WINGS OVER CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE'S CONNECTIONS WITH THE WARTIME AIR FORCE

The Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum

The RNZAF Museum at the former RNZAF Base Wigram, in Christchurch, is one of New Zealand's foremost museums of any sort, and is certainly the best aircraft museum in New Zealand. The museum has won many prestigious awards and it hosts thousands of visitors every year.

The museum complex houses archives and records, photos and artifacts, uniforms and models, and best of all, many of the aircraft that served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and other air arms since the first military aviation began in this country in 1913 with the Bleriot XI "Britannia".

Currently at the RNZAF Museum has the following wartime aircraft in its collection:

Airspeed Oxford (under restoration)

Avro 626 (on display)

Avro Anson (on display)

Consolidated Catalina (partly restored, in storage)

Curtiss P40E Kittyhawk (under restoration)

De Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth (on display)

De Havilland DH98 Mosquito (in storage as components)

Douglas C47 Dakota (on display)

Douglas Dauntless (stored in 'as crashed' condition)

Grumman TBF-1C Avenger (on display)

Lockheed Hudson (on display)

North American Harvard Mk II (on display)

North American P51D Mustang (on display)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVIe (on display)

Vickers Vildebeeste (under restoration)

 

There are of course many more aircraft on display from post-war. You can learn much more abot the collections here at the RNZAF Museum's Official Website

The RNZAF Museum is a fantastic facility for anyone interested in aviation and it serves as a wonderful memorial to all the airmen and airwomen who have served for New Zealand in the RNZAF. As well as aircraft and memorabilia displays, the facility has an art gallery, a cafe, an archive and library, a theatrette, a gift and souvenir shop and much more.

The museum is situated in the former RNZAF Base Wigram, with the main display being the old No 1 Hangar. Other hangars house the restoration and storgae facilities. The staff are very approachable and helpful, and the guides are mostly genuine veterans of World War Two or postwar RNZAF, so they provide an amazing depth of interest themselves.

The RNZAF Museum is situated on Main South Road in Christchurch (look for the Harvard on a pole at the main gate). To contact the museum:

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