Darwin Aviation Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darwin Aviation Museum

The museum in 2023
Former name	Australian Aviation Heritage Centre
Established	1988
Location	557 Stuart Highway, Winnellie, Northern Territory
Type	Aerospace museum

The Darwin Aviation Museum, previously known as the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, displays aircraft and aircraft engines of relevance to the Northern Territory and aviation in Australia generally. It is located in Darwin suburb of Winnellie.

History

The museum's origins can be traced to 1976 when a group of enthusiasts sought to preserve aviation relics after the destruction of Cyclone Tracy. It was later broadened to include the documentation of World War II aircraft crash sites and the preservation of aviation relics related to the defence of Darwin during World War II. The museum was first opened to the public in 1988. In the late 1980s, the Society negotiated with the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Northern Territory Government to obtain a surplus USAF Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber and to build a museum to house and display the aircraft.

In June 1990, the new Darwin Aviation Museum opened. In 2011, the museum was considered as a display location for one of two Mi-24s confiscated by the Department of Defence in 1997. Due to the presence of asbestos in the airframes, the proposal was dropped. In 2018, the museum acquired a P-3C and looked into expanding their hangar space to house it.

Collection

Boeing B-52G bomber on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum

The museum has on display a Boeing B-52G bomber. It is on permanent loan from the United States Air Force and is one of only three on public display in the world outside the US. There is a bomb fragment dating from a WWII air raid on Darwin.

Aircraft on display

Aircraft engines on display

See also

• List of aviation museums