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  Defense Services Museum
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Text:

Guido Bühlmann)

Pictures:

Guido Bühlmann)

Defense Services Museum
Naypyitaw
Zaya Thiri Township, Theik Chaung

9.00 to 16.00 h.
 Monday closed. State holidays closed.
Tel.: 09 764964759

Museum complex of superlatives

 

(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

DeHavilland Vampire Trainer T.55 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

At around 2005 the construction of Naypyitaw, the new capital of Myanmar, began,  300 kilometers north of Yangon. On an area of more than 7000 square kilometers, a new city was built with centers that are far apart. These are connected with four-lane, directionally separated motorways with hardly any traffic.Often you has the feeling that it is somewhere in no man's land. At the end of 2011, with the help of China, the new Naypyitaw International Airport was put into operation, which is designed for 3.5 million passengers, but only a few planes land every day.

Until the 1st April 1937, Burma, now Myanmar, was part of British India. After the WWII, Burma, outside the British Commonwealth, gained independence on 4tth January 1948. In 1955 the Union of Burma Air Force was established with the help of the United Kingdom. At the beginning, the equipment consisted mainly of aircraft from the UK. Aircarft from France, the USA, Italy and Switzerland were later used. From 1970 then fighter planes and trainers from China and at the beginning of 2001 MiG-29 from Belarus into the inventory of the Myanmar Air Force.

 

Ayres Turbo-Trush  (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Museum of the Air Force and Navy

The Defense Services Museum in the new capital Naypyitaw of Myanmar, which was not accessible to foreigners until a few years ago, the Air Force and Navy have erected a monument and a museum complex was created that is probably unique in its design and size. The North Korean Kim Jong-un, used to monumental buildings, would go green with envy ...

After some difficulties and problems it was possible to visit this museum. In the many halls, which are connected by long covered corridors, a large selection of airplanes, engines, instruments, uniforms, weapons and photos are presented.

There are no fewer than 33 aircraft and helicopters on the open-air site, all of which are in very good condition. From the Spitfire to the F7 (MiG-21), from the Percival Provost to the Pilatus PC-7 / PC-9 and from the Douglas C-47 to the Fokker F-227, to name just a few, are exactly lined up on the shelves . Thanks to the Air Force that many types of aircraft from the early days of the Burmese Air Force have been kept in order to be able to exhibit them in the new museum in Naypyitaw. It takes a day to see and photograph everything, and the long distances, probably a few kilometers, have to be covered.

 

(Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Flightline (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Piasecki H-21 Shawnee (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Kaman H-43 Huskie (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

   

PZL W-3 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Sudest Alouette III (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Pilatus PC-9 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

   

Pilatus PC-7 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann) 0

Hunting Provost (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Britisch Fighter (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Nanchang CJ-6  (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

   

Supermarine Spitfire (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Supermarine Seafire XV (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

MiG-21 Fishbed (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

 

Nanchang A-5 & Mig-19 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Nanchang A-5 (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Shenyang J-6 Farmer  (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter  (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

   

Beech C-45 Expeditor (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Douglas C-47A Sykytrain (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Douglas C-47A Sykytrain (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

Fokker-F-27 Friendship (Picture courtesy Guido Bühlmann)

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last update 1. November 2020

Written 1. November 2020

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