NASAM Update as of the 3rd Apr 2024

In This Edition

Summary of Contents

As summer is fast approaching, we are looking again for more volunteers. In this edition of the blogs’, “Museum News,” we have a wanted poster looking for such new talent at the Museum. We also have details of a flypast by the two RAF BBMF’s Hurricanes.

From the Teams “Inside and Outside – The Museum“, we have a double update from the Paint Team, this time from Barry and Mark K. We have a Chippies update from Michael (published originally in the Flixton Flier newsletter a few weeks ago to members of the Museum) along with a few photos that were not in that publication. Last but by no means least, we have an update from Malcolm and his work with the aircraft models in the MMU.

In the “Events Information“, we show the two events that are booked for April, the first of which is this coming weekend when the Norfolk Internal Combustion Engine Society will hold their annual event day at the Museum. We are expecting around 35 exhibits to be on show scattered around outside the Museum and in the main hangar.

Looking forward to the next edition of the blog, we will have reports on the two events held over the recent Bank Holiday weekend, with a visit by the Norfolk Mini Owners Club and our own event, the East Anglia Air Ambulance Easter Egg Hunt, which is in aid of that charity.

Pete S

Museum News

General news from the Museum

How About Volunteering ??

With the Summer fast approaching and the days getting longer and warmer, we tend to find that we have more and more people coming to the Museum. While we look forward to welcoming more visitors, this does put a strain on our “Volunteer Force”, and we are always looking for more people to help. If you feel you can devote a little time to the Museum, then you are “Wanted” to join our band of volunteers.

In addition to the information in our “Wanted” poster above, there are more deatils at the foot of this blog, with some links to pages that may help you decide if you would like to join.

Opening Days

Advance Notice BBMF Flypast

We have been notified that the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has been scheduled to do a “flypast” at the Museum on Sunday, the 12th of May 2024. Two Hurricane aircraft from the BBMF flight will perform the flypast.

According to the RAF BBMF website, there are only 12 airworthy Hurricanes left in the world, and the BBMF proudly operates two of these historically important aircraft:

Hurricane LF363 (Mk IIC) – believed to be the last Hurricane to enter service with the RAF.
Hurricane PZ865 (Mk IIC) – the last Hurricane built (of 14,533).

Link to the information on the RAF BBMF Aircraft (Ed)

This will be a chance to see these two superb aircraft together in flight.

As is usual in these schedulings, the flypast is subject to operational commitments and also weather conditions on the day, both at Flixton and at the aircraft base.

Stay in touch via this blog for more information nearer the date.

Pete S

Inside and Outside – The Museum

Information from the various teams

Paint Team Updates

19/03/24 – Bond er… Wand is back!

With the weather set fair for the day, it was time for the team to break out the pressure washers and start the annual spring clean of the external aircraft.

In the middle paddock, Mark, Ian and Barry set up shop, armed with hoses, splitters, extension reels and various models of Karcher.

Following his brief Bond cameo last week, Ian quickly got back into character, blasting the grime off the MiG with his high-pressure wand (see pic), with Mark a bemused onlooker as Ian ‘gave it’ to the MiG.

Having knocked off the MiG, Mark and Ian moved across to the Pukara, which was looking particularly grubby (see pic). Mark set up station on the port side (see pic), while Ian tackled the higher up areas utilising his new extendable wand (see pic).

Next door, Barry started cleaning the Phantom, which was also very grubby on the port side (see pic), being also fairly adjacent to the willow trees.

Elsewhere, Gwen sensibly kept dry by painting one of the Container Stores in deep sea green (see pic). She could hardly contain her enthusiasm for this particular job!

At lunchtime, Mark rocked up with his usual ‘high end’ brand of corner yoghurt, the ongoing source of much envy within the team (ok, mainly me). In a blatant attempt to win the hand of friendship, Mark offered up a ‘spare’ corner yoghurt to the assembled masses that was rapidly devoured by Ian, who was the ‘first cab off the rank’ as it were (see pic).

In the arvo, the team got back to pressure washing and by close of play the Mig and Pukara were looking somewhat cleaner than they had at the beginning of the day (see pic).

As time was called, Barry had managed to clean about 75% of the port side of the Phantom (see pic), which is a deceptively big old bird, with a very large surface area due to the delta wings. To be continued next week.

Barry

(Photos) Paint Team Update 19/3/24

26/03/24 – Green is the Colour

With Barry off in search of the Abominable Snowman (or something to do with a Yeti), but with the weather looking clear and sunny, the rest of the team knuckled down to more cleaning and painting.

Whilst Cliff cleaned the Trojan in the morning, it’s a Mystere-y as to what he did in the afternoon (see photo’ 1).

