Israeli Air Force Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Israeli Air Force Museum

IAI Kfir on display at the museum
Established	1977
Location	Hatzerim Airbase, Negev desert, Israel
Type	Aviation museum

The Israeli Air Force Museum is a cool place located at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev desert, Israel. It's a special museum that shows off many different airplanes and helicopters from the Israeli Air Force, plus some from other countries. It also has displays of anti-aircraft weapons. Soldiers from the Israeli Air Force actually work at the museum, helping visitors learn about aviation history.

The museum first opened its doors in 1991, but it was officially started in 1977. It's a great spot to learn about the history of flight and see amazing aircraft up close!

What You Can See: Amazing Aircraft and More

This museum is home to many awesome aircraft! You can see hundreds of models and even real fighter aircraft that used to fly for the Israeli Air Force. Some of these planes have been retired, while others were captured by Israel.

Flying History: Planes That Still Soar

Some of the aircraft at the museum are kept in amazing condition and can still fly! For example, there's a special Supermarine Spitfire called "Black Spit" that belonged to a famous pilot named Ezer Weizman. There's also a yellow Harvard aircraft. These planes sometimes even take part in air shows, which is super exciting!

Famous Jets and Their Stories

You can find many historic jets here, each with its own story:

• A Dassault Mirage III called Shahak 159, which had 13 "kills" (meaning it shot down 13 enemy aircraft).
• A Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 that was secretly brought from Iraq in a mission called Operation Diamond.
• The IAI Lavi, a special jet built by Israel Aerospace Industries.
• An McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle called F-15 Baz, with 4 kills.
• An General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon called Netz 107, with 6.5 kills.

Beyond the Planes: Other Cool Exhibits

The museum also has other interesting displays:

• An exhibit showing parts of fighter jets and explaining what they do.
• A display of anti-aircraft weapons.
• A photography exhibition.
• A special exhibit called "Pull to Life" about Unit 669, which is a brave team that rescues people from dangerous situations.

Special Events and Activities

During holidays like Passover and Independence Day, the Air Force brings active aircraft to the museum. You might see planes like the F-15I Ra'am, F-16I Sufa, and Boeing AH-64 Apache. They also have special flyovers and fun activities just for kids!

Museum's Journey: A Look Back

The idea for the museum started a long time ago. The first step was taken on July 16, 1985, thanks to the hard work of Brigadier General (Res.) Yaakov Turner. The museum officially opened its doors to the public on June 20, 1991.

In February 2015, a silver Boeing-Stearman aircraft that used to fly in air shows was unfortunately destroyed.

In November 2016, a competition was held to design a new museum building. The goal was to make it a special place to learn about the Air Force's history and show off Israeli aviation. A company called "Schwartz Besnosoff" won the competition.

In February 2022, it was decided that about 20 aircraft on display would be removed. This included a Boeing 707 that was used as a flying command center during a famous mission called Operation Entebbe.

Aircraft on Display

The museum has a huge collection of aircraft. Here are some of the types you can see:

Israeli Air Force Aircraft

Foreign Aircraft Types

Former Syrian MiG-23 at the IAF Museum

The museum also has aircraft from other countries, some of which were captured:

• Aérospatiale Gazelle - A former Syrian aircraft, captured in 1982.
• de Havilland Vampire - Painted like a Lebanese Air Force plane.
• de Havilland Venom - Painted like an Iraqi Air Force plane.
• Hawker Hunter - From Chile, painted like a Royal Jordanian Air Force plane.
• Grumman TBM-3E Avenger
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 - From Poland, painted like an Egyptian plane.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 - Painted like the plane from Operation Diamond.
• MiG-21 - A two-seat version.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 - A former Syrian aircraft that flew to Israel in 1989.
• Mil Mi-24

Aircraft Parts and Remains

Tail of Egyptian Su-7 shot down October 6, 1973

You can also see parts of aircraft that were shot down or found:

• Bristol Beaufighter - Parts of an Israeli plane shot down in 1948.
• de Havilland Mosquito
• Hiller 360
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 - Parts of a Syrian plane shot down over the Sea of Galilee in 1966.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 - The tail of an Egyptian plane shot down in 1967.
• Noorduyn Norseman
• Sukhoi Su-7 - The tail of an Egyptian plane shot down during the Yom Kippur War.
• Tupolev Tu-16 - Parts of an Iraqi plane shot down in 1967.

Anti-Aircraft Weapons

The museum also displays different types of weapons used to shoot down aircraft:

Anti-Aircraft Guns

• M163 VADS
• ZSU-23-4 Shilka
• ZSU-57-2

Missiles and Systems

• MIM-72 Chaparral
• SA-2 Guideline - You can see both mobile and static launchers.

Other Vehicles

Besides aircraft, the museum has a few other interesting vehicles:

• Plymouth Valiant
• Citroën 2CV
• ZIL-157
• Willys M38A1

Images for kids

• 

  Boeing Stearman of the Israeli Air Force Museum, March 2007. It was destroyed in a ground fire in 2015

• 

  The Black Spitfire

See also

In Spanish: Museo de la Fuerza Aérea de Israel para niños