Continuing on with my Thai adventure. I struggled to get a good angle on this model of the Chakri Naruebet, the Thai aircraft carrier. Commissioned in 1997, the Chakri Naruebet, meaning Sovereign of the Chakri Dynasty was built by Bazan, Spain. Originally its air group comprised nine AV-8S Matadors, ex-Spanish Navy Harriers, plus six SH-60, or S-70B and up to four MH-60S Seahawks, but the Matadors were retired in 2006 and the carrier is now classified as Offshore Patrol Helicopter Carrier by the Thais. A total of 14 helicopters can be carried aboard the carrier, considered one of the world's smallest operational aircraft carriers. We'll see a Matador soon.
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A Japanese Type 98 20-mm AA cannon. (By doing this I'm learning heaps about Japanese guns and stuff!)
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The cupola, bow adornment and stern from a traditional Dragon Boat.
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An assortment of naval weaponry, including sea mines, depth charge throwers, torpedoes and air dropped bombs. I'm not entirely sure what the white bulbs with the tall spikes are. Paravanes, perhaps? They don't have any foiling surfaces though.
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I know that this is an Armstrong breech loading gun from Elswick, Newcastle, based on the badge on its crown.
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Ornately decorated torpedo tubes.
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Armstrong-built 12 pdr gun from HTMS Phra Ruang.
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Bofors 75/51 dual purpose gun from HTMS Thonburi.
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Finally from the naval museum, a painting of HTMS Thonburi engaging the French light cruiser Lamotte-Piquet during the Battle of Koh Chang on 17 January 1941 in the museum foyer.
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Directly opposite the naval museum on the other side of the road is the Thai Naval Academy and next to the parade ground is the forward gun turret and conning tower from the Thonburi. Unfortunately, these are within the fenced-off compound and are not accessible to the public. Given that the BTS Skytrain public transit is elevated above ground level, I got my camera ready and stood at the window of the train as it accelerated past the academy building in the hope I might get a glimpse of the Thonburi...
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Not the best photo given the train carriage had an advert covering the windows.
While travelling north on the Sukhumvit Line, a few stops from where I get off I stopped at the Science Centre for Education and Planetarium, formerly the Bangkok Science Museum to take a look at the aircraft in the courtyard outside. They're slowly giving way to the elements.
Decorated as an RTAF C-47, this is former Thai Army DC-3, S/n 9414.
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You can see the entry door, which determines this as a DC-3 as opposed to a C-47 Skytrain, which had the double opening cargo doors aft and which the RTAF was equipped with.
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Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer
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Thai Civil Aviation Training Centre Piper Aztec.
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The Civil Aviation Training Centre is located in Chatuchak, Chomphon District, Bangkok, close to Don Mueang Airport, location of the Thai Air Force Museum.
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F-86F Sabre. Thailand received 40 F-86Fs, which equipped 12, 13 and 43 Squadrons, RTAF.
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This aircraft is in the markings of 43 Sqn, which operated the type between 1964 and 1975.
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Finally for today, this. Who knew the faked moon landing was filmed in a park in Thailand...
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Coming up: Aircraft, aircraft and more aircraft (and a tank, some guns and a boat thrown in, too!)