NASAM Update as of the 19th Mar 2024

In This Edition

Summary of Contents

This is a slightly larger edition of the blog this time around. So in this edition, we have in “Museum News,” an update from Steve on the MOG Friends Club visit to the Museum on the 2nd of March despite the inclement weather en route.

We also had visits from two other car clubs in the last few weeks. Joe sent in some photos from the MG Owners Club visit on Wednesday, the 13th of March. He also sent in the Mustang Owners photos, which are shown below in the “Museum News” section. We seem to have attracted a few car club visits or proposed visits at the start of this year, the latest visit being the Mustang Owners, who came along last Sunday, the 17th of March. We then have a Mini Owners Club meeting at the end of March and an MX5 car club visit in the second half of April. Further on into the year, we have more bikes and classic cars to come. Details of those visits will be in later editions of the blog.

Finally, in the “Museum News” section, we have three photos taken by Peter W. when he visited the Museum in 1978. They show a fascinating view of three of our aircraft.

From the Teams “Inside and Outside—The Museum,” we have a triple update from Barry and Mark K in the paint team, with work being undertaken in and around the buildings. Plus, some additional help is being given to Engineering with bringing the Chipmunk back to life as part of a flight simulator.

Ian S published the Museum’s quarterly magazine to museum members a few weeks ago. I have reproduced some of the magazines below, showing what Brian (Ground Force) has been up to. Brian also sent me a few photos of the area he was talking about in the magazine. More from the Flixton Flier will appear in future editions of this, the Online Flier.

In the “Upcoming Events Information“, we have a list of the upcoming events for the rest of March and those we have already booked for April. For future events, stay with the blog or view the events we have so far posted by clicking on the link below:

Click to seeUPCOMING EVENTS

Pete S

Museum News

General news from the Museum

MOG Friends Club Visit

On Saturday, the 2nd of March, the forecast wasn’t brilliant, with rain forecast for most of the day. We heard that it was raining hard in Norwich but hadn’t seen any at Flixton.

The Morgan Owners’ Group Friends Club were due to visit around lunchtime, and we were wondering how many owners would take their classic cars out on such a day. The answer wasn’t long in coming with the arrival of five club members. Most elected to bring other cars from their collections rather than their Morgan, and the five members turned up in five different types. The cars were displayed around the Hunter in front of the hangar and attracted a lot of attention on a busy day at the museum.

The owners headed off to lunch at The Buck Inn and almost made it back before the threatened rain which conveniently held off much longer than forecast eventually arrived at just after 3pm.

Steve B

(Photos) MOG Friends Club Visit

MG and Mustang Owners’ Visits

The first set of images are from the MG Owners’ visit on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024. The second set are from the Mustang Owners who came along on Sunday, March 17th, 2024.

Joe

(Photos) MG Car Club Visit

(Photos) Mustang Owners Car Club Visit

Look Back to 1978

Here are three scanned prints from photos I took on my second visit to Flixton in 1978. The Meteor reminds us relative newcomers just how much work had to be done. Behind the F-100 lurks a BP roadside petrol station, long gone.

Peter W

(Photos) Look Back 1978

Opening Days

Pete S

Inside and Outside – The Museum

Information from the various teams

Paint Team Updates

27/02/24 – Chop my Chipmunk?

This week it was a case of (nearly) all hands to the Chipmunk, as the day narrowly missed descending into farce. More on that later. Early doors, Ivor intercepted Barry and requested Paint Team assistance in repainting the cradle of the Refuelling Pod in the BP Hangar. Agent Gwen was duly dispatched, together with a tin of ground equipment blue (see pic 2403 01). By lunchtime it was job done and Gwen was then able to get some circulation back in her knees!

Up in the Metal Workshop, the boys got back on to the Chippie. First up, Mark and Ian gave the bulkhead and the anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit another coat of matt black (see pic 2403 02). Ian then primed the leading and trailing edges of the cockpit areas with grey primer. Meanwhile, Barry cleaned the inside of the canopy and then gave the Perspex panels a good going over with Car Glass Cleaner (see pic 2403 03). The canopy is now ready for re-fitting onto the fuselage.

Last week, John S. had requested that some areas of the forward and aft cockpit areas be repainted as quite a bit of the original matt black finish had flaked off. This caused quite a bit of head-scratching amongst the team. Where could one possibly draw the line in terms of what gets repainted/not repainted, and how do we ensure none of the patina and essential markings are lost? After lunch and a bit of prevarication, the boys eventually knuckled down and made a start on the insides of the two cockpits.

