WONZ 356 – Wings Over Britain: Newark Air Museum

Guest: Howard Heeley Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎15th of July 2026 Released: 9th of August 2026 Duration: 1 hour 56 minutes 54 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood visits the Newark Air Museum, at former RAF Winthorpe, situated at Coddington, just outside of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire. Dave was hosted by Howard Heeley, Secretary & Museum Trustee, who has had a long affiliation with the museum, and was the perfect person to talk about the history of the site and the collection, and the current and future happenings there. The Newark Air Museum has an amazing collection of military and civilian aeroplanes and helicopters, and tells the story of aviation in Nottinghamshire, Britain and beyond. It also honours the wartime and postwar crews who trained on the site, former RAF Winthorpe, and the sacrifices they made. The following photos taken on the day by Dave Homewood are laid out below in the order of how the exhibits are discussed in the podcast so you can follow along with visuals as you listen. Howard Heeley with the English Electric Lightning (Photo supplied) The RAF Winthorpe Memorial Garden Blue Steel in the workshop. This was a British air-launched, rocket-propelled nuclear armed standoff missile, built to arm the V bomber force.  Hangar OneStarting with the Lee-Richards Annular Biplane replica that was constructed for the film Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. A rare General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH The unique Reid & Sigrist RS.4 Bobsleigh (Desford) The Avro Anson, behind the Taylor Monoplane. Saab Viggen Above: The Upkeep mine that was recovered from Reculver, in Kent, where the weapon was tested before sed on the Dams Raid in 1943. WW1 heritage items The ‘Half and Half’ Tiger Moth with half the skin off to show the construction of the aeroplane. The Gnome with a watering can, inside the SAAB Viggen The famous prototype Taylor Monoplane, built by John Taylor in his living room. The Clutton Fred, G-BJAD de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.21 The Zurowski ZP.1 helicopter Hawker Seahawk FB.3 The SAAB Safir Parts recovered from the crash site of Avro Lancaster ME846. A wall dedicated to the memory of the crew of Lancaster ME486. The plaque create by the Dutch resistance members. The propeller from No. 617 Squadron pilot P/O Lewis Burpee’s Lancaster, ED865 (AJ-S), shot down on its way to Germany during the Dams Raid. All aboard were killed. A section of original Avro Lancaster, W4964. The Saunders-Roe (SARO) Skeeter AOP.12 military helicopter XL764, which Howard admits he owned himself as a 21-year-old. Below Left and Centre: Two-seat de Havilland NF.3 Venom. Below Left: de Havilland Vampire T.11. MBA Tiger Cub 440 The Avro Vulcan Howard Heeley with the Vulcan (Photo supplied) The e Havilland Heron airliner, ‘Sir James Young Simpson’. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML “Flogger” and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27K “Flogger” Hangar Two Gloster “Prone Pilot” Meteor F8  Gloster Meteor FR.9 (Mod) The Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 The Folland Gnat and the BAC Jet Provost SAAB Viggen AJSH 37 BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1 / FA.2, ZA176 Avro Shackleton MR.3/3 Lockeed TriStar SIM (cockpit) Sud Puma HC.1 XW208 Handley Page Hastings T.5, TG517 English Electric Canberra T.19 Radar Trainer, WH904 Blackburn Buccaneer S.1 Cessna 310, right, and MS.880 Rallye de Havilland Dove North American Harvard The Avro Ashton fuselage Westland Wessex More Photos at the Newark Air Museum Quick Links: •  Newark Air Museum’s Website •  Newark Air Museum Facebook Group The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.