Newark Air Museum Briefing – 2017

Flushed with success !

Great news.

A quick heads-up to advise that NAM is now closed until Tuesday 2nd January 2018.

Late on Saturday 30th December NAM advised that it had secured Conditional Approval for the Building Regulation requirements for the new museum cafe & toilet facility – more details in here!

A great end to 2017! #NAMdeveloping

Reminder that NAM is open Friday 29th through until Sunday 31st December; quite busy so far post-Christmas despite the cold weather!

Opening information can be found in here.

The NAM website has been updated with a report about the Viggen Paint Refreshment project more details in here and some additional photos have been added to the Viggen Valet gallery; this time in here!

The museum is now closed until 10am on Wednesday 27th December & post – Christmas opening details – can be found in here.

A quick reminder that the NAM is open today & tomorrow and still well worth visit.

NAM then reopens again on Wednesday 27th December.

Details about its Christmas opening times are in here!

Details of NAM’s Christmas opening times have now been added to the museum website; details in here!

Plus there’s still time to visit to get those aviation Christmas presents from the Museum Shop – more info in here!

NAM is back open today, with just a few a few minor issues being tackled as noted in here http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/latest-news

NAM is closed again today, here’s an update from the Twitter feed:

Sorry for the delayed update & apologies to anyone who was planning to visit; the main concrete areas of the site are covered in ice & it is too dangerous for staff & visitors; so the #museum will remain closed today. http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/latest-news

Noted on the NAM website that due to the very poor weather forecast the museum will not be open on Sunday 10th December 2017: – further info in here!

Also being noted that further details will be posted in the same part of the museum website as and when the situation for next week becomes clearer.

Nice to see reports on the NAM website that members of the Buccaneer Aviation Group visited the museum on Saturday to replace the nose wheel & tyre on Buccaneer XN964.

Good to see such positive co-operation in the preservation sector!

An update has been added to the NAM website – this is a photo gallery for the Saab Viggen repaint project – it can be viewed via this weblink

Thank you for the feedback Cees – I will make sure that the staff and volunteers are aware of your feedback. Sorry about the Halifax bit tucked away in ‘Lancaster Corner’ – that display has lost its way a bit in recent times. 🙂

I visited the museum two weeks ago and was very impressed by the collection and the staff. Als very surprised about the amount of RR Vulture bits. Pity though that the Halifax fuselage (roofsection) was hidden behind the clutter.
Cheers
Cees

SADSACK,

When working outside, painting projects are weather and temperature dependant so the volunteers normally struggle to do much over the winter months. One of the aims with the Viggen is to utilise some of the volunteers during the coming months who have been working on the Buccaneer & Sea Vixen repaints. The temperature in Hangar 2 is reasonably stable so work should be OK for some good periods of time; as well as painting they will also be undertaking some general conservation work on the airframe.

A good example of the benefits was yesterday’s weather at the museum. Whilst the temperature was OK to paint, it was too windy and showery to do such work outside, but it was eminently suitable for working in Hangar 2.

As for the Viggen condition – looks can be deceptive. It suffered a bit when it had a brief time outside a few years ago. I looked on the upper horizontal surfaces on Tuesday and they’re quite faded; the underside and some vertical surfaces have held up quite well; photo attached.

With regard to changing the colour scheme, it will remain in its present colours – as per the terms of its End-User Certificate (import documentation) that I signed back in January 2006.

I co-ordinated the LiDAR work on the Viggen earlier this year and I’m not sure where that flying model project sits at present. It was mentioned on this thread at the time, but it appears that the associated 360 degree view of the Viggen cockpit has now gone off-line.

Finally for now a brief overview of the current restoration programmes at Newark can be found in here http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/Restoration_Status with photo updates in here http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/gallery

Perhaps a repaint into an early scheme is on the cards? I would have thought the outdoor aircraft would need attention first though?

Either way it seems that the Viggen is being used to recreate a huge flying model.

Reports elsewhere that the Viggen survey work has started at NAM: “Preliminary cleaning & detailed survey work is now underway on the Viggen in Hangar 2 at the museum – details in here!“

Other fora & NAM social media channels reporting various updates to the museum website in the last few days, including some news about a possible over-winter restoration project on the Saab Viggen in Hangar 2 – details in here!

Also the Musuem Work Gallery has also been updated – with reference to work on the Harvard, Vulcan etc.

Copies of the new Ken Ellis book “Local Aviation Collections of Britain” are now available from the Newark Air Museum Shop – nice insight into many regional aviation museums! :applause:

Booking forms for the Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble on Saturday 3rd March 2018 can now be requested via the NAM website, which also contains details of the NAM Remembrance Service that takes place at 3pm on Sunday 12th November.

Further details of both events can be found in here!