Fleet Air Arm Museum (Australia) facts for kids
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | HMAS Albatross, Nowra, New South Wales |
| Type | Military museum |
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is a special place in Australia where you can learn all about naval aviation. It's located at a naval air station called HMAS Albatross, near Nowra, New South Wales. This museum shows off amazing aircraft and helicopters that were used by the Fleet Air Arm. This is the part of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) that flies planes and helicopters.
The museum first opened its doors in 1990. However, people started collecting items for it much earlier, in 1974. Their goal was to save important pieces of Australia's naval aviation history. Today, the museum has 34 aircraft and helicopters. It also displays many other items related to Australia's aircraft carriers and flying history. It's a great place to visit and learn about how the Navy uses aircraft!
Contents
History of the Museum
How the Museum Started
The idea for the Fleet Air Arm Museum began in 1974. A group of volunteers from the Royal Australian Navy wanted to save old Navy aircraft. They managed to get five old planes that were no longer in use. These volunteers worked hard to create a place where people could see these aircraft. They wanted to tell the story of Australian naval aviation.
Building the Museum
Over time, a lot of money was raised to build a large hangar and a special center for events. In 1990, the Australian Naval Aviation Museum Foundation was created. This group was in charge of running the new museum.
Changes to the Museum's Name
In September 2000, the museum changed its name to Australia's Museum of Flight. At this time, it also started to display items about all kinds of Australian aviation, not just naval. Then, in 2006, the Royal Australian Navy took over the museum. They changed its name back to the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Today, the museum proudly displays more than 34 aircraft. It also has many other interesting aviation items for visitors to explore.
Aircraft and Helicopters on Display
The Fleet Air Arm Museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft and helicopters. These machines are on static display, meaning they are not flying. You can get up close to see them!
Aircraft Collection
- Aermacchi MB-326H
- CAC CA-22 Winjeel prototype
- de Havilland Sea Vampire T22
- de Havilland Sea Venom F.A.W. Mk 53
- Douglas C-47 Dakota
- Fairey Firefly AS.5/AS.6
- Fairey Gannet AS1/4
- Grumman S-2E/G Tracker - (two S-2E aircraft)
- GAF Jindivik - a pilotless target aircraft
- Hawker Sea Fury Mk 11
- McDonnell Douglas A-4G Skyhawk
- McDonnell Douglas TA-4G Skyhawk
- N28 Kalkara target aircraft
- Sopwith Pup
Helicopter Collection
- Aérospatiale AS350 Squirrel
- Bell UH-1C Iroquois
- Bell UH-1H Iroquois
- Bristol Sycamore HR 50/51
- Sikorsky S-70B-2 Seahawk
- Westland Scout AH-1
- Westland Sea King Mk50
- Westland Wessex Mk31B
See also
- Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum
- List of aerospace museums
