the helicopter museum: newsletter vol. 6

7/28/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 6

1/8

Top right: Just one of many military visits to

The Museum over the past months. Centre

right: Trevor Egginton back in the cockpit.

Bottom right: The newest item to go on

display in The Museum; a Gypsy Major

Engine. Bottom left: Some of our re-enactorspose at the flight-sim convention held in

May. Centre Left: Just one of many models

recently donated to The Museum; This one

was made in Africa! Top Left: A Cabri G-2

pays the Museum a visit in April.


2/8

Elfan Ap Rees

A message from the Chairman of the Trustees

As we get close to entering our Stage One bid for

Heritage Lottery Funding to further develop and expand

the museum there is an obvious need to directly appeal

to members of the Friends organisation for help to raise

at least 50,000 as their contribution towards theestimated 4 million target.

The Friends organisation currently raised relatively little

over the average year but does enjoy benefits like free

admission and shop discounts. Of course a small core of

Friends helps the museum with our events and other

volunteer work which is invaluable but with apparently at

least 200 members (we don't know the exact number for

reasons that will become clear below ) ,the Trustees

believe asking each Friend to raise and contribute a

minimum of 250 to this project is not unreasonable.

Unfortunately we have great difficulty contacting the

members directly since the museum holds no address

list, not even e mail addresses! This is already frustrating,

for example when we learn of something that needs a

rapid follow up to investigate and yet we don't have a

possible contact who could go take a look. Other

examples abound. For instance we are sure there

are professionals among the membership who could

help develop this project as matched funding ,be they

structural engineers ,ecology experts, solicitors ,fundraisers, brick layers, carpenters.....come and spend your

holiday next year with us, making this exciting project

become a reality.

One reason for the Museum to produce this newsletter

was to find a better and more reliable method of

communication with everyone interested in the museum,

hence the appearance of this appeal.

If you are or know a member of The Friends please

contact the Editor directly with your contact address.That way we can ensure you receive the official

newsletter directly. Even better if you know anyone who

you think will be interested in our news, again give us

their e mail address and we'll add them to our mailing

list.

Keep an eye out!

I do not want to sound like a nag...but...given that the

museum is getting busier every day, please keep an eye

out for irregularities up and down the site. Next time you

go down for a cup of tea or you nip to the toilet, perhaps

take a slightly different route and look out for the

following:

Moved guide ropes

Un-accompanied children

Litter

Damage to any exhibits

These are just a few problems that I can foresee

happening at the busiest periods. If you do see anything

of concern, please report the issue to the appropriate

member of staff.

Scouts and Schools...continued

The same goes for scout groups and similarly minded

organisations. The Helicopter Museum offers a great

chance to do something different whilst earning a badge

at the same time. We have had great feedback from

scouting groups that have visited us; many scout leaders

have cited the excellent nature of our guides which has

really made the visit special. So if you know a scout

master, arkala or a cub, please recommend us to them.

Fingers Crossed??

The staff and trustees are continuing to work hard on the

Heritage Lottery Bid. If successful, the money would see a

huge expansion of the museum site creating space for

more aircraft. Facilities in the existing buildings would be

considerably upgraded and our level of display

revolutionised. Check out the latest aerial plans from the

appointed architect! Let us know what you think.

Scouts and Schools

The museum is making a concerted effort to introduce

the up and coming generation to vertical flight history

and the heritage sector. Most people that volunteer atThe Museum will know either children at school, PTA

members or teachers. Why not suggest The Helicopter

Museum for their next school visit? We have the facilities

to deal with a myriad of requests and we are local.


3/8

News

Aviation legend visits The Museum

World Helicopter Speed Record Holder Trevor Egginton

visited the museum to give a unique talk to members of

the Empire Test Pilots School in the museums lecture

facilities in April. Striking a similar pose to the photo

taken after the record attempt, Trevor was good enoughto jump into the driving seat once again over 25 years

later.

