The second of this Big Three independent UK museums is the Newark Air Museum. Established for similar reasons to MAM and the third of the museums I'll posting soon, Newark has grown enormously over the years and, is numerically larger in size compared to the other two. Newark began the same way, with a group of enthusiasts having acquired airframes for preservation, in this case, a Westland Wallace, which has since been sold to the RAF Museum, and to this day, Newark has airframes on loan from RAFM. Like MAM, Newark's collection focusses on postwar aircraft, although the site is on the ground of former RAF Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire, and as a result, like MAM has a range of exotica. Its primary focus, I suspect intentionally is post-war RAF training aircraft, with examples of everything from Percival Prentice to a Jetstream and much in between. NAM has a sizeable Fleet Air Arm collection too, which makes it appealing as a point of difference, although the usual Lightnings, Meteors, Vampires and so forth can be seen as at most aviation museums round the country. Similar airframes also include examples of Armee de l'Air F-100s, Mysteres and T-33s that formerly flew to RAF Sculthorpe after their retirement in 1975, most of which were scrapped, but examples escaped to collections round the country.
Like MAM however, the inevitable creep of stuff into spaces around the aircraft reflects a growing collection lacking space and like other UK museums, placement of these things often leaves a lot to be desired, like a Bristol Siddeley Stentor rocket engine (which powered the Avro Blue Steel) next to a Taylor Monoplane for example. Like with MAM however, Newark is immensely enjoyable and visitors get a triple treat of going aboard the Vulcan, Shackleton and Hastings on most normal days.
Vulcan XM594 greets visitors on arrival, with a Blue Steel in front.
NAM 01
One of three Canberras on site, this one is a radar trainer.
NAM 09
The Shackleton never fails to impress and tours of the aircraft are likely on most days, staff permitting.
NAM 11
A remnant of the Sculthorpe Air Force - former Armee de l'Air aircraft paid for by the United States and sent to the UK for scrapping, a Mystere IVA.
NAM 18
The rotating bomb bay of Newark's relatively rare early model Buccanner S.1.
NAM 23
John Taylor's original prototype of the J.R.T Monoplane.
NAM 25
A very rare RAF Venom night fighter, there is also an example of its navy counterpart, the Sea Venom on site too.
NAM 27
I do love a good Lightning!
NAM 47
As a point of difference, Newark has the only two examples of MiG-23 airframes in the UK.
NAM 59
On loan from the RAF Museum is this jet lift Meteor VZ608, with an RR RB.108 engine alongside, which was mounted vertically aft of the cockpit.
NAM 68
This is Newark's showpiece, Canberra WV787, which was rescued through appeals launched in FlyPast Magazine to save it, after it was threatened with scrapping, so local enthusiasts banded together to fund its removal from Boscombe Down to Newark.
NAM 77
A descendant of the Wellington bomber, a Varsity navigation trainer.
NAM 81
More images here:
Newark Air Museum
Thanks for looking.
Like MAM however, the inevitable creep of stuff into spaces around the aircraft reflects a growing collection lacking space and like other UK museums, placement of these things often leaves a lot to be desired, like a Bristol Siddeley Stentor rocket engine (which powered the Avro Blue Steel) next to a Taylor Monoplane for example. Like with MAM however, Newark is immensely enjoyable and visitors get a triple treat of going aboard the Vulcan, Shackleton and Hastings on most normal days.
Vulcan XM594 greets visitors on arrival, with a Blue Steel in front.
One of three Canberras on site, this one is a radar trainer.
The Shackleton never fails to impress and tours of the aircraft are likely on most days, staff permitting.
A remnant of the Sculthorpe Air Force - former Armee de l'Air aircraft paid for by the United States and sent to the UK for scrapping, a Mystere IVA.
The rotating bomb bay of Newark's relatively rare early model Buccanner S.1.
John Taylor's original prototype of the J.R.T Monoplane.
A very rare RAF Venom night fighter, there is also an example of its navy counterpart, the Sea Venom on site too.
I do love a good Lightning!
As a point of difference, Newark has the only two examples of MiG-23 airframes in the UK.
On loan from the RAF Museum is this jet lift Meteor VZ608, with an RR RB.108 engine alongside, which was mounted vertically aft of the cockpit.
This is Newark's showpiece, Canberra WV787, which was rescued through appeals launched in FlyPast Magazine to save it, after it was threatened with scrapping, so local enthusiasts banded together to fund its removal from Boscombe Down to Newark.
A descendant of the Wellington bomber, a Varsity navigation trainer.
More images here:
Newark Air Museum
Thanks for looking.
