Museums around the World

[gekho]

The Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, or The Museum of Air and Space, is a French museum, located in the south-eastern edge of "Le Bourget" Airport 10 km north of Paris, created in 1919 from a proposition of Albert Caquot (18881-1976). Occupying over 150,000 square meters of land and hangars, it is one of the oldest aviation museums in the world. The museum's collection includes more than 150 aircraft, and material from as far back as the 16th Century. Displayed also are more modern air and spacecraft, including the prototype for Concorde and Swiss and Russian rockets. Since the opening of the Main Gallery, where the oldest aircraft are displayed, it offers a collection of over 150 machines giving a complete panorama of the aerospace era, from the original "heavier than air" glider Massiat-Biot (1879) to the Ariane rocket.

On 18.000 m2, it tells the history of the conquest of the air through more than 150 perfectly identified flying objects. One finds there the first sail planes zoomorphic suggesting large birds awkward, Goliath, first civil transport aircraft in France which joined Paris to London in 1919, legendary Mirage as well as many prototypes. The museum is divided into several specific houses: The Concorde Hall preserves one of the last models to have flown as well as the prototype 001 which took off for the first time in 1969. It is possible to entirely visit a Boeing 747 on the car park plane, nicely surrounded of the rockets ARIANE 1 and 5 natural size as well as many military specimens. The Hall of the second world war is full of historical memories : a single specimen of Yak 3 and one sublimate Spitfire are the special guests of the show. The large gallery goes up the history of the hang-gliders : planes of the first war, a cabin of Zeppelin, handsome antiques of the air in a perfect state of conservation. Many works of art, paintings, prints, objects various and relics, do comment around this visit in the clouds.

 

[gekho]

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[gekho]

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[Gnomey]

More good stuff!

Certainly I'm not the only one that looks Gekho, just the only one the posts all the time.

 

[gekho]

Museum of the Polish Army (Polish: Muzeum Wojska Polskiego) is a museum in Warsaw documenting the military aspects of the history of Poland. Created in 1920, it occupies a wing of the building of the Polish National Museum as well as several branches in Poland. It's Warsaw's second largest museum and the largest collection of military objects in Poland. The collection illustrates a thousand years of Polish military history - from the 10th century to the Second World War.

 

[gekho]

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[Gnomey]

More good stuff, always interesting to see what the museums in different parts of the world contain.

 

[Shinpachi]

I agree Gnomey!

I still love the Breguet BR19 series above all.

 

[gekho]

The Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino, Russia is located approximately 38 kilometers (24 miles) from Moscow along the Gorky Highway in a lovely wooded area. It is the largest and best aviation museum in Russia. The museum was formerly known as The Russian Federation Air Force Museum and, prior to that, The USSR Air Force Museum.

The facility was an operational air base from 1932 through April, 1956. The museum was founded in 1958 and opened in 1960 at the original airfield location and in the original airfield structures. The area was off-limits to civilians during the Soviet era so it has been neither easy to find nor easy to access. Advance permission to visit the museum was recently required for non-Russian citizens. Despite this, it is the finest Russian aviation museum in existence and will be the highlight of any enthusiast's visit.

 

[gekho]

The facilities are largely unimproved and the majority of aircraft are exposed to the harsh Russian weather. The museum has long been run by the Russian government and there was no legitimate means of making monetary contributions to the museum at the time I visited. Many of the Russian aviation Design Bureaus (Tupolev, Ilyushin, Antonov, Mikoyan, etc.) have contributed exhibits and resources to the museum and its maintenance.

Despite these conditions, the aircraft are in surprisingly good shape and most are sitting on the original tires they landed at the Monino airfield with. This is a testament to the museum employees who have a great historical legacy to preserve. In 2001, the museum became independent of the government and an official Web site was created. It is likely that requirements for admission to the museum have been or will soon be relaxed.

 

[gekho]

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[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[gekho]

Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely (Letecké Muzeum Kbely) is a major Aviation Museum located at Prague's original airport at Kbely, 8 km (5 miles) north-east of the town centre near Route 10 (E.14). Kbely was the first Czechoslovak military airfield and during the inter-war period was the venue for several major public air shows. The first scheduled flight operated by CSA Czechoslovak Airlines (now CSA Czech Airlines) departed from Kbely for Bratislava in October 1923. Kbely airfield is not now used as a front line Czech Republic Air Force base, but it is utilised by based military test units.

 

[gekho]

During the mid 1960s, the Prague Military Museum commenced a programme to recover, restore and preserve historic aircraft from around the country for eventual display at Kbely. Initially, one hangar was used and around fifty aircraft were placed on public display. The aircraft collection continued to grow and one of the original Wagner type hangars on the airfield was brought into use and now contains the earliest aircraft types on display. Another Picha-type hangar has also been added to bring the number of hangars housing the large and varied collection to four.

The collection at Kbely now includes 275 aircraft, of which approximately 110 are on public display at any given time. The museum contains many Czech designed and Czech built aircraft dating from World War I through the World War II and up to 1960s supersonic jet fighters. Several unique types are on display including the early 1920s-built Avia BH-11C L-BONK. Aircraft from World War II include a Russian-built Ilyushin Il-2 Schturmovik and a Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX flown by a Czech squadron of the Royal Air Force.

In addition to the many military aircraft and helicopters on display, there are several Soviet-designed airliners, some of which were built under licence in Czechoslovakia. Airliners displayed include the Avia 14M (Ilyushin Il-14),an Avia 14T, an ex-CSA Ilyushin Il-18 and a CSA Tupolev Tu-154B. Light aircraft exhibited include the Czech-built Praga E-114 Air Baby of 1936, an Aero 45,an Orlican L-40 Meta Sokol and a Zlin 22 Junak. When the country was divided on 1 January 1993, a few aircraft were transferred from the collection to the Slovak Republic for its museums. Also, in recent years, the museum has exchanged several Czech and Russian designed aircraft for military aircraft from the USA, UK, Sweden, Switzerland and other countries.

 

[gekho]

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[gekho]

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[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[gekho]

The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum or Air Force Museum of New Zealand as it is now known, is an air force museum located located at Wigram, the RNZAF's first operational base, in Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. It opened on 1 April 1987, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the RNZAF, and is primarily a museum of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, its predecessor, the New Zealand Permanent Air Force and New Zealand squadrons of the Royal Air Force.

The Air Force Museum of New Zealand's mission is to preserve and present the history of New Zealand military aviation for commemoration, learning, inspiration and enjoyment. The museum holds the national collection of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The collection includes objects covering the early days of New Zealand military aviation both prior to World War I and during this major conflict, the interwar years which saw the formation of the RNZAF in 1937, New Zealanders who fought in the RAF and in other Allied air forces during World War II, the RNZAF's campaign in the Pacific, and the post-war period to the present day. The collection also includes objects from former enemy forces, aircraft, aircraft components, aircraft engines, large objects, textiles, art and memorabilia as well as an extensive paper and photographic archive.

After many years of charging admission the Museum has now moved to free admission. Visitors can take a "Restoration Tour" through 'behind the scenes' areas of the Museum including the Restoration and Reserve Collection hangars. The Museum currently has three aircraft restoration projects; the p-40 Curtiss Kittyhawk, the Airspeed Oxford and the Vicker's Vildebeest. The Museum has also has a Mosquito Flight Simulator, which features a mission based on the Allied bombing of German battleships in the Norwegian fiords.

 

[gekho]

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[mikewint]

Gekho, I've been missing this thread, absolutely fantastic, you are very lucky to have able to see all this history, I love the old planes