The Malta Aviation Museum at Ta'Qali, Malta
Oct 7, 2023 12:21:00 GMT 1
Beemer, Airbus, and 6 more like this
Post by viscount on Oct 7, 2023 12:21:00 GMT 1
MALTA AVIATION MUSEUM, TA'QALI
Well worth the trek by bus via Valletta to Ta'Qali. An expanding collection, with much to discover in addition to the exhibits you are supposed to admire. The hangars are a little dark, dusty and gloomy, despite having windows - on the other hand there are no bright lights to over-expose sections of photographs. There is much to see and admire. A very enjoyable visit, mind you I like informal Museums without solid barriers and viewing dismantled aircraft and 'bone yard' scrap-yard recovery items! Ta'Qali is a former airfield, but you would not know that now with the National Stadium and a tourist trap Artisan's Village, industrial works and many more recent buildings.
Clearly much work and enthusiasm has been put in by volunteer enthusiasts to create this collection, and new exhibits are being added too.
ROMNEY HANGAR Curved roof down to the ground
WV826/161:O H. Sea Hawk FGA.6 Royal Navy, Suez markings
WZ550/599:HF DH.115 Vampire T.11 Royal Navy, silver/day-glo scheme
ADJOINING ROMNEY HANGAR ( Store and workshop, closed to public, but through open doors:)
(C-FITH) C-47 Dakota dismantled, ex fire school at Hal Far.
(N495F) Beech 18S dismantled, ex scrap yard
WG360 Gloster Meteor T.7 dismantled
bare fuselage frame, clearly a work in progress
what looks like an Avro 19 cockpit frame
MAIN DISPLAY HANGAR
(T9-ABC) Douglas C-47A bare metal, no marks, ex Medavia, Safi. (Once G-AMPT of Eagle)
WF714/K Gloster Meteor F.8 RAF, 600 Sqdn RAuxAF colours
WS774/D Gloster Meteor NF.14(T) RAF, silver/day-glo scheme
mm 6377/2-11 Fiat G.91R Italian Air Force
mm 53679/SL-36 NA T-6G Texan Italian Air Force
mm 81145 Agusta AB-212 Italian Air Force (not included on the Museum's web-site list of exhibits)
AS 7201 Bell 47G-2 Malta Self-Defense Force
(D-HADQ) Bell UH-1H Iroquois ex film set, regn is very faint. Also quoted as D-HAQO (is likely ex 66-0749)
JC-XXX Benson B.8M Gyrocopter home constructed by Joe Callus
9H-UMH Kit Fox 3 (not included on the Museum's web-site list of exhibits)
9H-ACB Cessna L-19E Bird Dog Armed Forces of Malta
PH-455 Schleicher Ka-8B all white glider, dismantled (not included on Museum's web-site list)
HM.14 Flying Flea modern replica
Slingsby Grasshopper primary glider, dismantled against a wall
(XN769) EE Lightning F.2A nose only, 92 Sqdn markings
(5N-BBP) BAC-111-500 nose only (once G-AXMH Court, G-BDAS Dan Air, G-OBWB British World)
Boeing 737? nose only (not included on the Museum's web-site list)
AIR BATTLE FOR MALTA MEMORIAL HANGAR
Z3055/HA:E H. Hurricane IIA recovered from the sea, extensive rebuild
EN199/R:B VS Spitfire IX "Mary Rose", recovered from scrap yard, extensive rebuild
HS491 F Swordfish substantial airframe, dismantled, ex Canada. Stored awaiting restoration.
(Z3571) H.Hurricane basic fuselage frame only
black 11 Messerschmidt Bf.109 substantial wreckage, displayed 'as is' (not included in Museum's web site list)
NOT PRESENT BUT LISTED ON THE MUSEUM WEB-SITE
G-ANFW/DE730 DH.82A Tiger Moth is in airworthy condition. (So maybe at the airport?)
9H-ADX RP Kestral Experimental sleek homebuild design in final stages of construction. (Now completed and flying?)
mm80303/1-03 Agusta AB-204B ex Italian Air Force
XG691 DH.112 Sea Venom FAW.22 Royal Navy (under rebuild 2005, was it simply hidden behind the C-47 in the store hangar?)
Certain that I didn't walk past without noting it in the main hangar!
Also with the Museum are major components of a Fairey Firefly AS.5, but very likely hidden away dismantled in the store hangar.
THE EXTERNAL STORAGE AREA (Behind a hangar)
Mostly the remains of 2 HP Hasting C.1 aircraft, plus a jet engine and an assortment of other parts all rescued from a scrap yard,
all heavily oxidised.
THE ENTRANCE ROMNEY HANGAR
WZ550/599:HF DH.115 Sea Vampire T.11 in silver/dayglo and Royal Navy titles. 'HF' being the 'deck code' for RNAS Hal Far, Malta. A 'pet' hate of mine when going around Museums are part deflated tyres. It does not take long to around every couple on months and top up the pressures, while flat tyres show a lack of upkeep, awareness and pride, which I am sure is not really the case.