Piloting the Lynx helicopter, registered G-LYNX, he flew a

15km course across the Somerset Levels at 500 ft on a

calm hazy evening back in 1986, setting a new world

helicopter speed record of 249.1 mph (400.87 kph) and

beating the record held by a modified Mil Hind

helicopter by over 20 mph (32 kph). The record has not

been beaten since and Mr Egginton remains a true

legend of British aviation history. On a personal note, I

do not think I have met a more humble man in all my

life; thank you for taking the time to talk to me and all

the volunteers.

Upcoming events

June:

9th Open cockpit + Flights

16th Fathers day Flights

July:

14th

Open cockpit day + Flights 24th Flights

27th + 28th Stars of time Sci-Fi extravaganza +

Flights both days

News Continued...Flight-Sim Convention

The weekend of the 18th

of May saw a crowd pleaser

return to The Helicopter Museum. The annual Flight

Simulator Convention, which has now taken place at the

museum for the past 5 years, drew a mixed crowd of

dedicated enthusiasts, avid hobbyists and people who just

fancied a nose around.

Whilst the main hangars were the setting for all the

simulator element, the landing pad was used to recreate

a WW2 encampment. May I say that it was great fun

mingling with people dressed in their amazing costumes.

All were quick to answer any queries and demonstrate

the historic equipment that they brought with them.

Sad News

Dear all, it is with deepest regret that I must inform you

that restoration volunteer Ken Rixon sadly passed awayin April aged 93. Ken, a former member of the home

guard and a Westland apprentice, will be sorely missed

by all. His nimble feet were a feature at our hangar

dances, our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Interesting visitors:

Interesting groups that have visited us over the past 2

months include

Weston Cubs (Air Activities Badge completed)

Aston Martin Owners Club

Bristol Cubs (Air Activities Badge completed)

Pipster Asphalt


4/8

Restoration News

Restoration Update on the Belvedere:

News and photos by Chris Hallewell

XG452, the fifth and final Belvedere prototype, was built

in Weston-super-Mare and first flew in early 1960.

Throughout its active life it was used for flight control

testing, radio tests and engine development trials. InJune 1960 it set up a new average speed record of

209km/h (130 m.p.h.) for a flight between Gatwick, in

England and Luqa, in Malta, while en route to RAF Idris,

in Libya, for its tropical trials. After various excursions it

became derelict but was purchased for the Helicopter

Museum in 1974, though not moved to Weston-super-

Mare until November 1975.

Whilst initially XG452 was restored to an excellent

standard, lack of facilities meant that outside storage

was the only option throughout the 80s and 90s. In

2001, after 23 years of exposure to salt-laden wind and

rain, XG452 was brought in to the Museum's RestorationHangar. By the end of 2001 all doors, seats and windows

had been removed and the process of stripping out the

cockpit fittings was well under way. A lot of severe

corrosion was found in the cockpit area, the tailplane

components and within the rear rotor pylon, but the

main structure was all in quite good condition.

Meanwhile the forward rotorhead was partially

dismantled so that some components could be replaced,

after recovery from a spare rotorhead.

A third period of restoration started in the Summer of

2004 when the team of volunteers who had completed

work on the Kamov Ka-26 'Hoodlum' helicopter, moved

across to the Belvedere. Among the jobs they have

tackled in the last nine years have been:-

Complete refurbishment of the anhedral tailplane.

Dismantling, overhaul and reassembly of the landing

gear including tyres, wheel bearings, oleos and

hydraulic disc brakes. Refurbishment of rear and forward engine bays,

including associated control equipment.

Cleaning and repaint of the cabin interior, including

troop seating.

Restoration news continued

Design and construction of a mounting frame for the

forward rotorhead, above and behind the cockpit,

required because the rotor gearbox was missing when

XG452 was acquired and no surplus gearbox was ever

found.

Installation of the rebuilt forward rotorhead on the

specially constructed frame.

Removal of the drive/sychronisation shaft, for the

rotors, and all the flying-control rods from the duct

above the fuselage to allow items and the duct to be

cleaned. Replacement of the drive shaft. Similarly the

lower duct, which carries hydraulic and fuel lines, was

cleaned and refurbished.

Repair, refurbishment and repainting of large engine

air intake screens.

Treatment of serious corrosion in the cockpitfollowed by refurbishment, with the interior painting

still in progress. Location and installation of full

complement of instruments.

