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Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Military and Aviation Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand

The Air Force Museum of New Zealand, formerly called The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum, is located at Wigram, the RNZAF's first operational base, in Christchurch, in the South Island of New Zealand. It opened on 1 April 1987 as part of the celebrations for the RNZAF's 50th anniversary, and is primarily a museum of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, its predecessor, the New Zealand Permanent Air Force and New Zealand squadrons of the Royal Air Force. The Air Force Museum of New Zealand's mission is to preserve and present the history of New Zealand military aviation for commemoration, learning, inspiration and enjoyment.

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Overview

The Museum holds the national collection of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The collection includes objects covering the early days of New Zealand military aviation both prior to World War I and during this major conflict, the interwar years which saw the formation of the RNZAF in 1937, New Zealanders who fought in the RAF and in other Allied air forces during World War II, the RNZAF's campaign in the Pacific, and the post-war period to the present day. The collection also includes objects from former enemy forces, aircraft, aircraft components, aircraft engines, large objects, textiles, art and memorabilia as well as an extensive paper and photographic archive.

Visitors can take a half-hour guided tour through 'behind the scenes' areas of the Museum, which includes the Reserve Collection hangar. The Museum's most recent restoration project, an Airspeed Oxford, is now on public display since February 2016. The Museum also has a Mosquito Flight Simulator, which features a mission based on the Allied bombing of German battleships in the Norwegian fiords.

History

In response to the 2011 earthquake, the museum opened its collections storage facility to other cultural institutions that had been damaged.1

The museum opened a new 6,500 m2 (70,000 sq ft) Technology Centre in February 2017.2

The museum's Canberra was transported to Ardmore for restoration and conversion to a B(I).12 variant in 2021.3

A C-130H was flown in to the museum on 19 February 2025.4

Aircraft

Under restoration

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References

  1. Topham, Abbey L. (2017). Laying Down Foundations: Reflecting on Disaster Management Planning in Museums in Christchurch after the 2010 and 2011 Earthquakes (MA). University of Canterbury. Retrieved 18 June 2020. http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/15790 ↩

  2. "Wigram Air Force Museum". Contech. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2025. http://www.contech.co.nz/wigram-air-force-museum ↩

  3. Allott, Amber (18 February 2021). "Rare Vintage Plane Off to New North Island Home". Stuff. Retrieved 11 March 2025. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/124293305/rare-vintage-plane-off-to-new-north-island-home ↩

  4. "First RNZAF C-130H Hercules Aircraft Retires to Air Force Museum". New Zealand Defense Force. 19 February 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025. http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/media-centre/news/first-rnzaf-c-130h-hercules-aircraft-retires-to-air-force-museum ↩

  5. "Aermacchi MB-339CB". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/aermacchi-mb-339cb ↩

  6. "Airspeed Oxford". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/airspeed-oxford ↩

  7. "Auster Mk.7c". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/auster-mk-7c ↩

  8. "Avro 626". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/avro-626 ↩

  9. "Avro 652A Anson Mk.I". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/avro-652a-anson-mk-i ↩

  10. "BAC 167 Strikemaster Mk.88". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/bac-167-strikemaster-mk-88 ↩

  11. "Bell 47G-3B-1 Sioux". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/bell-47g-3b-1-sioux ↩

  12. "Bell UH-1H Iroquois 'NZ3800'". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/bell-uh-1h-iroquois-nz3800 ↩

  13. "Bell UH-1H Iroquois NZ3801". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/bell-uh-1h-iroquois-nz3801 ↩

  14. "Bleriot XI-2 'Britannia'". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/bleriot-xi-2-britannia ↩

  15. Watmuff, David (9 May 2019). "Boeing 727 Nose Joins Our Collection". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/blog/boeing-727-nose-joins-our-collection ↩

  16. "Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.31M". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150522122257/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/BristolFreighter ↩

  17. "Cessna 0-2A-2E". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150523002147/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/Cessna ↩

  18. "Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/curtiss-p-40e-kittyhawk ↩

  19. "De Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth Mk.II". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/de-havilland-d-h-82a-tiger-moth-mk-ii ↩

  20. "De Havilland D.H.100 Vampire F.B. Mk.5". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/de-havilland-d-h-100-vampire-f-b-mk-5 ↩

  21. "De Havilland D.H.115 Vampire T.Mk.11". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/de-havilland-d-h-115-vampire-t-mk-11 ↩

  22. "De Havilland D.H.104 Devon". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150420010433/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/DeHavillandDevon ↩

  23. "De Havilland Canada D.H.C.2 Beaver". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150523183626/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/DeHavillandCanadaBeaver ↩

  24. "Douglas C-47 Dakota". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/douglas-c-47-dakota ↩

  25. "English Electric Canberra B.Mk.20". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/english-electric-canberra-b-mk-20 ↩

  26. "Grumman TBF-1 Avenger". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/grumman-tbf-1-avenger ↩

  27. "Hawker Siddeley Andover C1". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150420010813/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/HawkorAndover ↩

  28. "Kaman Seasprite SH-2F". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/kaman-seasprite-sh-2f ↩

  29. "Lockheed Hudson MkIII". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/lockheed-hudson-mkiii ↩

  30. "Lockheed P-3K2 Orion". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 11 March 2025. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/p-3k2-orion-nz4203 ↩

  31. "McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk NZ6205". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150420005617/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/A4_Skyhawk_NZ6205 ↩

  32. "McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawk NZ6207". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150420010532/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/A4_Skyhawk_NZ6207 ↩

  33. "McDonnell Douglas TA-4K Skyhawk - NZ6254". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 23 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/mcdonnell-douglas-ta-4k-skyhawk-nz6254 ↩

  34. "North American Harvard MKIII". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/north-american-harvard-mkiii ↩

  35. "North American P-51 Mustang". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/north-american-p-51-mustang ↩

  36. "Aerospace CT/4B Airtrainer". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150522090911/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/aerospace ↩

  37. "Sopwith Pup". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/sopwith-pup ↩

  38. "Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk.XVIE". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/aircraft/supermarine-spitfire-lf-mk-xvie ↩

  39. "Westland Wasp HAS1". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150522102321/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/WestlandWasp ↩

  40. "Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Catalina". Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 June 2020. http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/collections-research/conserve/current-projects/canadian-vickers-pbv-1a-catalina ↩

  41. "Vickers Type 277 Vildebeest Mk.III". Air Force Museum. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20150406084205/http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/VickersVildebeest ↩