WV826/161:O Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 in Suez stripes, the deck code 'O' being HMS Ocean, an aircraft carrier.
MAIN DISPLAY HANGAR
Moving to the main display hangar, on entry clearly houses an inviting wide variety of aircraft types.
Cessna L-19E Bird Dog, 9H-ACB, one of the initial aircraft flown by the Maltese Self Defense Force.
Helicopter Bell 47G AS 7201 is another type used by the Malta Self Defense Force in the early years.
With Italy as their nearest European neighbour, it is little surprise to find Italian types donated to the Museum. This is an Agusta Bell AB.212AM helicopter mm 81145, formerly with the Italian Army.
mm 6377 Fiat G.91R coded 2-11. Not laid sight on a G.91 for likely a decade, then view 3 in a week, the other pair being in the Volandia Museum, Milan.
North American T-6G mm53679 coded SL-36 another aircraft donated by the Italians.
Until independence in 1964, Malta was part of the British Empire. As a result, it is hardly a surprise to find a number of British aircraft in the collection. Gloster Meteor F.8 WF714/K is in the marks of 600 Sqdn R.Aux.A.F. in honour of the pilot who acquired and donated the aircraft in 2011.
A further Gloster Meteor is a mark NF.14(T) WS774/D in silver and (very faded) day-glo markings, tucked right back in the corner of the hangar.
Hardly a surprise to find a Douglas C-47 Dakota in the collection. This one I've seen before when still airworthy in the early '90s parked outside Medavia's maintenance facility at Luqa (Malta Airport) wearing the serial T9-ABC. Apparently basically in decent condition, there are concerns regarding the long-term condition of the underside, so a further Dakota is currently stored with the Museum to act as a source of parts in the future.
A modern build of the 1930's Mignet HM.14 Pou-du-Ciel or Flying Flea with a converted VW engine.
A locally constructed Benson B.8M autogyro "Ariana". The registration is based on the constructor, Joe Callus's initials.
A more modern ultralight design kept in the Museum is 9H-UMH "Yosemite's Wild Ride" a Kit Fox 3.
PH-477 is a single seat Schleicher Ka-8a glider. This machine is notable for being the only glider to fly in Maltese airspace.
Nose from English Electric Lightning F.2A XN769 in the early blue spine and tail markings of 92 Squadron.
Nose of a BAC.111-500, off an aircraft once familiar with a number of airlines at Liverpool Airport through 3 decades (2.70 to 2.00). Initially as G-AXMH of Courtline, then G-BDAS with Dan Air and G-OBWB with British World; then to 5N-BBP with Albarka Air Services until wfu and stored at Luqa from 6.02.
Not on the list on exhibits, this is (to me) quite clearly a Boeing design. However, as far as I am aware, all the Boeing 707/720s, 727s and 737s (until the NG variants) had 'eye brow' cockpit windows, this one clearly hasn't. No interpretation board with this new exhibit to help me out.
THE SECOND ROMNEY - STORAGE AREA & A WORKSHOP
Dakota, once C-FITH, and Beech 18S N495F, which along with some others was left behind in a compound on Hal Far airfield in the early '90s. Also the centre section of Gloster Meteor T.7 WG360 can be made out, standing upright. Presumably the rest of the aircraft is out of sight.
It would appear that the fuselage frames on the table is a current project. What will it be one completed is a question I cannot answer, even after visiting numerous internet sites.
'AIR BATTLE OF MALTA' HANGAR
Restoration of Hurricane IIe Z3055/HA:E, built from wreckage recovered from the sea.
Restoration of a Spitfire IX EN199/R:B "Mary Rose". Discovered along with parts of others in a Malta scrap yard and rebuilt into a single exhibit.
Fascinating pile of parts, that once you know it is a Fairey Swordfish, do resemble an aircraft. One of the cache of Swordfish aircraft discovered on a Canadian farm some while ago, it is patiently waiting its turn for rebuild in the workshops.
Remains of recovered Messerschmitt Bf.109 'black 11' laid out on the hangar floor.
Another exhibit with no interpretation. If this is what I think it is, then there is a tentative Liverpool and Jones family connection! More research in my bookcase is required first. The hunt for a book 'The Guns of Hagar Qim' by Stan Fraser is on. IF I am right, I'll move the photo and relate the story on a new post on this thread. If not I'll delete most this caption! Added in: Looking like that is not the anti-aircraft gun restored and donated by Stan Fraser, who pre-War was a great friend of my father and both were Allerton Troop Scout Masters.
EXTERIOR STORAGE AREA
Around the back of the hangar, hidden but not fenced off, are remains cleared from a scrap yard. Mostly, but perhaps not only, two HP Hasting C.1s, with wings, cockpits and Bristol Hercules engines identifiable.
