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Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Military and Aviation Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand

Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Military and Aviation Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand

FieldValue
nameAir Force Museum of New Zealand
imageRNZAFmuseumwigram.jpg
captionMuseum entrance
map_typeNew Zealand Christchurch
coordinates
former_nameRoyal New Zealand Air Force Museum
established
dissolved
locationWigram, Christchurch
website

The Air Force Museum of New Zealand, formerly called The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum, is located at Wigram, the RNZAF's first operational base, in Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. It opened on 1 April 1987 as part of the celebrations for the RNZAF's 50th anniversary, 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.

Overview

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.

Visitors can take a half-hour guided tour through 'behind the scenes' areas of the Museum, which includes the Reserve Collection hangar. The Museum's most recent restoration project, an Airspeed Oxford, is now on public display since February 2016. The Museum also has a Mosquito Flight Simulator, which features a mission based on the Allied bombing of German battleships in the Norwegian fiords.

History

In response to the 2011 earthquake, the museum opened its collections storage facility to other cultural institutions that had been damaged.

The museum opened a new 6,500 m2 Technology Centre in February 2017.

The museum's Canberra was transported to Ardmore for restoration and conversion to a B(I).12 variant in 2021.

A C-130H was flown in to the museum on 19 February 2025.

Aircraft

The DHC-2 Beaver
Grumman Avenger
The Hudson
Spitfire TE288
  • Aermacchi MB-339CB NZ6460
  • Airspeed Oxford PK286
  • Auster T.7 NZ1707
  • Avro 626 NZ203
  • Avro Anson Composite
  • BAC Strikemaster NZ6373
  • Bell 47G-3 Sioux NZ3705
  • Bell UH-1H Iroquois 69-15923
  • Bell UH-1H Iroquois NZ3801
  • Bleriot XI "Britannia" – Replica
  • Boeing 727 NZ7272 – Forward fuselage, engine, main undercarriage
  • Bristol Freighter Mk 31M NZ5903
  • Cessna O-2A Skymaster 69-7639
  • Curtiss P-40F Kittyhawk 41-14205
  • de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth NZ1481
  • de Havilland Vampire FB.5 NZ5757
  • de Havilland Vampire T.11 NZ5710
  • de Havilland Devon NZ1803
  • de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver 1084
  • Douglas C-47B Dakota NZ3551
  • GAF Canberra B.20 A84-240
  • Grumman TBF-1C Avenger NZ2504
  • Hawker Siddeley Andover C.1 NZ7621
  • Kaman SH-2F Seasprite NZ3442
  • Lockheed Hudson III NZ2013
  • Lockheed P-3K2 Orion NZ4203
  • Lockheed C-130H Hercules NZ7001
  • McDonnell Douglas A-4C Skyhawk NZ6205
  • McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk NZ6207
  • McDonnell Douglas TA-4K Skyhawk NZ6254
  • North American Harvard III NZ1087
  • North American P-51 Mustang F-367
  • Pacific Aerospace CT-4B Airtrainer NZ1948
  • Sopwith Pup – Replica
  • Supermarine Spitfire XVI TE288
  • Westland Wasp HAS.1 NZ3906

Under restoration

  • Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Catalina 44-34081
  • Vickers Vildebeest/Vincent NZ102/NZ124/NZ105/NZ355/NZ357

References

References

  1. Topham, Abbey L.. (2017). "Laying Down Foundations: Reflecting on Disaster Management Planning in Museums in Christchurch after the 2010 and 2011 Earthquakes". University of Canterbury.
  2. (16 June 2017). "Wigram Air Force Museum".
  3. (18 February 2021). "Rare Vintage Plane Off to New North Island Home". Stuff.
  4. (19 February 2025). "First RNZAF C-130H Hercules Aircraft Retires to Air Force Museum". New Zealand Defense Force.
  5. "Aermacchi MB-339CB".
  6. "Airspeed Oxford".
  7. "Auster Mk.7c".
  8. "Avro 626".
  9. "Avro 652A Anson Mk.I".
  10. "BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.88".
  11. "Bell 47G-3B-1 Sioux".
  12. "Bell UH-1H Iroquois 'NZ3800'".
  13. "Bell UH-1H Iroquois NZ3801".
  14. "Bleriot XI-2 'Britannia'".
  15. (9 May 2019). "Boeing 727 Nose Joins Our Collection".
  16. "Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.31M".
  17. "Cessna 0-2A-2E".
  18. "Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk".
  19. "De Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth Mk.II".
  20. "De Havilland D.H.100 Vampire F.B. Mk.5".
  21. "De Havilland D.H.115 Vampire T.Mk.11".
  22. "De Havilland D.H.104 Devon".
  23. "De Havilland Canada D.H.C.2 Beaver".
  24. "Douglas C-47 Dakota".
  25. "English Electric Canberra B.Mk.20".
  26. "Grumman TBF-1 Avenger".
  27. "Hawker Siddeley Andover C1".
  28. "Kaman Seasprite SH-2F".
  29. "Lockheed Hudson MkIII".
  30. "Lockheed P-3K2 Orion".
  31. "McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk NZ6205".
  32. "McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk NZ6207".
  33. "McDonnell Douglas TA-4K Skyhawk - NZ6254".
  34. "North American Harvard MKIII".
  35. "North American P-51 Mustang".
  36. "Aerospace CT/4B Airtrainer".
  37. "Sopwith Pup".
  38. "Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk.XVIE".
  39. "Westland Wasp HAS1".
  40. "Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Catalina".
  41. "Vickers Type 277 Vildebeest Mk.III".
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