It is with great sadness that we have to report that the Cold War Call Up event scheduled for May 2020 at Newark Air Museum and was to feature XV490, has been cancelled. A huge shame but definitely the correct decision by the team at NAM. We will look forward to trying again in 2021.
The official announcement can be found here- http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/Cold_War_Call_Up_Cancelled
Due to current circumstances, we have been informed by DFTDC Manston that the facility is closed to all external visitors for up to 12 weeks. The British Phantom Aviation Group have therefore put the preservation effort of ZE360 on hold until further notice.
This new development will fundamentally change our planned timetable but this is obviously due to circumstances beyond our control and we would like to apologize to our volunteers who may have gone to considerable inconvenience to make themselves available for this weekend’s cancelled work party. We will issue more updates as events unfold. Many thanks for your support and understanding.
This month’s issue of Aeroplane magazine has a four page article on ZE360 and the preservation effort so far, written by BPAG secretary (and 74 Squadron Association webmaster) Tony Clay.
Many thanks to the magazine and staff at Key Publishing for the inclusion. In the shops now or available to order from the Key Publishing website-
More progress at Manston recently, including an important step forward. Side panel removal is continuing successfully, tailcone is partially disassembled & RH aileron is off. However, the biggest achievement of the weekend, which simultaneously gave us a milestone moment and an end to a major area of concern, was the replacement of both mainwheels. The LH was the easiest of the two to remove, with RH wheel eventually being forced free with old fashioned muscle power.
The wheel issue could have potentially been either a serious hinderance to the restoration effort or, in the worst case, put it in jeopardy entirely. We are all collectively breathing a sigh of relief.
More pics available on the ZE360 Restoration Gallery.