Gwen, perhaps thinking of Shakin’ Stevens (1981), or Jim Lowe (1959), or even Frankie Vaughan (1956), finished painting the “Green Door(s)” on the recently added shipping container. She then turned her attention to the portakabins (see photo’ 2) on which she also painted, er, a Green Door.

Meanwhile, Mark and Ian carried on where Barry had left off the week before by tackling the starboard side of the Phantom. Despite nearly drowning each other more than once they managed to clean “Way up high or down low” (The Calling, Wherever You Will Go, 2001) (see photo’s 3 and 4).

They also had some success using the teams highest power washer on some of the more stubborn Green stains on the port wing. They just need to remember to turn the power down when they get around to washing the Meteor, or the Whirlwind, or the Javelin, or the…

The boys finished by giving the airport radar a quick blast, before agreeing that Barry will have to wash the Bloodhound when he’s back next week.

Mark K

(Photos) Paint Team Update 26/03/24

Chippies Corner

Well, another Winter Maintenance period is over, and the Chippies have retired to their extremely warm workshop to contemplate what it was all about.

The big one this year was another display cabinet for Luftwaffe Weg, squeezed in between the original Civil Aviation cabinets and the fire alarm panel. “Same design as the others, just shorter.” Not forgetting the strut that keeps the Main Hangar rigid that “grows” through the middle of the space. So instead of preassembly of a complete cabinet in a nice warm workshop, the cabinet got built in easy to assemble pieces to build around the strut. But the slope of the Hangar roof and the strut prevented a simple assembly, so parts were built “inside out” to facilitate assembly. This cabinet ended up being as complicated as the last two together!

At least the ROC maintenance crew kept their building warm for the other big job. But it was another one that started out small. “Can you just rebuild this first cabinet?” No problem. “And then make a table for these displays cases?” Yep, that’s reasonably straightforward forward. “Oh, we forgot to mention this other display case appears to have woodworm, and while you’re at it, can you change it?” Of course we can. “And this wall is a bit rotten. Can you repair it?” OK, but this is your last one, we reopen on Saturday.

In between were the usual suspects. A nice simple box stand to raise a case in Room 2 to the same height as the adjacent one – yes, it really was a simple this one. Then some more ply panels to cover the old walls in Rooms 2 and 3 as they were revealed as the maintainers shift cases around.

Meanwhile, some “proper” maintenance tasks – repair a picnic table that was collapsing, and, importantly, the NAAFI floor behind the counter which had developed a spring to it, good for a dance floor but not a refreshment area. A day of disruption for the rest of the Volunteers as we stopped them getting to the fridges and taps, but we did top up the kettle for them regularly.

Another favourite is the push-along Red Arrows. Unfortunately, some parents do love to push them through doors, but their wing spans were slightly too big. Judicious use of a saw clipped them, like some Spitfires of old, and a nice new coat of paint makes them ready for another year of hard work, hopefully with less damage.

Our latest project as we move towards opening may be seen as self-indulgent. Late last year the Museum acquired another, short container which will become a second woodstore for soft woods. We have started using it for some donated wood, but recently took delivery of a large amount of timber for new shelves in the Archives and Instrument Store (maintenance never stops for Chippies). We have taken the opportunity to strip down the old timber stands in the Workshop to reuse in the Container. Which leaves us with … space! Yes… our Workshop is becoming a place where we can work without tripping over each other.

Watch this space for other things we have planned to make us more … efficient?

Michael

(Photos) Chippies Corner Update

MMU Update

The building of the two WW1 biplanes, RE-8 and BE-2C for the Aerial Photography display has concluded with confirmation that the fiddly process of rigging is not an essential requirement. Overall the construction went better than I anticipated, both built ‘out of the box’ so to speak although the old RE-8 was given a new set out roundels as the kit specimens were somewhat faded. I am hoping delivery to the museum will be shortly after Easter.

So the next new build on my production line will be a 1/72 Vickers Valetta. No prizes given for the eventual colour scheme (VX580!). Speaking with a friend who is already in the process of building a similar model, it does require “modelling skills”.

With regards to restorations, the last time I was at the museum I found a rather weary 1/32 scale P-51D Mustang, an old 1960’s Monogram model. It just shouted out ‘Restore Me’, I have sourced a new propeller(somehow one of the blades had been snapped in half with no sign of the missing half) and decals from Hannants to restore it as a Blue Nose machine which was based at Bodney near Thetford during 1944/45 (sorry no picture at this moment).

And finally, a further 370 models left the museum on the 12th of March, adding a similar amount in £’s to the Museum’s finances.

Malcolm

(Photos) MMU update

Event Information

April Events

Below is the current list of 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.