At the rear, Barry set about hand painting the panel sides in matt black, but avoiding all the markings, levers, knobs and switches (see pic 2403 04 – left of brake lever is repainted, right side is not). Ian also gave the rear control stick a coat of grey primer.

Up front, Trainee Pilot Officer Mark manoeuvred his way rather ungracefully into the pilot’s seat to prime the front control stick. Such was the effort of hauling his (nearly 3 score years) old bod’ into the cockpit he then incurred some cramp in his hip and couldn’t move! This gave rise to much mirth, sorry… concern, amongst the adjacent NCO ground crew, who then contemplated how they might extract him. Unfortunately, the ‘CUT HERE FOR EMERGENCY RESCUE’ markings had been lost during the Chippie’s years outside rotting in a field, and so some random cuts with an angle grinder looked as if they might be on the cards. Fortunately, in the nick of time, TPO Mark’s cramp wore off and having painted some of the floor area panels matt black, he was able to then extricate himself from the front cockpit (see pic 2403 05) just in time for a recuperative cup of afternoon tea!

05/03/24 Front to back, back to front and back to black!

Yes, all you Amy Winehouse fans, in a slow news week, partly due to a lack of bods, Mark and Gwen found some more elements of the ROC building that they could still paint white. This time it was the back room that Ian S. and friends had cleared of all exhibits (see pic 2403 06).

Up in the Metal Workshop, Barry set about finishing off the partial repainting of the inside of the Chipmunk cockpit. At the start of play, the front of the cockpit was partially primed and the leather cushion edge to the binnacle was cracked and lacking a black finish in places (see pic 2403 07).

By the close of play, Barry had rejuvenated the cushion edge, with a bit of leather cream and black shoe polish and painted the panel just inside the front windscreen in anti-glare matt black (see pic 2403 08). The day was then finished off with a quick hoover of the cockpit floor and the two control columns received a fresh coat of matt black. From a Paint Team perspective, that is the Chipmunk finished (unless John S. dreams up any more jobs for us!). And yet…..

12/03/24 (Mark K)

With the team short of two members again, and (as Thunderclap Newman put it) with “Something in the Air” (i.e. rain), the planned start to outside aircraft cleaning was delayed until the next dry Tuesday.

Instead, Ian and Mark busied themselves by applying several coats of white gloss paint to one final wall in the back of ROC (see pic 2403 09), whilst Cliff was putting up signs and getting on with other odd-jobs.

Talking of ‘Odd Jobs’ the sight of a Beretta was more than enough to trigger Ian’s inner James Bond (see pic 2403 10), although some would say the lack of a DJ and a bow tie somewhat spoilt the overall effect (and the lack of a Walther PPK – Ed.).

Then, what was intended to be a flying visit to the Metal workshop turned into more work on the Chipmunk. Last week when Barry had been painting the seat in the front, it was actually the seat from the back, so when that was put back in the back and the front was put back in the front, it became apparent that the back of the front seat would need cleaning (see pic 2403 11). Needless to say, Ian and Mark were very glad to see the back of that job!

After lunch, and with Cliff having spent a bit of time in ROC (see pic 2403 12), it was off outside to cut metal sleeves that will be placed in the ground to hold the recently painted flagpoles (see pic 2403 13).

As always, the day ended with a nice cup of tea, with the topic of this week’s cheerful chat being the safety record of the DC-10.

Barry and Mark K

(Photos) Paint Team Update

Ground Force Update

Fencing work from behind the Canberra to Phantom is now complete. This now gives a 360-degree view for both the Phantom and Valetta. Access to rear-facing views of the Sea Prince, Jet Provost and Canberra gives far more photographic opportunities for our visitors. This new area will also allow
ground space for extra display stands and picnics.

We have cleared away an enormous amount of brushwood from the far car park, opening good views of the Adair Walk, opening up soon when better weather allows for all works to be completed.

The mole population is under control at present (a constant threat!), potholes to be filled as and when the weather permits. We desperately need a warmer and drier spell.

A tidy-up of the Memorial is planned, and several benches will be treated soon and put back outside as soon as the weather warms up.

Spring is nearby, hopefully, so Grass cutting will soon commence again when the conditions allow. Branches near the Mig and Phantom have had a trim which brightens up the area a little better.

Brian

(Photos) Ground Force Update

Upcoming Event Information

March and April Events

Below is the current list of March and April events at the Museum. To view more details of each event, click on the appropriate poster.

Pete S

The Repeat Info

Here we are in 2024 and 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.