SAAF
Museum Port Elizabeth - History
|
History
SAAF Museum - PE Chairman Peter Boschoff and Curator Lt.Colonel M J J,van Rensberg
| After successful negotiations
between the Museum Board and The Friends of The
Museum, permission was granted by the Chief of the
Air Force in 1990 to establish the Port Elizabeth
branch of the SAAF Museum. This was on condition
that a suitable site could be found and that there
would be no official funding for setting up the
museum. The museum's static exhibits are housed in the original 42-Air School Air Gunnery Training Centre, which was established during World War II as part of the RAF/SAAF Joint Air Training Scheme. This building was part of the 42 Air School Complex one of the largest of the RAF/SAAF Training Bases in South Africa during World War II. |
| The anti-aircraft gunnery training practice lines were painstakingly restored by one of the Friends of the SAAF Museum. |
| The working part of this museum is housed in one of the original Bellman hangars, which was restored to its present condition in 1998. The hangar was officially opened by Col. DF Spolander MMM on the 4th December 1999. |
| There are a total of 11 aircraft at the museum, two of which are in flying condition. There are many other aviation related artifacts on display, including a large collection of model aircraft. At the back of the museum are three vehicles, and at the entrance to the airport an Impala Mk 1 plinthed above 'Aviators', and more interesting items arriving soon. |
| Static |
| Aeritalia AM-3C Bosbok [920] |
| Aerospatiale SA-330C Puma [123] |
| Airspeed Oxford [G-AITF] |
| Atlas Impala Mk II [1037] |
| Bell Model 47 Sioux [ex RAF XT562] |
| Dassault-Breguet Mirage F1CZ [201] |
| de Havilland Vampire FB5 [205] |
| Sud Aviation SE-316B Alouette III [632] |
| Westland Scout GT [ex Bahrain State Police] |
| Airworthy |
| North American Harvard [7289] |
| North American Harvard [7480] |
| Plinthed |
| Atlas Impala Mk 1 [507] Silver Falcon 3 (Airport entrance) |
| Vehicles |
| Buffel |
| Ferret |
| Bedford crane truck |
| Other Artifacts and Displays |
| Sperry Searchlight Mirror and Generator |
| Various plane engines |
| VHF Radio Transmitters |
| Impressive model airplane displays |
| Ejection seat display |
| Various Aviation artworks |
| Photo displays of airmen |
| Information on various WW ll aircraft |
| Anti-aircraft gunnery training practice lines |
| Missiles |
| and much much more.... |
Exhibits Photo Gallery
| The South African Air Force Museum is supported by The friends of the SAAF Museum in association with The Woodpecker Trust, this Trust was formed in May 2000 by some members of the Friends of the SAAF Museurm in an effort to avert the threatened closure of this museum by the SAAF at the time. |
