The National Air Force Museum of Canada is an aviation museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is located on the west side of CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario.
The museum is a permanent archive which collects, preserves and displays Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) memorabilia, photographs, paintings and documents as a lasting tribute and memorial to all the men and women who served in the RCAF and its predecessor organizations.
History
The RCAF Memorial Library and Museum opened on 1 April 1984 – the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Canadian Air Force – in the CFB Trenton Recreation Center. However, the museum quickly outgrew the location and moved to the base's former curling club exactly 10 years later in 1994. With the acquisition of a Handley Page Halifax restoration project in 1995, the museum was again short on space. So from 2004 to 2005 the museum constructed a purpose built Main Exhibition Hall. This was not before the name of the museum was changed to the Air Force National Museum in 1998. Ten years later, it was changed again to the National Air Force Museum of Canada.3
Between November 2012 and August 2013, a second phase of construction was completed on the main exhibition hall. This involved adding additional staircases between the two floors of the building and finishing various rooms.45
The RCAF salvaged avionics from the museum's C-130 to use on an active duty aircraft in 2014.6
In 2016, the museum acquired an Avro Lancaster that had been on display in Edmundston, New Brunswick.7 Chris Colton, the executive director of the museum for 21 years, retired in June 2018.8 Later that year, the museum acquired a CP-140 Aurora.9
Collection
Aircraft on display
- AEA Silver Dart – replica10
- Auster AOP.611
- Avro Anson1213
- Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck 1877414
- Beechcraft CT-134 Musketeer 13420115
- Bell CH-118 Iroquois 11810116
- Bell CH-135 Twin Huey 13510217
- Bell CH-136 Kiowa 13620418
- Boeing CH-47D Chinook 14720119
- Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador 1131520
- Boeing 720 1802421
- Bombardier CC-144 Challenger 14460122
- Burgess-Dunne – replica23
- Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter 1167224
- Canadair CF-104 Starfighter 10464625
- Canadair CP-107 Argus 1073226
- Canadair CT-114 Tutor 11401527
- Canadair CT-133 Silver Star 2143528
- Canadair CT-133 Silver Star 133593 – cutaway29
- Canadair Sabre V 2325730
- de Havilland Canada Chipmunk T.10 WB55031
- de Havilland Canada CP-121 Tracker 154532
- Douglas CC-129 Dakota 1296333
- Handley Page Halifax A.VII NA3373435
- Hawker Hunter F.58 J-40293637
- Hawker Hurricane II V7287 – replica38
- Lockheed CC-130E Hercules 130313 39
- Lockheed CP-140 Aurora 14010240
- McDonnell CF-101 Voodoo 10104041
- McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet 18891142
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21MF 23+454344
- North American Harvard II 327045
- North American Yale 341146
- SAGEM Sperwer 16100747
- Sikorsky Dragonfly 960148
- Supermarine Spitfire IX ML380 – replica49
Under restoration
- Avro Lancaster B.X KB88250
- Lockheed Hudson VI FK46651
Memorials
There are 29 memorials and cairns dedicated to RCAF squadrons and units:
- No. 6 Group RCAF
- No. 6 Repair Depot
- 306 Maple Leaf Wing RCAFA
- 405 Squadron
- 407 Demon Squadron
- 408 Squadron
- 413 Squadron
- 424 Squadron
- 426 Squadron
- 429 Squadron
- 431 Squadron
- 434 Squadron
- 435 Squadron
- 436 Squadron
- 437 Squadron
- 438 Squadron
- AWFP Association
- Burma Bomber Association
- Canadian Military Flight Engineers Association
- Dodo Birds – ex RCAF Flight Sergeants
- Jewish Memorial
- Loadmaster Memorial
- Mobile Support Equipment
- Non-Destructive Testing
- Para Rescue Association of Canada
- RCAF and Allied Forces Bomber Command
- RCAF Fighter Pilots Association
- RCAF Meteorologists
- RCAF Police
- Sabre Pilots I Air Division
- Workshop Machinists
Affiliations
The museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada.
