08 June 2009

Newark set for Cockpit-Fest 2009

Newark Air Museum will be hosting its 10th Cockpit-Fest event on its site on the Winthorpe Showground just north-east of Newark-on-Trent on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th June. The event looks set to break all records with 21 visiting cockpits having already booked in to display alongside the museum’s own collection of 70 airframes.
 
One of the unlikely stars looks set to be its own Harvard cockpit section from airframe KF532(above). This original framework has not been on formal display at the museum for many years and it will now be available for public inspection. This came about in response to various requests made during and after the 2008 Cockpit-Fest event, the staff and volunteers moved the cockpit section out of storage and onto temporary display in Hangar 1 at the end of May.
 
Regular updates of the participation list continue to be added to the news page of the museum website: www.newarkairmuseum.org, and nearly half of the visiting cockpits are new to the event! These range from: a Spitfire Mk.V through to a Buccaneer S2.B naval strike fighter; and also includes a Canberra bomber and 3 lightning jet fighters.

A diverse range of visiting exhibits include: a Boeing 737 Simulator Display; Tri-Star Lo11 Simulator Display; Instrument panels / interiors displays; Owls from the Raptor Foundation; Lancaster W4270 display (Sat only); Shackleton Association; Newark Millgate Museum, - A display of WWII Objects; Lincolnshire Aviation Society (Sat Only); Photo Display 1803 Squadron ATC; display panels from the Lincolnshire Integrated Aviation Heritage Partnership; Photo Display of Wartime RAF Binbrook; RAF Supply Drops in WWII Burma; Crusader 80 – British Army of the Rhine, Military Vehicle Display
 
The museum’s Cockpit Opening Team aims to have many aircraft cockpits open – a small additional fee will be charged for access to some of the aircraft;
 
On both days an Aeroboot aviation and avionics sale will run alongside Cockpit-Fest and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will be providing a Dakota flypast on Saturday 13th and a Lancaster flypast on Sunday 14th.
 
Making the most of the current spell of good weather elsewhere around the museum site several projects are being worked on again. The detailed markings are nearing completion on Buccaneer S.1 XN964 and Sea Vixen FAW.2 XJ560.

After months of de-corrosion, repairs and preparation work on de Havilland Dove Series 1 G-AHRI (above); the top-coat of paint is now being applied. This particular airframe is believed to be one of the oldest surviving examples of the type in the world.

Admission costs: Adults £6.25, Over 60s £5.75, Children £4.00 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £18.50. Appointments are preferred for Group [15 plus people] visits, although not essential and a party rate booking information pack is available on application.
 
Open: Both days 0900 – 1700 hours – some cockpits start to leave by 2pm on the Sunday so we urge people to visit early so as not to miss out.