Viggen to come outside!

The Viggen’s spell outside has now been completed and the airframe was successfully returned to its display space in Hangar 2 this morning – even more encouraging is the news that the tractor and driver also managed to exit the hangar safely!!

Details have gone onto the NAM website advising that the Viggen will go back inside next Tuesday.

It has already been partially moved to allow for safe access to and from the Aeroboot on Saturday for the sellers at the event.

Anyone participating in the Night Shoot on Saturday might be interested in this update!

Not long back from NAM and it’s good to report that the Viggen has been moved in preparation for its Car Photography and Night Photo Shoot sessions, both taking place in the next 10 days.

It will still be outside for the Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble on October 12th and it will then be moved back inside, sometime after that event – so that Saturday could be a good chance to support the Aeroboot and grab some Viggen photos!!

In principle I don’t disagree, but from a logistical perspective it would be a nightmare, which is a lot to do with the early (on-going) desire to get as many airframes inside as possible. It’s also worth remembering that several airframes have been assembled ‘in-situ’ to make the optimum use of any pockets of undercover space, which makes simple ‘wheel-outs’ much harder to achieve.

This news item on the website has a view down Hangar 1 taken from the Phantom CIM platform, it also has a list of the airframes in that hangar. The hangar door is at the far end of the shot and the Sea Hawk is in the bottom left hand corner, from this you can get an idea of the size of the task to move the Sea Hawk out.

It’s only as I’ve just looked at this photograph that I’ve noticed that the Tiger Cub (suspended from the roof) is also in the way. The obvious way would be to fold the Sea Hawk wings into their upright storage position; however from the evaluation work carried out for the Draken I don’t believe that Sea Hawk could move out through the main hangar doors with them in this position.

I suspect that he only time such a major ‘reshuffle’ would be contemplated is if the much talked about Hangar 3 ever materialises. The museum would then have another under cover space that the aircraft from Hangar 1 could be moved into – albeit on a temporary basis to accommodate a ‘reshuffle’.

I love Newark but a reshuffle really wouldn’t be a bad thing. The Sea Hawk hasn’t moved in 25 years!

Yes the Sea Hawk is still tucked away in the deepest recesses of Hangar 1 at Newark – I’ve just had a quick look on a hangar photograph and I reckon that at least 12 other airframes would have to be moved outside for there to be any chance of bringing the Sea Hawk out into the limelight!

A proposal to bring the Draken outside to sit alongside the Viggen was discussed recently and this was eventually discounted on the grounds of it being too disruptive to the other exhibits in Hangar 1. Especially as the Tiger Moth, Monospar, FRED, Lee Richards Annular, Auster AOP.9 etc. would all need to be moved outside; a swap with another airframe in Hangar 2 was mooted, but the desire to avoid too much disruption eventually won the day!

Is the Sea Hawk still where she was? She was there during my first visit in the 80s, be good to see her outdoors… ironic as we normally grumble about a/c needing to get under cover!

The NAM website is reporting that the Day/Night photo shoot has sold out … the Saab car photo day continues to attract a lot of interest!

Any car owners who fancy photographing their ‘pride & joy’ with NAM’s Viggen can now do so on Sunday 29th September 2013.

Further details in the usual place!

Hearing from NAM that spaces are still available for this event in early October!

Details about the ‘long-suspected’ Night Shoot featuring the Viggen have now been released – date Saturday 5th October 2013 and more details can be found here!

Seems from the announcement in here that the Viggen will remain outside until after the autumn Indoor Aeroboot, which means there could be a few more tables available for that sale!

Here’s the latest news from the NAM Website on the ‘splintered wonder’!

“Update 02.07.13 Following a meeting of the museum trustees this morning it seems likely that the Viggen will remain outside until at least the end of this month. Potential events involving the Viggen are being actively investigated and details of these will be announced as and when they are finalised.”

I’m pleased to report that after some careful manoeuvring the Saab Viggen is now displayed outside at NAM – where it should stay until after the Waddington Airshow.

Some photos of the move can be found in here! :applause:

The possibility of a Night Shoot featuring the Viggen is being debated elsewhere – any thoughts about such a proposal from people on here?

An album of Viggen move photographs from 2006 has been added in here to whet a few more appetites!