Aviation Museum

About a half-mile past the National Rail Museum is the South Australian Aviation Museum. Founded in 1984 by a group of enthusiasts interested in air travel history and aircraft restoration, the museum chronicles the history of aviation and aerospace industry throughout Australia. By 1990, it became the official aviation museum of South Australia and the home of the heritage rocket collection associated with the Woomera Test Range (active between 1950 and 1980). Of particular significance for me was a new project devoted to restoring a P-3 Orion from the Royal Australian Air Force. One of my amateur radio mentors was a crew chief on a U.S. owned P-3 and was able to get me on board his plane for a tour. In addition, I was able to make my first aviation mobile radio contact with him while his plane was flying on a training mission. This was a cool museum.

While this main entrance did not look very impressive...

...it was a different story once you were inside.

One of the signature exhibits in the museum is this Spitfire...

...along with this Fokker F27 Regional Airliner.

This one had an interesting configuration inside.

This is an 80% scale replica of the Fokker DR1 Triplane made famous by Baron Manfred Von Richtofen (the “Red Baron”).

”Move over Von Richthofen, there’s a new ace in the air!”

One of the newest acquisitions is a AP-3C Orion from the Royal Australian Air Force..

It is currently being restored in one of the hanger buildings.