October 18, 2013 at 10:21 pm
When I make my annual (these days) pilgrimage from Kent to Duxford for the Autumn airshow I usually spend a few days afterwards at Newark, East Kirby and Conningsby.
This year I went east instead to Norwich. I wanted to see the RAF Radar museum
but as it was not open on the Monday I spent the time at the Norfolk & Suffolk
Museum at Flixton. What an Aladdin’s cave their hangars turned out to be. An early Lightning standing side by side with a Sea Harrier and a Valetta in the line up outside.
Several Nissan huts containing displays on Bomber Command, USAAF (Bungay airfield
was a bomber base in WW2) Air sea rescue. W/C Ken Wallis was their president and one
Of his ‘Little Nellie’ gyrocopters and the Wallbro replica he built are in a hall named after him. An excellent museum. http://www.aviationmuseum.net/
Next I went to the RAF Radar Museum at Neatshead. Housed in the buildings which contained the Air Defence Centre from 1941 upto 2005. A guided tour takes you through a reconstruction of the day fighter control tables and Filter room of the Battle of Britain. Next room contains a nightfighter control and then the really impressive ‘modern’ control which covered southern England. A number of rooms contain a large collection of radar and radio equipment. A couple contain some of the Coltishall museum collection including a Jaguar
Cockpit Another excellent museum.
Over the fence there are still remote radar heads connected to Boulmer in Northumberland. The road signs RRH Neatshead will help you find it.
http://www.radarmuseum.co.uk/radar%20console.html
[URL=http://s25.photobucket.com/user/mfmitch/media/RRM1_zps8a0f3252.jpg.html]
[/URL
I know there is the City of Norwich museum near the airport. I visited it some years ago. Maybe I will go back there next year!
By: SADSACK - 19th October 2013 at 11:31
The Norwich Air museum is very good as well. Last time the new “building” wasn’t open to the public but they copuld see I knew my stuff and gave me a guided tour!
By: Sideslip - 19th October 2013 at 07:30
mmitch – My father is a volunteer tour guide at the Neatishead radar Museum and is very pleased that you enjoyed your visit.