Warbirds and Wheels Museum facts for kids
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| Established | December 2011 |
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| Dissolved | September 2021 |
| Location | Wānaka Airport |
| Type | Aerospace museum, automotive museum |
Warbirds & Wheels was a really neat museum in Wānaka, New Zealand. It was a special place that showed off military airplanes and cool classic cars and motorcycles. These vehicles were mostly from the early 1900s.
The museum first opened in December 2011. It was located at the Wānaka Airport. It was started by the Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust and three local business people. They wanted to create a new museum after the old New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum closed.
Warbirds & Wheels operated for about ten years. Sadly, it closed in September 2021. This happened after one of the owners passed away. Also, fewer people visited because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amazing Collections at Warbirds & Wheels
The museum had a fantastic collection of both aircraft and automobiles. It was a great place to see history up close.
Military Aircraft on Display
The museum featured several impressive military aircraft. These planes were on static display, meaning they were not flying. Visitors could get a close look at them.
Some of the cool planes included:
- A Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
- A BAC Strikemaster Mk 88
- A de Havilland Vampire FB5
- A Hawker Hurricane Mk IIA (This one could actually fly!)
- A replica Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a
Classic Cars and Motorcycles
Over time, the museum started to focus more on classic cars and motorcycles. It was managed by a group of private car collectors from Wānaka. They mainly showed vehicles from the 1930s to the 1950s.
The collection had some very rare and special cars. These included vehicles from before World War II.
- A beautifully restored 1934 Duesenberg Model J. This was the only one in the southern hemisphere!
- A 1935 Auburn Speedster 851 SC.
- A very rare 1918 Packard semi-collapsible Landaulet Fleetwood model from New York. There were only two of these ever made.
- Some even older cars, like a 1907 Ford Model K, which was built before World War I.
Most of the cars at the museum were in working order. They even had current registrations and safety checks. Some of these cars were on loan from their private owners. Sometimes, visitors could even go for rides in them! The museum also displayed old petrol pumps and signs. These items helped tell the stories of the cars and their time periods.
