NASAM Update as of the 25th Feb 2025
In This Edition
Summary of Contents
In this edition of the blog “Museum News“, we start with information about the Norfolk Whoop Club and their use of the main hangar as a venue for their drone racing; Gary provides the information about the event, along with both he and Steve providing the photos and video.
From the Teams “Inside and Outside – The Museum“, we have three weeks’ worth of updates from Barry in the Paint Team and input from the Ground Force Team, where Cliff gives an update on the winter work around the Museum.
Pete S
Museum News
General news from the Museum
Whoop Club Norfolk
On Saturday 15th February the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum hosted Whoop Club Norfolk (Drone Flying).
I had been approached by this Club last year when they asked about the possibility of flying there very small drones inside our museum. In the first instance I was very sceptical as you hear all sorts of negative things in relation to these flying machines. I was reassured after seeing them in the flesh as they were indeed very small and indeed lightweight!
I told the club that I would need to seek approval from the Trustees, which was given on the understanding that they had the correct insurance cover. With everyone satisfied that these drones presented no health and safety issues permission was duly granted.
The club lead Luke Bradley booked in two days of flying for 2025, the first being 15th February and the second on 1st November. Luke was initially unsure as to how well supported this event would be. He need not have worried as on the day it was a great success.
The team turned up on a very chilly and cloudy day. They were very well organised and had even brought lunch! They started to set up the course in the main hanger in readiness for the day’s competition.
The club started flying before lunch and carried on until around mid-afternoon. I was surprised at the complexity of the equipment that the flyers were using. The drones themselves although small had very sophisticated built in cameras that were connected to even more sophisticated headsets!
At the end of the day trophies were duly handed out to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. The trophies had been personally made by Luke himself.
All those that attended said that they had a great day. Luke claimed that he felt that it had been a very successful event in an unusual location. We very much look forward to hosting them again in November.
Well done to Luke and all his helpers, a very enjoyable event that was well organised. It will be very interesting to see some of the footage taken from the actual drones as they flew around the museum!
Overall, a successful day for the club and a successful day for the museum.
Gary
(Video) Whoop Club Norfolk
The photos provided by Gary and Steve have been included in the video below.
If you have trouble viewing the video below, view it directly on YouTube @ Drone Racing @ NASAM
2025 Open Days & Admission Charges
Inside and Outside – The Museum
Information from the various teams
Paint Team Updates
04/02/25 – Museum jobs on my bucket list!
Yes folks, it was another week of ‘ensalada mixta’ at El Museo, with a wide range of jobs being undertaken by the Paint Team.
Mark and Barry limbered up with a spot of decal creation over in the Paint Store. Mark brought in his Apple Mac donation and swiftly found the correct port for the PixMax cutter. After that, Mark opened up Inkcut (see pic) and proceeded to knock out a number of decals for the Mozzie model, plus a small Spitfire job for Ian H.
Meanwhile, following a bit of initial confusion, Gwen set about cleaning down and repainting one of the cubbies in Room 2 (see pic). Further discussion will be required as the cabinets that Paul H. had refurbed to go in this space are actually too big for the space! Consequently, Marilyn Munroe may have to be moved in order to create enough room (where’s Ian W?). Watch this space…
Elsewhere, the Skipper (Cliff) took a duvet day, while Ian went off to experience one of the more generally entertaining landings on the international airline roster (landing at Madeira Airport, famous for its wind shears off the cliffs and short-ish runway on stilts out into the bay).
With the decaling done, Barry toddled off to the Restoration Workshop to continue with the repaint of the Mozzie model. Armed with another rattle can this week, Barry finished off the topcoat of Dark Admiralty Grey on the starboard wing (see pic).
After a bit of drying time, Barry then started to mask off areas the port wing ready for an application of Dark Sea Green camo.
After luncheon and a call from Professor (Paul) PAT tester (to check out the Apple Mac), Mark was flagged down by Ian S. and picked up a small but vital job as part of the Room2/3 Anderson Shelter makeover. Mark agreed to repaint the two Fire Buckets from the Air Raid display that Ian and friends are currently refreshing.
The excitement and magnitude of this job literally brought Mark to his knees (see pic), as he rubbed down the buckets and gave them an initial coat of primer. After much chortling and leg pulling, it was clear that Mark had ticked off another job on his Museum bucket list!!!
Trying to restore some decorum to proceedings, Barry finished the day by painting the masked off port wing of the Mozzie with the Dark Sea Green. To be continued.
11/02/25 – Role reversal day!
The world was turned on it’s head today in the Paint Team with various ‘players’ assuming alternate roles.
Ordinarily, our expert in painting all things yellow is Private Walker (Ian) but somehow painting the yellow ‘Adair Walk’ signage fell to Mark this week (see pic).
