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South African Air Force Museum
Zwartkop |
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South African Air Force Museum
Zwartkop
Old Johannesburg Road
0185 Pretoria
Wednesday-Friday: 8:00 - 15.00 h
Saturdays: 8:30 h - 12.00 h
Admission free
https://saafmuseum.org.za/
Tel. +27 (0) 21 508-6576 |
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An Air
Force Museum is most likely not the first thing that comes to mind when
planning a visit to South
Africa. Amazingly, South Africa has not only one but three different Air
force museums that are located in
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Pretoria. The South African Air Force was only
the second Air Force after Britain that was independent of the Army or Navy.
This article focuses on the Pretoria branch of the museum
which is situated at Zwartkop Air Force Base and has the majority of the
exhibits.
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Paterson Biplane No.2
(Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
The air base got its name from a farm that in 1920 was
expropriated by the Government in order to build the airfield. This happened
after no agreement could be reached with the owner on an acceptable price.
Zwartkop was the first permanent airbase in the country and as such is the
oldest permanently used base in South Africa. The first Aircraft stationed
there were from the Imperial gift of 100 ex. RAF machines given to the
dominions after the First World War. The gift also included 20 steel
hangars. Amazingly, some of these hangars have survived and today
contain some of the museum aircraft.
In the
1920’s and 30’s the base was used as a staging post for many RAF and SAAF
Trans Africa flights. In 1935 Zwartkop lost its Monopoly when the building
of the outstation of Waterkloof was started. This was done in preparation
for the expansion plan for the SAAF. Ironically today Waterkloof is the main
air base and Zwartkop only secondary. There were plans by the SAAF to
abandon Zwartkop completely and leave only the museum at the airbase. The
Airfield was then declared a national heritage. However, the Air Force
changed its mind and as a result it is still an active air base of the SAAF.
World War 2
brought with it a massive expansion of the base to accommodate the increased
demand brought about by the Joint Air Training Scheme. Besides the Flying
training schools, many operational squadrons formed up and trained at
Zwartkop before being sent to the different theaters of war.
In 1949 the
name was changed to the English Swartkop only to be changed back again in
2012 to the original Name. |
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Fighter / Reconnaissance |
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North Amrican P-51D
Mustang (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
North Amrican P-51D
Mustang (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
De Havilland F Mk.52
Vampire (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
De Havilland F Mk.52
Vampire (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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De Havilland F Mk.52
Vampire (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
CANADAIR CL-13B SABRE Mk 6 (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder)
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CANADAIR CL-13B SABRE Mk 6 (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder)
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CANADAIR CL-13B SABRE Mk 6 (Photo courtesy Urs
Schnyder) |
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Dassault Mirage III BZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III BZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III CZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III CZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Mirage Hanger (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III RZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III RZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III RZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Dassault Mirage III DZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage III DZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage F1 CZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage F1CZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Dassault Mirage F1CZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage F1 CZ (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Dassault Mirage
F1AZ (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah E
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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Atlas Cheetah E
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah E
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah E
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah C
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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Atlas Cheetah C
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah C
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah C
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas Cheetah C
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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The South
African Air Force Museum was established in 1973. However, it was not until
the 1980’s that the aircraft arrived at Zwartkop. Gradually they filled the
old hangars.
Before that
they had been accommodated at Snake Valley Air Force Station and at Lanseria
Airport. The late start of the museum meant that the collection is mostly
made up of post war aircraft, most of them jets.
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Spare Wings, another future
project for restauration (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Reorganisation of the Defense Force in the 1990’s meant that many aircraft
found their way into the Museum. Some of them were the Mirage III, DC-4,
Canberra, Kudu and Bosbock. The collection was now divided between Zwartkop
and Lanseria. In 1991 however the last aircraft were moved from Lanseria to
Zwartkop and the museum was officially opened in May of 1993. At the same
time it received one of the C-160 Transall transports as well as Pumas,
Impalas a Dakota and Harvards.
The Museum
also has a Historic flight, which is normally displaying at the Museums Air
Show once a year. In addition there are flying training days on which the
aircraft take to the air to keep the pilots rated on type. However, this is
another story.
The museum
has a lot of aircraft that are not on public display but stored in different
locations.
The museum is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 09:00 to 15:00.
Entry is free. |
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ASW / Coastal Patrol |
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Lockheed PV-1 VENTURA GR Mk 5 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Lockheed PV-1 VENTURA GR Mk 5 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Lockheed PV-1 VENTURA GR Mk 5 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Lockheed PV-1 VENTURA GR Mk 5 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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LockheedL18-08 LODESTAR (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
LockheedL18-08 LODESTAR (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
L-37 B-34 VENTURA Mk II (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
L-37 B-34 VENTURA Mk II (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Lockheed PV-1 VENTURA GR Mk
5 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Avro 716 Shackelton MR Mk 3 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Avro 716 Shackelton MR Mk 3 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Avro 716 Shackelton MR Mk 3 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Avro 716 Shackelton MR Mk 3 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Strike / Bomber |
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English Electra T-4 Canberry (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
English Electra T-4 Canberry (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
English Electra T-4 Canberry (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Blackburn S50 Buccaneer
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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Atlas MB326M Impala I (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas MB326M Impala I (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas MB326M Impala I (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Atlas MB326KC Impala II (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Atlas MB326KC Impala II (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Transport / Training |
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De Haviland DH87b Hornet Moth
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Fairchild F-24R Argus Mk III
(Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Avro 652aT Mk.1 Anson (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
North American AT-6C Harvard
Mk.II
(Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Transall C.160Z (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Transall C.160 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) Z (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Boeing 707-328C (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Boeing 707-328C (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Douglas DC-4-1009 Skymaster (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Casa CN235 (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Helicopter |
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Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Westland HAS-1 Wasp (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Aerospatiale SE3160Alouette III (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Atlas XH-1 Alpha (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Aerospatiale SA-330
Puma (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Aerospatiale SA-330 Puma (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Aerospatiale SA-330 Puma (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Drones |
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Meteor Target Drone (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Kentron Champion (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Foreign Aircraft |
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Fieseler Fi-156C-7Storch (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Mig-21Bis Fishbed
Angolan Air Force (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Mig-21Bis Fishbed
Angolan Air Force (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Mil-24 Hind A Russian
Air Force (Photo courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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Mil-24 A Hind Russian Air Force (Photo courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
My thanks go to Walter Moll
for helping to organize the visit to the museum and to Russel Dixon for
taking me around. |
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