had removed all the offending flagpoles from Main Street (see pic 2311 19) and deposited them for repainting in the BP Hangar. Next year, they will be re-sited behind the aircraft, so as not to disrupt the frontal views for visitors (especially us photographers!).
The final flagpole however, put up more of a fight. This was the one outside Coastal Command that had been set in concrete. Initially, there was no movement to be had at all. This necessitated bringing in the heavies and employing the old maxim that if it ain’t movin’, hit it wiv’ a hammer! This less than subtle approach also proved unsuccessful. It was becoming apparent that some finesse and guile (and a bigger hammer) was required. The Skipper (Cliff) then intervened with a very large adjustable spanner, a big bolt and a piece of hollow tube and eventually, the CC flagpole started to twist. Having broken the ‘seal’ as it were, the boys moved back in and jacked the pole up a couple of inches with a trolley jack before reverting to hernia inducing moves to eventually lift the pole out, with the aid of the blue steps.
After lunch, the mizzle finally abated, which allowed Barry to ‘reach for the skies’ again and make his way up to the very top of the Valetta to remove the remaining pieces of masking tape covering the starboard side of the upper observation blister (see pic 2311 20). After an hour or so of the heat gun, white spirit and scraping it was job done. This then allowed the boys to take down the two scaff’ towers on the starboard side and pack them away for the winter, leaving the ‘big bird’ in a reasonably presentable semi-finished state (see pic 2311 21) until next Spring.
Barry
(Photos) Painters Update
Note:
[As Barry’s update above indicated that refurbishment of the Valetta and the final touches was incomplete and would be resumed in the spring I asked what was still outstanding, to which he replied:
Yes, there is still quite a bit to do, including:
- Paint the nose
- Registration under the wing and towards the rear of the fuselage
- Roundels on top of wings and midships
- Fin Flash on the tail
- Black up the tyres
- Reinstate some details in the undercarriage area
- Some windows still to be fixed, and then paint the new seals/surrounds.
All of these jobs are to be picked up in the Spring. …. Barry
So, it looks as though we will have some more Valetta input once better weather arrives in 2024 … PS]
Forever Two Wheels Visit
Here are some of the photos I took for the Two Wheels Forever Event at the Museum on Sunday, the 12th of November 2023.
Joe
(Photos) Forever Two Wheels @ NASAM
WB627 Update
I have now finished making two more suitable cradles – much lower – and with arms that can be swung out and secured at an angle to allow the fuselage to be canted over for more cockpit access. On the next working day, I will enlist muscle to take it off the trestles and onto the cradles. More pictures to come later.
John S
Mustangs @ NASAM
We had 25 or so motorbikes in on Sunday which we have seen above with some pictures from Joe. We also had a surprise influx of lovely Mustangs. The best I think, was the 1976 one with the sound of that wonderful V8. It is apparently ULEZ compliant!
John S
Valetta Colour Scheme Update
Valette Colours – The museum has recently received an email querying the red cheat line applied to our Vickers Valetta inferring that no Valetta carried this colour scheme in service. With the museum’s endeavour to display its aircraft in colour schemes they carried in service, it was off to the aircraft file to see what references the paint team had used in the past.
Along with colour photos of the aircraft with the blue cheat line at Flixton in 1983, Norwich airport in 1969 and RAF Wildenrath in 1966 was a photo of VX580 with a red cheat line at Gamil, Port Said in 1956. The photo did highlight a couple of points that will assist in our current refurbishment. There was also a photo of a Valetta in flight with the red cheat line but no registration is visible.”
Cliff
(Photos) Valetta Colour Scheme
Photos in the archives from A W Hay.
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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Pete S
Interesting to read your blogs, I’m a volunteer at Yorkshire Air Museum. Like us never a dull day. It was interesting to chat with 3 of your members on Tuesday. I hope to visit in the spring and get a chance to meet more of your members. Seasons greetings to you all. Alan Wray