Viggen for Newark Air Museum

A few days late, but I thought this may be of interest.

Pictures can be found here

News Release
For immediate issue
Date: February 8, 2006

Location: RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire

Saab Viggen AJSH 37, 373 918 – ‘57’ of the Swedish Air Force safely touched down at 1315 Hours Zulu at RAF Cranwell, Lincs. Flown to the Lincolnshire base by Captain Jonas Haraldsson of 211 Squadron, F 21 Norrbotten Wing of the Swedish Air Force, this Saab Viggen’s final landing came at the end of a one hour twenty minute [1 hour 20 minute] delivery flight across the North Sea from southern Sweden. Earlier in the morning the aircraft had flown from its home base at Luleå, Sweden and transited to southern Sweden. [Luleå is home base ICAO ESPA Kallax Airport, which is located just south of the Arctic Circle].

The Saab Viggen AJSH 37, which is an upgraded version of the SH 37 maritime [radar] reconnaissance variant that operated in a strike and intercept role, has been placed on long-term loan with the Newark Air Museum from the National Swedish Defence Museum. Unfortunately the wartime runways at the Newark Air Museum’s Winthorpe Airfield site were not considered to be in a suitable condition to allow the Viggen to land safely. This problem has been overcome thanks to the generous assistance of personnel at RAF Cranwell, who have provided suitable landing facilities and to staff from Serco who have provided technical assistance.

Shortly after touch-down a brief ceremony was held in the presence of officials from RAF Cranwell to hand over the aircraft to representatives from the museum. The Viggen will be de-fuelled and deactivated by a team of Swedish Air Force technicians who will be flown across from Sweden.

During the coming weeks the Viggen will be dismantled prior to making a short journey along the A17 road to its news home at the museum’s Winthorpe Airfield site, just over the county border in Nottinghamshire. Once transported to Newark the Viggen will be reassembled and the museum will then host a formal handover ceremony to formally welcome this classic fighter into the care of the UK’s largest volunteer managed aviation museum.

Regular progress reports will be made via the museum website at http://www.newarkairmuseum.co.uk

Final comment on the project is left to Newark Air Museum Trustee, Sqn Ldr Brian Withers, MBE, AFC, RAF [Retd]. “On behalf of the trustees of Newark Air Museum I would like to take this opportunity to place on record our sincere thanks to the Station Commander and staff at RAF Cranwell, staff at Serco, Major Thomas Palmklint, Captain Jonas Haraldsson and the Swedish Air Force and Mr Sven Scheiderbauer, Director of the Norsk Luftfartsmuseum, Bodø, Norway, who have all contributed greatly to enable this project to be completed successfully”.

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