1/144 Norwich Airport

Kits-World - 1/144 Norwich Airport Size 675mm x 675mm

Beginnings and the first Norwich Airport

Initially a British Army cavalry training ground, Rfc Mousehold Heath was established on the site and was home to a number of Royal Flying Corps units, Nos 18, 37, 85 and 117 Squadrons. In April 1918, Rfc Mousehold Heath became Raf Mousehold Heath, and following the war, Boulton & Paul Ltd took over the site as a test facility, although it should be noted that they had been present there during the conflict.

During the latter half of the 1920s, the Norwich and Norfolk Aero Club was established and from 1933, four grass landing strips were built forming the basic infrastructure of the first Norwich Airport, although by the beginning of the Second World War, use of the site had been reduced although it remained operational as an airfield up to the 1950s when it was redeveloped into the Heartsease Housing Estate.

RAF Horsham St. Faith and Raf operations

In 1939, a new airfield was constructed at nearby Horsham St. Faith, and opened on June 1st 1940 as Raf Horsham St. Faith. During the early part of the war it became home to a number of squadrons, Nos.19, 21, and 66 flying the Spitfire I, No. 105 Squadron flying the Mosquito IV, and Nos. 18, 21, 107, 110, 114, and 139 Squadrons, flying the Blenheim IV, with the exception of No. 139 Squadron which switched to the Mosquito IV in 1942. In 1945, the base became home to No 65 Squadron operating the Mustang III and IV and the de Havilland Hornet F.1.

The United States Army Air Force arrives

In the autumn of 1942, Horsham St. Faith began to be used firstly by Usaaf ground units and then shortly after and briefly by the 319th Bombardment Group (Medium) operating B-26 Marauders. The 319th quickly departed then they were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and moved to Saint-Leu in Algeria.

It wasn't until April 1943 that the next Usaaf unit, the 56th Fighter Group arrived comprising the 61st, 62nd and 63rd Fighter Squadrons flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. Again, occupation of Horsham was short-lived. Work had started on expanding the base for Usaaf heavy bomber use and so the 56th Fg relocated to Raf Halesworth in Suffolk in July. This was a move which was not entirely well-received by 56th Fg personnel due to the relative comfort afforded by facilities and conditions at Horsham when compared to those at Halesworth.

In January 1944, the 458th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived with their B-24 Liberators and comprised the 752nd, 753rd, 754th and 755th Bomb Squadrons. Offensive combat operations began the following month. The 458th Bg remained at Horsham until July 1945 when they returned to the United States.

Post war and a return to the RAF

That same month, the base was returned to Royal Air Force command and over the next twenty or so years, became home to a number of Raf squadrons, No 23 Squadron flying Vampire NF. 10's (1955-56), Canberra's (1956-57), Venom NF. 3's and Javelin FAW. 4/FAW. 7 (1958-60). No. 34 Squadron (1949-51) on flying target duties. No. 65 Squadron (1946) flying Spitfire LF. XVIe's and Hornet F. 1's. No. 74 Squadron (1946-50) equipped with Meteor F. 3's and F. 4's. No. 118 Squadron (1945-46) with Mustang III's. No. 141 Squadron (1955-56) flying Venom NF. 3's. No. 228 Squadron (1959-64) Bristol Sycamore HR. 14's and Westland Whirlwind HAR. 2, 4 and 10's. No. 245 Squadron (1946-55) operating Meteor F. 3's, F. 4's and F. 8's. Nos. 257 and 263 Squadrons (1947-50) flying the same Meteor variants as No. 245 Squadron. No. 275 Squadron (1957-59) with Bristol Sycamore HR. 14's and Westland Whirlwind HAR. 2's and HAR. 4's. No. 307 (Polish) Squadron (1945-46) operating Mosquito NF. 30's and last but not least, No. 695 (1945-49) on target duties. A number of other wide and varied ground and training units were also stationed at Horsham during these years.

Operations at Horsham St. Faith began to wind down from 1963 with the Raf finally departing the base in March 1967.

Civilian use

Following Raf use, the site was bought by Norwich City and County Councils and was redeveloped for civilian use. Two of Horsham's three original runways were closed with only the third being utilised. This was due to the runway location and direction which avoided flights overflying nearby residential areas. Norwich Airport finally opened in 1971, with charter flights beginning that year, a common operator being Air Anglia, although during the earlier years, only prop-driven aircraft operated from the site. As the years progressed, increased income allowed the airport to be expanded with the addition of a second control tower, although some of the original pre-war and WW2 building still survive, but have been converted for other uses.

Norwich is home to the City of Norwich Aviation Museum, with a number of static aircraft exhibits both military and civilian, along with an extensive archive and display documenting the history of the airport.

Destinations from Norwich do (or have) include(d), Amsterdam, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Exeter, Rhodes, Palma, Manchester, Tenerife, Alicante, Milaga, Menorca, Ibiza, Heraklion, Corfu, Bourgas, Crete, Bergamo, Paphos, Jersey, Lapland, and Dalaman.