In another role reversal, the Private was thrown onto bucket duty, picking up where Mark left off last week. By lunchtime both Anderson shelter buckets were looking resplendent in fresh coat of Post Office Red; or should that be Fire Brigade Red (see pic)?
Meanwhile, wannabe Spitfire pilot Barry got his ‘Spit fix’ for the week by fitting a small additional decal for Ian H on TD248. Heating up the surface before application seemed to help the new ‘TYRE PRESS 47 PSI’ decal stick on a treat in the ‘just above freezing’ temperatures (see pic).
For the rest of the day Barry reverted to type and went back to finish the Dark Sea Green camo on the BC Mozzie model. After much masking and unmasking plus camo shape cutting, by the end of the day the topside of the Mozzie was wearing a complete set of camo (see pic). Next week should see painting of the props and spinners, then the markings can be applied.
Speaking of which, Mark and Barry spent 20 minutes or so in the Paper Store today knocking out the rest of the Mozzie decals on our PixMax vinyl cutter.
Over the preceding weekend, wannabe ‘Chippie’ Barry spent about 4 hours ‘whittling’ a block of 5”x5”x4” wood down into the shape of the Mozzie nose blister, ready for the 3D printers to copy. Working from a few photos, plus some full-size measurements as supplied by the DH Museum at London Colney, Barry knocked out a first pass blister mold and then test fitted it to the Mozzie, with the help of John S’s finger (see pic). Not bad for a first attempt, just a little bit more ‘whittling’ required to get it to line up perfectly with the taper line of the fuselage.
18/02/25 – Who (A)dairs wins… eventually!
This week it was a case of “nice to see, to see you nice” but more on that classic Brucie-ism later. Only older ‘Generations’ though (geddit) will comprehend this reference.
The day started off with Mark giving the Adair Walk arch lettering another coat of Hammerite Yellow (see pic). Next door, Barry masked up the BC Mozzie model so that the props and spinners could be given a coat of Satin Black (see pic).
Mark then stepped outside to re-hang the previously painted Adair gates.
While the Mozzie was drying, Barry went off to the Chippie’s shop in order to further fettle his mold of the Mozzie’s nose blister, with the aid of the Chippie’s belt sander.
Early arvo, the Adair arch was then slotted back into position with Ian’s help (see pic). However, upon closer inspection the arch was found to be rather er…wibbly wobbly. The arch therefore was quickly put back on the ground while the team figured out how best to make it more secure. After a bit of head scratching, it was decided that the best solution would be to drill through the post and dexion prongs and then secure the arch with a nut and bolt. Consequently, Mark toddled off to find appropriate tool-idge and then proceeded to drill through the posts (see pic).
After much drilling and cursing, the post eventually conceded and by close of play the Adair arch was back in place, secured by a long bolt and nut on the back (see pic).
Back in the Resto workshop annexe, Barry cleared off the morning’s masking tape and set about applying the first decals to the Mozzie model. By the end of the day the wing roundels and fin flashes were back on the Mozzie (see pic).
Just as the boys were thinking about a post-match cuppa, the new tables and chairs for the NAAFI arrived. With the museum back open to the public tomorrow there was half an hour of frenzied activity to unpack the table and chairs (see pic). With scenes reminiscent of Brucie’s Generation Game, the boys then cracked on with constructing the tables, having first observed Gary putting the first one together perfectly. Having got their nuts, washers and spindles in the right order, the boys knocked off the other 6 tables in no time at all (see pic)!
Barry
(Photos) Paint Team Update
Ground Force Update
I’ve attached some pictures for the Blog of the work done by the Ground Force Team of Brian, Lottie, Andrew, John H and myself over the winter. They include removing the wire fence between the blue gate and wreckology, the future plan is to replace the temporary rope barrier with a wooden ranch style fence.
At the rear of the Pucara we have provided access by extending the ranch fence and a rope barrier to the aircraft.
The major activity has been the clearance of the brambles and accumulation of wood behind the rear carpark. This now allows a clear view of the Adair Walk. We have used surplus timber from the Adair Walk reconstruction to provide a vehicle stop reference for visitors, along with new red and white marker poles with rope between. We hope to replace the red plastic fence with similar poles and rope. We managed to keep or feet dry, but only just, as the river as been over the walkway a couple of time since the New Year.
The Adair Walk sign and gates repaint is now complete with the walk now open with care.
The shop side carpark edge has also had the edge stones replace with sleepers along with red and white poles.
Cliff
(Photos) Ground Force Update
The Repeat Info
Here we are, the start of a new year, and despite the fact that we will now raise some monies through our admission charges, 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 some grants and 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 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
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Pete S