See also
- Canada portal
- List of aviation museums
- National Museum of the United States Air Force
- Organization of Military Museums of Canada
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Air Force Museum of Canada.- Official website
- History of the Canadian Forces Museums 1919–2004
- Photos of the museum collection
- Photos of the museum collection
References
The National Air Force Museum of Canada (2010). "The National Air Force Museum of Canada — formerly known as the RCAF Memorial Museum". Retrieved 12 October 2010. http://airforcemuseum.ca/en/the-collection/museum-history ↩
A-AD-266-000/AG-001 Canadian Forces Museums –Operations and Administration 2002-04-03 ↩
"Information". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=516 ↩
"The Logbook" (PDF), National Air Force Museum of Canada, November 2012, retrieved 22 November 2020 http://airforcemuseum.ca/en/uploads/2013/08/2012-Fall-web.pdf ↩
"The Logbook" (PDF), National Air Force Museum of Canada, August 2013, retrieved 22 November 2020 http://airforcemuseum.ca/en/uploads/2013/08/August-2013-web.pdf ↩
Berthiaume, Lee (15 September 2014). "Royal Canadian Air Force raided museum for search-and-rescue airplane parts". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 27 November 2023. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/royal-canadian-air-force-raided-museum-for-search-and-rescue-airplane-parts ↩
Montgomery, Marc (22 November 2016). "Update- Lancaster KB-882- saved, at last!". Radio Canada International. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2016/11/21/update-lancaster-kb-882-saved-at-last ↩
Hendry, Luke (17 June 2018). "Chris Colton retiring as air force museum director". The Intelligencer. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://www.intelligencer.ca/2018/06/17/chris-colton-retiring-as-air-force-museum-director/wcm/ebd10d75-3f64-af4e-ed83-f6a0cc92b614 ↩
"Canadian Forces aircraft taking the long road to new home in Ontario". Global News. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://globalnews.ca/news/4430524/canadian-forces-aurora-aircraft ↩
"Silver Dart". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=597 ↩
"Auster". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=530 ↩
"[Untitled]". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=1066 ↩
"Avro Anson". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=495 ↩
"Canuck". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=543 ↩
"Musketeer". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=591 ↩
"Iroquois". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=577 ↩
"Twin Huey". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=617 ↩
"Kiowa". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=580 ↩
"Chinook". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=1064 ↩
"Labrador". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=584 ↩
"B720". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=534 ↩
"Challenger". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=1062 ↩
"Burgess Dunne". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=539 ↩
"Freedom Fighter". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=555 ↩
"Starfighter". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=614 ↩
"Argus". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=524 ↩
"Tutor". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=620 ↩
"Silver Star". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=604 ↩
"Silver Star". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=604 ↩
"Sabre". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=594 ↩
"Chipmunk". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=546 ↩
"Tracker". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=623 ↩
"Dakota". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=549 ↩
"Halifax". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=558 ↩
"The Story of NA 337". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=1905 ↩
"Hunter". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=571 ↩
"Airframe Dossier - Hawker Hunter F.58, s/n J-4029 SwiAF, c/n 41H-697392". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=40686 ↩
"Hurricane". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=574 ↩
"Hercules". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=564 ↩
"Aurora". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 30 January 2025. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=4811 ↩
"Voodoo". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=626 ↩
"Hornet". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=568 ↩
"MiG". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=588 ↩
"Airframe Dossier - Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21MF-75, s/n 23+45 Luftwaffe, c/n 96002009". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=40692 ↩
"Harvard". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=561 ↩
"Yale". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=1293 ↩
"Sperwer". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=607 ↩
"Dragonfly". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=552 ↩
"Spitfire". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=611 ↩
"Lancaster KB 882". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=767 ↩
"Lockheed Hudson". National Air Force Museum of Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020. http://airforcemuseum.ca/eng/?page_id=492 ↩