Overhaul, rebuild when required and repaint, of

windows, doors and hatches.

Repair of damaged rotor blades.

Refurbishment of the oil cooler, with the a.c. and d.c.

generators and subsequent installation of these items

forward of the rear rotor pylon.

Attempts were made to install the intermediate

gearbox within the rear rotor pylon but the work has

been delayed because of the difficulties in positioning

the heavy gearbox in a very confined area.

More recently, in April/May 2013, the restoration teamhave been carrying out a detailed audit of the current

state of XG452. By the second week of May more than

200 items have already been identified as requiring

further attention. (Thanks Chris, a great article.)


5/8

Archive News

Carpet Progress:

What a difference a bit of carpet makes! Everything is

finally back to normal in the archives after the floods of

January. After preventative building work was first

completed on the outside of the archive wall, a team of

budding volunteers helped me to re-lay my carpet tiles.A big thank you must go to Jack, Ken, Heather, Philip and

Gregg who all helped me lay and fit the carpet, I really

appreciate you taking the time to help me out.

New Items:

The laying of my carpet was made all the more timely byvast quantities of items being donated in the past few

months. John Philips donated a huge collection of

helicopter toys and magazines. The only downside to

Johns donation is that every time somebody walks into

the office it looks like I am playing with toys instead of

doing work which is of course false...most of the time!

On the very day that the archive carpet returned a large

donation of aeronautical material was donated.

Amongst the gifted items is a vast quantity of Royal

Aeronautical Society journals, a valuable resource to any

aviation enthusiast.

Two minutes with...

This month I asked restoration volunteer Robert Heath to

answer my questions. Robert is currently working in the

team restoring the Navy Wessex located in the Duke of

Edinburgh Hangar and often contributes his thoughts to

the newsletter.

How long have you been at the museum?

Upon asking this question to Robert I was told I have

absolutely no idea, I have no concept of time!Whilst

Martin S guessed at 25 years, my own records tell me that

Robert has been volunteering at The Museum since 2007.

What did you do before joining the museum?

After retiring in 2002 I volunteered at a coastwatchstation in Exmouth. Coastwatch works in conjunction with

the coastguard and has taken over a number of closed

coastguard sites around the coast to provide help with

rescues. Whilst volunteering for this organisation I was

directly involved in 3 life threatening rescues.

What has been your best experience at the museum?

The opportunity to work with aircraft and to see the

result of my input, plus to talk with like minded people

about big boys toys.

What would you like to see happen at the museum in

thefuture?

I have already commented in this newsletter about my

views towards the future of The Museum. I believe of

utmost importance it is essential that we spark the

interest of wives and children who are visiting with loved

ones.

Spotters section

April

Date, Type, Registration, Flown From:

3.4.2013, R22, G-OASH, Bristol

3.4.2013, Chinook, ?????, Odiham

16.4.2013 Chinook, ZH848, Odiham

17.4.2013, Chinook, ?????, Odiham 19.4.2013, Merlin, ?????, Odiham

19.4.2013, Lynx, ?????, Middle Wallop

21.4.2013, Gazelle, G1BNH, Dorchester

22.4.2013 Merlin, Benson


6/8

Visitor Feedback

Here are just a few of the comments that people have

taken the time to write in our visitor book. Thank you for

your feedback.

Interesting and well presentedExcellent Museum, Made most welcome

Fantastic, out of this world

Fantastic, a great cafe!(Cheryl, what have Itold you about writing in the visitor book!)

A great day out, smashing exhibits, welldoneBrill, will come againExcellent, loads of historyExcellent, interesting and the kids loveditWhat a Collection!!!Helicopters are MassiveBrilliant, Super, Fab

Spotters section Continued

May

Date, Type, Registration, Flown From:

