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South African Air Force Museum, Swartkop AFB  


Avro Shackleton MK 3


 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 .
 

342 Cheetah C

To shelter the collection of fighter aircraft on the flight line most of theme have been placed under a sun shelter. This make's taking pictures not easer
The collection that is housed in the old hangers contains some interesting planes including a MiG-21 from Angola.

Part of the Museum is the historic flight of the SAAF. At present, the museum maintains about 25 airworthy aircraft. These include several prop’s like the Harvard and Bosbok. Helicopters Alouette IIs , Alouette IIIs and Puma. But also old and new jet fighters like the Sabre and the Mirage F1.

Many of these planes are flown regularly at the Museum's monthly flying days and the Museum's aircraft participate in various air shows throughout the year. These flying days are during the year on the first Saturday off the month.

Sadly some of the aircraft have been lost in accidents including a fatal crash of two Piaggio's recently .

With the museum being on a active base always give you the opportunity to see some helicopter and small personnel transport planes of the SAAF operating from Swartkop air base.

The Museum is open weekdays from 08h30 to 16h00 and on Saturday from 10h00 to 15h30. The Museum is closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Years Day
 

 
 
 

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