South African Air Force Museum
Encyclopedia
The South African Air Force Museum houses, exhibits and restores material related to the history of the South African Air Force
. The Museum is divided into three locations, AFB Swartkop
outside Pretoria
, AFB Ysterplaat
in Cape Town
and at the Port Elizabeth airport.
AFB Swartkop
Swartkop is the largest of the three museum locations, occupying at least five hangars.
It contains a number of Atlas Cheetah
s as well as a Cheetah C flight simulator.
Static exhibits are housed in the original 42-Air School Air Gunnery Training Centre used during the Joint Air Training Scheme in World War II
.
Active restoration are being performed on a number of Harvards
and there is a project to restore an Airspeed Oxford
.
One of the more unusual exhibits is a Jorg IV Skimmerfoil ground effect craft.
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
. The Museum is divided into three locations, AFB Swartkop
AFB Swartkop
AFB Swartkop is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum...
outside Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, AFB Ysterplaat
AFB Ysterplaat
Air Force Base Ysterplaat is an airbase of the South African Air Force. It is located in Cape Town, on the southwestern coast of South Africa.The name Ysterplaat is Afrikaans; it means Iron Plate in English....
in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and at the Port Elizabeth airport.
AFB SwartkopAFB SwartkopAFB Swartkop is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum...
Swartkop is the largest of the three museum locations, occupying at least five hangars.It contains a number of Atlas Cheetah
Atlas Cheetah
The Atlas Cheetah is a fighter aircraft currently operated by the Ecuadorian Air Force. It was operated by the South African Air Force between 1986 and 2008. It was first built as a major upgrade of the Dassault Mirage III by the Atlas Aircraft Corporation of South Africa in South Africa and is...
s as well as a Cheetah C flight simulator.
Port Elizabeth
Exhibits at the Port Elizabeth museum is limited due to the amount of hangar space available to the museum.Static exhibits are housed in the original 42-Air School Air Gunnery Training Centre used during the Joint Air Training Scheme in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Active restoration are being performed on a number of Harvards
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
and there is a project to restore an Airspeed Oxford
Airspeed Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
.
One of the more unusual exhibits is a Jorg IV Skimmerfoil ground effect craft.
See also
- List of aerospace museums
- Military history of South AfricaMilitary history of South AfricaThe history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers civil wars and wars of aggression and of self-defense both within South Africa and against it...
- South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
- South African National Museum of Military HistorySouth African National Museum of Military HistoryThe South African National War Museum in Johannesburg was officially opened by Prime Minister Jan Smuts on 29 August 1947 to preserve the history of South Africa's involvement in the Second World War. In 1975 the museum was renamed the South African National Museum of Military History and its...
- South African Naval MuseumSouth African Naval Museum-See also:* South African Navy* South African National Museum of Military History* South African Air Force Museum* Military history of South Africa-External links:*...
- AFB SwartkopAFB SwartkopAFB Swartkop is an air force base in South Africa. It is managed as part of AFB Waterkloof and houses one of the three branches of the South African Air Force Museum...