Fleet Air Arm Museum (Australia)

The Australian Fleet Air Arm Museum, formerly known as Australia's Museum of Flight, is a military aerospace museum located at the naval air station HMAS Albatross, near Nowra, New South Wales. The museum was opened in 1990, although efforts to preserve artifacts related to Australia's naval aviation history began in 1974. The museum houses aircraft used throughout the history of the Fleet Air Arm, the naval aviation branch of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), along with other aircraft of relevance to Australia's aviation history, and memorabilia relating to Australian aircraft carriers.[1][2][3] The museum includes 34 aircraft and helicopters in its collection. It is open to the public daily, except for major public holidays. The museum building is also home to Albatross Aero Club.

Fleet Air Arm Museum
Established1990
LocationHMAS Albatross, Nowra, New South Wales
Coordinates34.936°S 150.555°E / -34.936; 150.555
TypeMilitary museum
Websitehttp://www.navy.gov.au/fleet-air-arm-museum
The "Defending the Fleet" section of the museum
The museum's Fairey Gannet
Heron 2 VH-NJI on display at Australia's Museum of Flight in 2006
A Bell UH-1C Iroquois at the Fleet Air Arm Museum

History

The Fleet Air Arm Museum can trace its origins to 1974 when a group of volunteers associated with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) obtained five obsolete RAN aircraft and began work to establish a museum for display of artifacts to present the story of Australian Naval aviation. $80m were raised from various sources for a large hangar and function centre. In 1990, the Australian Naval Aviation Museum Foundation was established to operate the museum.

In 2000, the museum was renamed Australia's Museum of Flight and its role expanded to displaying artifacts related to Australian aviation. In 2006, ownership and management of the museum were handed to the Royal Australian Navy and it was renamed the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

The museum now displays more than 34 aircraft and many aviation artifacts.[4]

Displays

The following exhibits are on static display in the museum:[5]

Aircraft

Helicopters

See also

Notes
  1. "Fleet Air Arm Museum Display - Fleet Air Arm Launches 1948 - 1954". Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  2. "Fleet Air Arm Museum Display - Navy Gets Jets 1955 - 1967". Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  3. "Fleet Air Arm Museum Display - Defending The Fleet 1968 - 1984". Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  4. "History of Fleet Air Arm Museum". Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  5. "Displays". Archived from the original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2011.
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