The 14 best aviation museums around the world.

[steingar]

at least according to CNN.

[romeotango]

One of my favorites:

http://www.midamericaairmuseum.org/

 

 

 

[flyboy0681]

1 hour ago, steingar said:

at least according to CNN.

Just another example of fake news.

[N201MKTurbo]

I'm not a fan of CNN but it looks like a good list. I've been to about half of them.

[jetdriven]

Missing is the Deutsches museum in Munich. Definitely a top ten contender. Me263, ME163 Komet, V2 rocket engine and a Porsche Mooney PFM engine.

[Stephen]

21 hours ago, steingar said:

at least according to CNN.

 I would flip #s 1 and 2

 

[peevee]

11 hours ago, jetdriven said:

Missing is the Deutsches museum in Munich. Definitely a top ten contender. Me263, ME163 Komet, V2 rocket engine and a Porsche Mooney PFM engine.

I'd love to see a real me262, I've only seen replicas. I'm not sure the smithsonian had one.

[tigers2007]

USAF museum is the greatest, IMHO. I've only been to the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Smithsonian which is on the east side of KIAD. I strongly recommended that people visit this annex if they are passing though KIAD as it's huge, full of many planes, and it's where the Smithsonian does their a/c restorations. Only bummer is that they charge like $20/carload.


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[peevee]

12 minutes ago, tigers2007 said:

USAF museum is the greatest, IMHO. I've only been to the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Smithsonian which is on the east side of KIAD. I strongly recommended that people visit this annex if they are passing though KIAD as it's huge, full of many planes, and it's where the Smithsonian does their a/c restorations. Only bummer is that they charge like $20/carload.


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they charge to park I think, the museum is free if you dont park

[peevee]

5 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

They have an original Me 262 at the Smithsonian, peevee. The last time I was there it was still in the main museum and had not been moved to the annex at Dulles. 

Jim

Hrm, I've been to both and somehow missed it. Damn.

[peevee]

37 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

Here it is. If my memory is right it has been sitting in the same place and it’s exhibit hasn’t changed at least since the early 80s when I first saw it there. One of nine originals remaining in the world, apparently. 

Jim

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/messerschmitt-me-262-1a-schwalbe-swallow

I would definitely remember that display and somehow missed it. Shame. I think the air force museum has one also, maybe I'll see one there.

 

Edit: In the states there's one in Ohio, DC, WA, and Pensacola.

[29-0363]

Back in 2009 I went to the Indian Airforce Museum at Palam just outside of New Delhi, where they had an extensive collection of civil and military aircraft - some of which I'd never seen or heard of before.

What made me smile was the remains of a Pakistani  Sabre (I think that's what it was) that had been shot down when the two countries went to war in 1965 - some 45 years earlier.  It seems they keep the wreckage as a trophy in a prominent location at the entrance, regularly repainted in silver frost, and stencilled with the Pakistan Airforce symbols  to particularly remind visitors who won and who lost.

[steingar]

12 hours ago, 29-0363 said:

Back in 2009 I went to the Indian Airforce Museum at Palam just outside of New Delhi, where they had an extensive collection of civil and military aircraft - some of which I'd never seen or heard of before.

What made me smile was the remains of a Pakistani  Sabre (I think that's what it was) that had been shot down when the two countries went to war in 1965 - some 45 years earlier.  It seems they keep the wreckage as a trophy in a prominent location at the entrance, regularly repainted in silver frost, and stencilled with the Pakistan Airforce symbols  to particularly remind visitors who won and who lost.

A friend went the aviation museum in Belgrade.  He said that they displayed the F-117 nighthawk they'd shot down during the Balkan war.

[air cooled dad]

Mooney representing at the Udvar-Hazy annex today.   

Jason

[AaronDC8402]

Any of you been to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson? I've got a work trip in Tucson next week, but I don't think I'll have any extra time available while I'm there. Another reason I should have planned to fly the Mooney instead of flying commercial. 

 

[DonMuncy]

I've been there. Nice museum. They have inside displays and a large outside display. It is worth it to pay for the guided outside tour. The guy who drives the tour cart knows a lot of interesting stuff about the planes.