A number of airlines and organisations have, and do use the airport over the years, Air Atlantique, Hm Coast Guard, Klm and Klm Cityhopper, Flybe, Bristow Helicopters, Germania, Eastern Airways, Transavia France, S7 Airlines, Skydrift, Loganair, Borajet, Saxonair, Lufthansa, Sas Link, Sky Leasing, AlpAvia, Sunwing, European Air Charter, International Jet Management, Globe Air, New World Aviation, Air Service Liege, Channel Jets, Ryanair, Tui and TUIfly, Royal Air Force, Chc Scotia, Azorra Aviation, British Airways, Army Air Corps, Syphax Airlines, Js Aviation, Arcus Air, Titan Airways, German Airways, Set Air, NyxAir, Specsavers Aviation, Air Charter Scotland, Platoon Aviation, Tus Airways, Zenith Aviation UK, The Little Jet Company, Air Malta, Air Anglia, Air Hamburg, East Anglian Air Ambulance, Airwing AS, Nhv Helicopters, Bae Systems, Edelweiss Air, Smbc Aviation, Eatis Flight Academy, Wab Air Ltd, Swiss Airlines, Fai Rent-A-Jet, Condor, Time Air, ProAir Aviation, Alba Star, E-Aviation, Viva Aerobus, Nordwind Airlines, Chorus Aviation, Star Wings, Braathens Regional Airlines, Qatar Airways, Padaviation, Cavok Aviation, Blue Islands, SUN-AIR, Swedish Coast Guard, Andrewsfield Aviation, Eurowings, Airlift, Premier Flight Training, Drf Luftrettung, Nhv Helicopters, Chc Helicopters, Fai Flight Ambulance, Falcon Flying Services, Air X Charter, Emily Aviation, Tesla Aviation, Helicentre Aviation, Babcock Mission Critical Services, Goshawk Aviation, Flying Time Aviation, Quick Jet Air Charter, Leading Edge Aviation, Jota Aviation, Acrobat, Netjets Europe, Icelandair, Pioneer Aircraft Leasing, Jarden Corporation, Pobeda, Speedwings, Draken Europe, Exxaero Europe, L3 Harris Airline Academy, Go 2 Aviation, Twin Jet, Wiking Helikopter Service, Nomad Aviation, Solid Rock Aviation, JetNetherlands, A-Aviation, Aer Lingus Regional, Children's Air Ambulance, Air Corsica, Clifton Aviation, Bahrain Defence Force, Wilmington Trust Company, Global Jet Luxembourg, Bioflight, Capital Air Services, 2Excel Aviation, Initium Aviation, Lycoair, Air Moldova, Amac Aerospace, Nordica, Great Dane Airlines, Aeromexico, LaMia, Arik Air, Belgian Air Force, Dubai Air Wing, Alliance Airlines, Falko Regional Aircraft, Jet2, Dc Aviation Malta, Vistajet, Thomas Cook, El Al, Enter Air, Bombardier, Air Baltic, CityJet, JoinJet, Tyrol Air Ambulance, Corendon Dutch Airlines, JCB, Miami Air International, Links Air, GainJet Aviation, Gol Transportes Aereos, Tacv Cabo Verde Airlines, Summit Air, Xclusive Jet Charters, SATA, Jeju Air, Nhv Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen, Mjet, Lauda, Austrian Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Niki, Ukraine International, Freebird Airlines, Modern Logistics, Bluebird Cargo, Fred Olsen Airtransport, Salvamento Maritimo, Orsted, Atlas Air Service, Jet Key, LEVEL, Iberia Express, Easyjet, Air Berlin, Air Cm Global, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Bond Air Services, Air Iceland Connect, Icelandic Coast Guard, Primera Air Nordic, Aurigny, Atlantic Airways, SprintAir, Cello Aviation, Queen Air, Adria Airways Switzerland, West Atlantic UK, Gama Aviation, Wow Air, Asl Airlines, Tag Aviation UK, Bmi Regional, Alitalia, Jet Airways, Air Peace, Eie Eagle, Republic Airlines, T'Way Air, Red Wings, Thomson Airways, FlyDubai, Aurora, Luxair, Rossiya, Empire Test Pilots School, Slovak Government, Ukraine Helicopters, Tajik Air, Air Niugini, Denim Air, Gb Helicopters, United States Air Force, Aldus Aviation, Canadian Helicopters, Intersky, KalStar Aviation, Air France, La Compagnie, Sf Airlines, Nouvelair Tunisie, Niger Government, Netherlands Government, Balkan Holidays (BH) Air, Smbc Aviation Capital, Mid East Jet, Small Planet Airlines, Techair London, Pegasus, Air Dolomiti, Silk Way Helicopter Services, Acm Air Charter, AtlasJet Ukraine, Flynas, DiscoveryAir, Saratov Airlines, Dancopter, Azman Air, Mistral Air, Privilege Style, First Air, Orbest, Aero Contractors,
Dynamic Aviation, Aerospeed Ltd, UTair Aviation, bmibaby, Montenegro Airlines, Nok Air, Europe Air Post, Asian Express, MyJet, Gambia Bird, Transaero, JetLite, Yakutia Airlines, Ju-Air, Air Traffic, Orenair, Brit Air, Aurela, BelAir, Hangar 8, Danish Navy, Castle Air, Rak Airways, Flairjet, Challenge Air, Monarch Airlines, Eagles Airlines, First Choice Airways, Allegiant Air, Charter Air Ltd, Malev Hungarian Airlines, Sky Taxi, Csa Czech Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Holidays Czech Airlines, Sterling Helicopters, Samco Aircraft Maintenance, Mesaba Airlines, AirUK, Reckitt & Colman, Grand New, and Bac Express. Undoubtedly, this list is not exhaustive.