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29-09-2011,
South African Air Force Museum, Swartkop AFB
Established in 1973 the SAAF museum has accumulated an impressive collection
of over 150 complete aircraft and many more aircraft parts over the 35 years
of its existence. The majority of the collection is housed at the main
Museum at Air Force Base Swartkop. Satellite branches exist at AFB
Ysterplaat in Cape Town and at AFS Port Elizabeth.
The museum is situated at the oldest base off the SAAF Swartkop (or
Zwartkop as the original name was) site that was the South African Air Force's first and for a long
time only airfield. Today, the Museum occupies the six off the northern hangars at
Swartkop and most of the surrounding buildings. The hangars are the original
ones built in the 1920s.
The first aircraft received by the museum was a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura, with
the collection growing steadily in the following years. At the moment most
type used after the second world war are on display at on off the locations
of the museum. Including type’s that where until recently in service like
the Cheetah, Mirage III, F1 and Buccaneers but also older type as a P-51 and
Vampire. On the flight line is a Boeing 707 , C-160 Transall and a Avro
Shackleton MK3.
Recently the museum resaved more aircraft in the form of a Mirage F1 and a
Cheetah C. A large storage yard is filed with potential restorations
aircraft .
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