[Oscar Avalle]

On 10/25/2017 at 10:05 PM, jetdriven said:

Missing is the Deutsches museum in Munich. Definitely a top ten contender. Me263, ME163 Komet, V2 rocket engine and a Porsche Mooney PFM engine.

I fully agree! The museum opened up another branch closer to the airport where they are showing several VTOL Dornier planes. Very interesting.

[EricJ]

17 hours ago, AaronDC8402 said:

Any of you been to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson? I've got a work trip in Tucson next week, but I don't think I'll have any extra time available while I'm there. Another reason I should have planned to fly the Mooney instead of flying commercial. 

 

You need much of a day to do the place justice, longer if you really want to wander around outside and see all the interesting stuff.

[AaronDC8402]

I ended up with enough extra time in Tucson to stop by the Pima Air and Space museum. Definitely something to see. There were 5 or 6 hangars of planes, and a ton of stuff to see outside. I haven't been to many aviation museums that let you get that close to that many really large planes. 

If you want to do the Air Force junk yard tour, you now have to call 10 days in advance as of Nov 1. 

 

[HRM]

You get to fly an aeroplane at the Pima:

[johncuyle]

I was confused until I saw Future of Flight on the list, then I became REALLY confused. This list can't have been made by anyone who actually went to these museums. I've been there and I wasn't terribly impressed. FHC and HFF are both more interesting (the planes actually fly!) and they're both also at Paine. You'd also have to have missed the Museum of Flight restoration center, which is not really a complete museum experience but it is pretty unique, especially when viewed as an addition to the Museum of Flight, which is the big one in WA, also better than Future of Flight. Also they somehow missed the Museum at KMMV? It has the Spruce Goose...


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[HRM]

Anybody with a PIREP on the Great War Flying Museum (@CNC3) outside Toronto? I'll be an accidental tourist up there over Thanksgiving (sans Mooney ).

[TargetDriver]

 I had to travel to London the first week of November and ended up having a full day with nothing to do so like every good pilot would - headed up to the RAF Museum in Hendon. Took an Uber ride from downtown and it cost about $35 each way and ended up being an hour ride. I think it was only 10 miles but the traffic...not good. Just sit back and take in the sites.

It's free to get in and consisted of 4 or 5 large hanger buildings. There was a separate building that had all of the WW1 aircraft and memorabilia ..very cool too.  I spent 5 hours walking around the place. I think there's over 100 aircraft in the main building, pretty impressive.  There's plenty of WW2 fighters including Spitfires, Focke Wolf's, ME 262, Harvard, Thunderbolt, Junkers JU87 and then the bombers, B24, B17, TB 25 Mitchell, the Avro Lancaster B1 was impressive too.  There are a number of jet aircraft as well; a Gloster Meteor (very cool), F6, Vampire, Hawker Hunter... and the massive former nuclear bomber The Vulcan.  Plenty others obviously and all very cool to study.

If you have a free half day and happen to find yourself in London, it is well worth a trip to northern London, Hendon.  Great place inside to eat too. 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

On ‎11‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 12:50 PM, johncuyle said:

I was confused until I saw Future of Flight on the list, then I became REALLY confused. This list can't have been made by anyone who actually went to these museums. I've been there and I wasn't terribly impressed. FHC and HFF are both more interesting (the planes actually fly!) and they're both also at Paine. You'd also have to have missed the Museum of Flight restoration center, which is not really a complete museum experience but it is pretty unique, especially when viewed as an addition to the Museum of Flight, which is the big one in WA, also better than Future of Flight. Also they somehow missed the Museum at KMMV? It has the Spruce Goose...


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I went to the restoration center and got to talking to one of the volunteer mechanics who was restoring a plane that had been a piece of playground equipment for 50 years. After talking for an hour or so He invited me behind the ropes and let me root around everywhere. Through the parts bins and the warehouse. I got to climb around in all the planes they were restoring. He begged me to come volunteer and help restore the planes. Too bad I live in Arizona or I would.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Combat Aviation Museum Payne Field.  Definitely should be on the list.  Paul Allen has assembled a wonderful fleet of aviation and tanks etc.  German WWII is very well represented.  On my bucket list.