4.5.2013, R44, G-CHAP, Bristol

5.5.2013, R44, G-COXX, Leicester

5.5.2013, R22, G-WAGG, Leicester

5.5.2013, Cabri G-2, G-CHANG, Leicester

8.5.2013, Chinook, ?????, Odiham

12.5.2013, AS 355F Squirrel, G-OHMS, Bristol

19.5.2013, Jet Ranger, G-CSTL, Chard

24.5.2013, Squirell, ZJ253, Middle Wallop

25.5.2013, Enstrom 480B, N480BB, Henstridge

29.5.2013, Chinook, ?????, Odiham

30.5.2013, Sea King Mk5, N196, Culdrose

31.5.2013, AS55, G-BOSN, ECTB

Photograph competition

Mystery Volunteer...Revealed

Last weeks mystery volunteer was Mike Costello! Mike, a

former Royal Marine Sergeant, has been volunteering in

the archive for a year. Mike is most notable for moaning

at a certain collections officer for not constantly plying

him with coffee. (only joking Mike, thanks for the photo)

New Staff

Upon the arrival of April came the sad news that AssistantManager Sharon Webber would be leaving The Museum.

Sharon had worked at the museum for over a year before

taking the decision to leave. I can only talk for myself, but

it was a pleasure to work with such a bubbly and upbeat

character. Sharon has secured a job at a jewellers in

Weston; all at The Museum wish her the best of luck.

With the busy summer season upon us, the management

team were keen to find a person to fill the assistant

manager slot. Shaly Dee Jones was selected from a largenumber of candidates who applied for the position.

Congratulations on the job Shaly and I speak for everyone

when I say welcome to The Museum.

A more familiar face also joined the payroll in May.

Brendan Staley has been volunteering at The Museum for

numerous years now and has recently taken a paid

position in the cafe. Well deserved Brendan, remember

that I take mine with milk, two sugars!


7/8

Hire The Museum!

Do you have a Birthday or anniversary coming up? Have you thought about Hiring your village hall for a party?

The Helicopter Museum is available for public hire and is not as expensive as you might think. We already have several

private events booked in for 2012 with groups ranging from 50-500 people. If you are interested in aviation, the

museum can provide a unique backdrop for your special day. Please contact Lee Mills or Sharon Webber for details.

Other Ways You Can Help?

There are many ways in which you can volunteer at The Helicopter Museum. Many of us have our own set duties in our

own little section of the museum; but there are many times throughout the year when volunteers can branch out and

get involved in a number of ways, raising funds being one of the main ones. If volunteers would like to play their part

and help the museum raise funds and secure its future, please have a chat with either Lee or Sharon.

The museum is always desperate for volunteers to help out at its events and you can play your part in many ways.

When was the last time you took some museum leaflets to your local pub, club or school?

Have you ever pinned up a museum event flyer on your local village notice board?

Could you give up an hour or so to help prepare for an event?

Have you given unwanted items to a charity shop recently, could they have been given to the museum to sell ontheir bric-a-brac stalls?

Please don't just leave it for other people to do, play your part and support the museum you volunteer at.

Your Museum Needs You!

How to contact us? Tel: 01934-635227,

Email:[email protected]

Website:www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/mailto:[email protected]


8/8

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Whilst it is easy to forget, The Helicopter Museum is indeed a charity. Aircraft do not preserve themselves and a big part

of what the museum does is conservation and restoration based. The acquisition, preservation and restoration of

aircraft, some of which are the only existing examples left in the world, takes place on a daily basis at the museum so

that our aircraft can be enjoyed for generations to come. If you would like to help us in our task by contributing to therestoration budget, then please fill in the form below and send it off to us.

Your Donation

I would like to support the Helicopter Museum in their efforts to conserve and restore aircraft and educate the public

about vertical flight history and technology with a gift of:

10 20 30 50 100 Other

Name:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

Home Address:

Postcode:

I enclose a cheque made payable to The Helicopter Museum

Help us further by using gift aid

Thanks to the gift aid scheme we can reclaim money on your donation from the government. For every pound you give

us, we can claim an extra 25p. For example, a donation of 15 becomes 18.75 with gift aid at no extra cost to you.

I am a UK taxpayer and would like The Helicopter Museum to treat all future donations from today as gift aid donations.

I understand that in the relevant tax year I must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to

the tax that the charity reclaims on my donation.

Signature:

Please return this form in an envelope to:

The Helicopter Museum, Locking Moor Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 8PP

the helicopter museum: newsletter vol. 6

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