Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre facts for kids
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| Established | 2006 |
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| Location | Omaka Aerodrome, Blenheim, New Zealand |
| Type | Aviation Museum |
The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre is an amazing aviation museum where you can see awesome old planes! It's located at the Omaka Air Field, which is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the center of Blenheim, New Zealand. It's a fantastic place to learn about the history of flying.
Contents
History of the Museum
How the Museum Started
In the late 1990s, people in the Marlborough region became very interested in old airplanes. A group of plane fans started the Marlborough Warbirds Association. They wanted to share their love for aviation and help each other.
More and more old planes came to Omaka Air Field. Tourists started visiting to see them. In 1997, some plane owners and enthusiasts created the New Zealand Aviation Museum Trust. Their goal was to make these planes easy for everyone to see. They also wanted to bring more aviation businesses to Marlborough.
Building the Centre
Over ten years, many people worked together to create the Marlborough Aviation Cluster. This included an aviation business park and the heritage center. The local council and development trust supported the idea.
In 2004, a special grant of NZ$2 million helped start the first part of the heritage center. This funding came from NZ Trade and Enterprise.
Opening the Doors
The first part of the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre opened on December 9, 2006. It featured the 'Knights of the Sky' exhibition. This huge display area is about 3,000 square meters (32,000 sq ft).
The second part of the museum opened several years later, in November 2016.
Amazing Exhibitions
Knights of the Sky: World War I Planes
Omaka's first big exhibition is called 'Knights of the Sky'. It shows one of the world's largest collections of World War I aircraft. You can also see rare items from that time. Some planes are just for display, while others can still fly!
This amazing collection is on loan to the museum. It is looked after by the 14-18 Aviation Heritage Trust. Famous film director Sir Peter Jackson leads this trust. Because of his interest, the exhibition looks like a movie set!
Movie Magic in the Museum
The exhibition was designed by Joe Bleakley. It used the talents of top set builders, painters, and prop makers from Wellington. Many of these artists work for Sir Peter Jackson's company, Wingnut Films. The lifelike models of people were made by Wētā Workshop, known for their movie special effects.
Even though it looks very detailed, the exhibition was built super fast. It took less than 10 weeks from start to finish!
Dangerous Skies: World War II Stories
'Dangerous Skies' is the second main exhibition. It takes you into the world of World War II. You'll learn about famous battles like the Battle of Britain. It also shares lesser-known stories, like those from the Eastern Front.
Just like the 'Knights of the Sky' exhibition, 'Dangerous Skies' features incredible models made by Weta Workshop. You'll see original planes, as well as planes that can still fly. They are all placed in huge, realistic scenes called dioramas.
Classic Fighters Airshow
Every two years, during Easter, Omaka Air Field hosts an exciting airshow called Classic Fighters. This show happens in the odd-numbered years. It's a great chance to see many of these historic planes in action!
The Museum's Collection
The museum has a wide variety of military aircraft. These planes are from both the First and Second World Wars. You can also see cool artifacts and personal items. Some belonged to famous pilots from World War I. This includes items from Baron Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron.
Aircraft on Display
The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre has many amazing aircraft. Here are some of them:
- Airco DH.2 replica
- Breguet 14 replica
- Caproni Ca.22 Original
- Curtiss MF Flying Boat. Original
- Airco DH.4 Original (one of only two known to still exist!)
- De Havilland Mosquito
- Etrich Taube replica
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190A
- Fokker D.VIII
- Fokker Dr.I triplane (four flyable replicas are kept here)
- Fokker E.III Eindecker replica
- Halberstadt D.IV replica
- Hawker Hurricane (a taxiable replica from the 1969 film Battle of Britain)
- Junkers Ju 87 Stuka replica
- Lockheed Hudson NZ2049
- Messerschmitt Bf 108
- Morane-Saulnier BB
- Nieuport 24 replica
- Nieuport 27 replica
- Pfalz D.III (one of two flying replicas from the movie The Blue Max)
- Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a replica
- Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 replica
- Siemens-Schuckert D.IV replica
- Supermarine Spitfire Mk 14
- Thomas-Morse S-4 Scout original
- Yakovlev Yak-3
- de Havilland Tiger Moth NZ1467/ZK-BQB
- Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk Mk.IV 43-22962/NZ3220 "Gloria Lyons"
- De Havilland Mosquito DH.98 Mosquito FB.VI TE910/NZ2336
See also
- List of aerospace museums
- Warbird
