NASAM Blog Special
Arrival of Skeeter XL739
Depressing
Apparently the third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year. With that in mind various volunteers decided that they needed to cheer themselves up the next day. How could they do this? An obvious solution was to collect a new helicopter so off we went to the Norfolk Tank Museum.
Arrival of Skeeter XL739 at Flixton
The Norfolk Tank Museum had a Saunders Roe Skeeter AOP12 helicopter in store for a few years which they were waiting to get the chance to restore. That hadn’t happened so they proposed a deal to us. They would loan the helicopter to us for (at least) ten years if we restored it. That seemed like a good deal so with a hired trailer hooked up to the back of the chairman’s car four volunteers set off for Forncett St Peter.
On arrival the cab and boom were outside. The trailer suitably positioned, the cab was loaded onto the trailer with a large recovery crane. The blades were loaded underneath and various small pieces in a crate loaded as well. Unfortunately the boom wouldn’t fit as well, so a second run had to be organised.
Off we went back to Flixton attracting a few second looks as we passed.
On arrival a much needed coffee was consumed then several additional volunteers recruited and the cab was unloaded, this time by manpower as we don’t have a recovery crane! Luckily off loading was downhill so our additional volunteer, gravity, helped as well.
The rest of the smaller pieces were unloaded and stacked in the workshop (the cab has been left outside for a good clean before work starts). Two of the volunteers then set off back to Forncett.
The boom is much lighter and with help from NTM volunteers we quickly loaded the boom, rotor head and other small pieces and once secured set off back to Flixton again.
The boom and various bits unloaded into the workshop the chairman set off for Norwich in order to return the trailer. After that it was home in time for tea, suitably cheered up.
The Skeeter was initially used by the Aircraft and Armaments Experimental Establishment for trials work before serving with the Army in Germany. It was then used as a gate guardian, initially at Detmold then at Wattisham Air Station (ex RAF Wattisham).
Steve B
(Photos) XL739 – Journey to Flixton
[Thanks here for this batch of photos go to Steve]
XL739 – In the Workshop
Picture of the workshop with some skeeter parts inside for the time being. The cockpit/engine unit, plus some other parts, are still outside and are awaiting pressure washing next week. When it’s inside we will post more pictures.
Here’s where we are at the moment, from R to L: rotor blades, seats, fuselage, rotor head, perspex and cowlings. Next week, the workshop will be reorganised so that the less important parts are out of the way and we can concentrate on the cockpit and engine.
John S
XL739 – In the Workshop
[Photo from John S]
XL739 – At the Tank Museum
The helicopter when stored at the Tank Museum, Forncett St Peter, Norfolk.
XL739 – At Wattisham Air Station
The aircraft when it was displayed outside 3 Regiment HQ at Wattisham Air Station. Photo by kind permission of George Baczkowski.
XL739 Potted History
A few dates from the history of the aircraft:
- 1958 – Built By Sunders Roe
- Model – Skeeter AOP.12
- Construction Number – S2/5071
- Type – Rotorcraft
- Seats – 2
- Engines – 1
- Engine Type – Reciprocating
- Engine model – De Havilland Gipsy Major Mk.14
- 1968 – Accident when being flow by 15/19 Hussars
- 1968 – Written Off
- 1989 – Displayed outside 4 Regiment HQ at Detmold
- 1995 – At Wattisham Air Station
- 2005 – Displayed outside 3 Regiment HQ at Wattisham Air Station
- 2019 – At the Norfolk Tank Museum
- 2025 – At the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum
Would You Like To Help
There are a number of ways you can help the museum if you wish to do so. Especially for a volunteer-run charity organisation such as the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum. You could become a Museum Member by paying a small fee each year, or you could make a one-off donation to help with our running costs.
To become a Museum Member or a Volunteer Member please click on the appropriate button below to see the details on our main website.
Click to see how to becomeMUSEUM MEMBER Click to see how to becomeMUSEUM VOLUNTEER
To make a donation please click the donate button below to be taken to our donations page.
For all other details on the museum please go to our main web page by clicking on the picture below.
