Classic Flyers Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2005 |
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| Location | Tauranga Airport, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand |
| Type | Aviation Museum |
The Classic Flyers Museum is an exciting place for anyone who loves airplanes! It's an aviation museum located at the Tauranga Airport in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. This amazing museum is owned by a special group called the Bay of Plenty Classic Aircraft Trust.
At the museum, you can see many different airplanes. Some are on display, and some can even fly! There's also a cool cafe where you can grab a bite to eat.
Contents
How the Museum Started
A Big Idea for Airplanes
The museum began in 2000. Some local business people, who really loved airplanes, had an idea. They wanted to fix up an old hangar from World War II at the Tauranga Airfield.
Building Something New
It turned out the old hangar couldn't be saved. But the group didn't give up! Instead, they decided to build a brand new place. They formed the Bay of Plenty Classic Aircraft Trust to make it happen. The new building is right at the entrance to Tauranga Airport.
A Museum That Flies
The founders had a special goal. They wanted to create a "flying museum." This means many of the planes wouldn't just sit still. They would actually be able to move and fly!
Opening Day
The Classic Flyers Museum officially opened its doors on Saturday, May 28, 2005. It was a big day with an air show and planes flying by!
The Legacy Jet Centre
In October 2012, something new was added. The museum opened the Legacy Jet Centre. This happened when an Aermacchi aircraft arrived to be fixed up. The main hangar was named "The Legacy Jet Centre" because of help from the Legacy Trust.
What You See Today
Today, the museum uses three hangars next to each other. The first hangar is where you'll find the visitor centre, the Avgas Cafe, and most of the museum's exhibits. The other two hangars hold many classic airplanes that are still able to fly. They also keep the museum's old records there.
You can also see more airplanes outside the hangars. One of them is an old New Zealand National Airways Corporation DH-Heron. You can go inside this plane, but it can't fly anymore.
Why the Museum is Important
Goals of the Museum
The Classic Flyers Museum has two main goals:
- To keep classic and historic airplanes safe.
- To help remember New Zealand's aviation history.
Connecting to New Zealand's Past
The Trust works hard to save airplanes and other items. They focus on things that have a special link to the Bay of Plenty area or to New Zealand's history in general.
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft. Here are some of the planes you might see:
- Aermacchi MB-339
- Boeing Stearman
- Cessna 188 AGwagon
- Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina (fuselage)
- Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk
- de Havilland DH 104 Devon C.1
- de Havilland DH 114 Heron
- de Havilland Vampire
- de Havilland DH 112 Venom
- Douglas A-4K Skyhawk
- EEL ULF 1 ultralight glider
- Fletcher FU24
- Grumman TBF-1C Avenger
- Hall Cherokee II glider
- Hawker Hunter T75
- Hughes 300
- North American Harvard
- North American F-86 Sabre
- Pacific Aerospace Corporation CT-4B Airtrainer
- Pitts Special S-1C
- Schleicher Ka-6CR glider
- Slingsby T-45 Swallow glider
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk V - replica
- Victa Airtourer T-3A
- Yakovlev Yak 52
