Alberta Aviation Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1980; Grand Opening: 1992 |
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| Location | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Visitors | 20,000 |
The Alberta Aviation Museum is a super cool place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where you can explore the amazing world of airplanes! It's located right where the old Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport used to be. Imagine seeing real planes up close!
The museum is open almost every day, so you can visit and learn about aviation history whenever you like, except for a few holidays.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's Home
The Alberta Aviation Museum is special because it's inside a historic building called Hangar 14. This hangar is one of only two left of its kind! It's a "double-double" hangar, which means it's made up of four connected sections. These hangars were built during the Second World War as part of a big training program called the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. They were made from strong wooden timbers from British Columbia.
Hangars started popping up at this airport between 1939 and 1942. Hangar 14 was finished in 1943. It's a huge building, about 6,689 square meters (72,000 square feet) in size!
Hangar 14's Many Jobs
After the United States joined the Second World War, the airport helped service planes flying to Alaska. Later, in 1946, Hangar 14 was used by different groups, including a local air squadron and an airline. It even helped with building the Distant Early Warning Line, which was a chain of radar stations. In the late 1960s, it became a car dealership!
This important building is known in Edmonton as "The Hangar on Kingsway." Because of its history, Hangar 14 was officially recognized as a special historic place in Alberta in 2000. The City of Edmonton also gave it this special status in 2004.
The Museum's Future in Hangar 14
Even though Hangar 14 is a historic building, it needs a lot of repairs. City officials have said it needs millions of dollars for upgrades by 2027. There was a discussion about whether the museum might have to move.
However, a city councilor suggested finding creative ways to keep the museum in its historic home. The Alberta Aviation Museum is now working with the City of Edmonton to make a plan. In July 2022, the city started looking for someone to buy the hangar.
After another hangar (Hangar 11) was sadly destroyed in a fire in April 2024, the museum asked again if they could take ownership of Hangar 14. This would help them protect and preserve this important piece of history.
Groups at the Museum
The museum is also a home for several youth and aviation groups. These include the 504 Blatchford Field Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and the 180 Royal Canadian Army Cadets. Other groups like the Royal Canadian Air Force Association also meet here.
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a fantastic collection of airplanes and helicopters. You can see many different types of aircraft that have played a part in aviation history!
Airplanes
| Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Avro Anson II | 11567 |
| Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck | 100476 |
| Barkley-Grow T8P-1 | CF-BLV |
| Beechcraft Model 18 | C-FRSX |
| Canadair Sabre | 19101 |
| Canadair CT-133 Silver Star | 21146 as "21533" |
| Canadair CT-133 Silver Star (Composite) | 21506 |
| Cranwell CLA.4 | |
| Curtiss JN-4 | C-GDCX / 3793 |
| Curtiss "Stinson Special" (replica) | |
| de Havilland Mosquito | VP189 |
| de Havilland DH.60 Moth (on loan) | G-CYYG |
| de Havilland Tiger Moth | C-GDWI (241) |
| Fairchild 71 | CF-ATZ |
| Fleet Canuck | C-FMHW |
| Ford Trimotor (float only) | CF-BEP |
| Fokker D.VIII (replica) | |
| Fokker Universal | G-CAHE |
| Lockheed F-104 Starfighter | D-5805 (Netherlands) |
| McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo | 100060 |
| McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo | 100032 (restored as 17425) |
| Noorduyn Norseman | CF-EIH |
| Noorduyn Norseman | CF-HPY |
| North American B-25 Mitchell | 5273 as FW251 |
| Piper PA-18 Super Cub | C-FPGD |
| Stinson Reliant | C-FOAY |
| Vickers Viking (7/8-scale replica) | G-CAEB (Replica) |
| Waco UIC | CF-AAW |
| Westland Lysander (2/3-scale replica) (loaned out) |
Helicopters
| Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Bell 47 | |
| Bell 206 | C-FQZB restored as C-GDXC |
Museum Friends and Partners
The Alberta Aviation Museum works with many other organizations to share its love for aviation. These partners include the Alberta Museums Association, the Canadian Museums Association, and the Virtual Museum of Canada. They all help the museum connect with more people and preserve history.
Images for kids
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The historic Hangar 14, home of the Alberta Aviation Museum.
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A De Havilland Mosquito B.35, a famous World War II aircraft.
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The Waco UIC, a classic biplane.
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An Avro Anson Mk 2, used for training during the war.
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A De Havilland Vampire jet.
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The Fairchild 71C, a bush plane.
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The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck, a Canadian-built jet fighter.
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A Boeing 737 from Pacific Western Airlines.
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A De Havilland Tiger Moth, a popular training aircraft.
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The McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo, a powerful interceptor jet.
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A Beech 18, a versatile twin-engine aircraft.
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The Cranwell CLA.4A, a unique aircraft.
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A Canadair CT-133 Silver Star jet.
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The Canadair Sabre Mk. 1, a Canadian-built fighter jet.
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