It’s been a little over a year since my last visit to the museum, despite living only about 4 miles away. I’ve only just bought a digital SLR camera, so decided a visit to the museum was a good way to get to grips with the manual settings of the camera.
The museum has grown in both facilities and displays, in the 23 years since it was moved from the Sunderland Airport site. The main hangar contains most of the exhibits, while an annex houses the entrance, shop, and and engine display hall. Since the building of this hangar, all but two aircraft are housed indoors. The two remaining outside are the Vulcan XL319, ex 44 Sqdn, and the Canberra TT18 WJ639.
The first five pictures show the main hangar, engine room and air raid shelter. Pictures 6 to 10 show the F-86D Sabre, F-84, T-33, Mystere IV and Hunter F51.
More shortly….
Steve
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th June 2006 at 15:55
I’ll apologise for the quality of these pics, but most were from a 10mm neg disc camera back in the early 1980’s. I hope you find them an interesting comparison to the previous pics.
Some of the pictures are of the NEAM at their original location, I think around 1983, near the Usworth control tower, long before they got any proper facilities. Fortunately for the museum, when Sunderland airport closed to build the Nissan car plant, the museum got the two small flying club hangars. These can also be seen, shortly after rebuild on the new site.
Steve
By: GASML - 5th June 2006 at 15:23
No I didn’t. It was in the corner of the hangar behind the barrier, out of reach.
Steve
……and AJ had put 10,000 volts through the barrier too! 😀
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th June 2006 at 12:20
No I didn’t. It was in the corner of the hangar behind the barrier, out of reach.
Steve
By: British Canuck - 5th June 2006 at 12:18
Thanks for sharing the pictures…Did you take any pictures of their comet cockpit section..I think I could see it in the background of one of your pictures…
By: Arabella-Cox - 4th June 2006 at 23:30
Maybe they should put a few hundred volts through the fence to keep the little ba***rds out.
Ali 😡
If only!!!!!!! now we have to integrate the little darlings back into a caring community where they can fulfil a long and productive life!! 🙂
Steve
By: Allison Johnson - 4th June 2006 at 23:26
The Valetta was lost several years ago to a local known teenage arsonist. I believe this was not long before the local council agreed to a security fence around the whole museum.
Steve
Now I remember. Couldn’t remember the name of it. I was there a few weeks ago and was told about the attempted breakin on the Vulcan. Maybe they should put a few hundred volts through the fence to keep the little ba***rds out.
Ali 😡
By: Arabella-Cox - 4th June 2006 at 23:20
The Valetta was lost several years ago to a local known teenage arsonist. I believe this was not long before the local council agreed to a security fence around the whole museum.
Steve
By: Allison Johnson - 4th June 2006 at 23:17
Not surprising for 23 years out in the NE weather! I guess a coat of paint would help, but that’s quite a few gallons! Many of the aircraft indoors have been repainted, and being indoors, they should last, but I don’t know if there are any plans to repaint 319.
Steve
Last time I was there I was told they had a massive problem with kids trying to break into it. They have already lost an aircraft due to a fire set by kids boozing and smoking pot behind one of the sheds after hours.
Not sure whiich aircraft it was so if anyone knows?
Ali
By: GASML - 3rd June 2006 at 17:11
There are actually two Luton’s
A Minor G-AFUG which was orginally built by Mr Brown in Stanley during the second world war. It was restored by Ken Fern and painted with the period registration G-AFUG although it was never registered.
There is also a Major built in Peterlee by Peter Jobes but not finished before being donated to the museum.
Thanks for that Thunderbird. G-AFUG did have me scratching my head, as it didn’t line up with any previous records?
I’m very intrigued to hear more about the Major (or indeed any other Majors left in existence). Anyone have any idea how complete it is?
By: Thunderbird167 - 3rd June 2006 at 13:18
For GASML
There are actually two Luton’s
A Minor G-AFUG which was orginally built by Mr Brown in Stanley during the second world war. It was restored by Ken Fern and painted with the period registration G-AFUG although it was never registered.
There is also a Major built in Peterlee by Peter Jobes but not finished before being donated to the museum.
By: cdp206 - 3rd June 2006 at 12:11
Definitely look like it’s worth the trip up from Sheffield. Must have it arranged! Cheers for the photos.
By: GASML - 3rd June 2006 at 11:14
Ahhhh, a Luton!!!!! 😀
Nice pictures Steve.
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 1st June 2006 at 17:05
Nice Pickett-Hamilton….. very tidy museum must get there one day…
TT
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st June 2006 at 16:29
Bloody hell, 319 is lookingshabby isn’t she
Not surprising for 23 years out in the NE weather! I guess a coat of paint would help, but that’s quite a few gallons! Many of the aircraft indoors have been repainted, and being indoors, they should last, but I don’t know if there are any plans to repaint 319.
Steve
By: XL391 - 1st June 2006 at 16:22
Bloody hell, 319 is lookingshabby isn’t she
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st June 2006 at 16:08
Last set of pictures…..
F53 Lightning ZF594, F-100D Super Sabre 54-2157, Whirlwind XN258, Canberra WJ639, One of RAF Usworths Base Defence Pill Boxes, and the final two pictures are Vulcan B2 XL319.
Steve
By: Rlangham - 1st June 2006 at 16:04
Cheers for the pics, great to see pics from museums, especially ones i’m not likely to visit for a while. Good to hear they have an entrance building, last time I was there the toilet, shop, entrance etc were housed in a shipping container
By: Arabella-Cox - 1st June 2006 at 16:01
The next batch…..
11 to 15 are the Meteor F8 WL181, Vampire T11 WZ518, Swift WK198, Widgeon G-APTW and the Flying Flea G-ADVU.
16 to 20 :- first is the Avro Anson C.19 TX213, under covers and awaiting its turn for restoration. Next, an engineless Luton LA-4 Minor G-AFUG, ex-Falkland Islands based FMA Pucara A-522, and the last two are a link trainer and ‘mouse’ with map table.
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June 1, 2006 at 3:46 pm