Krakow - Museum of Polish Aviation 13/06/12

During a recent visit to Poland, I managed to squeeze in a trip to the Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego (Museum of Polish Aviation) located at Krakow’s disused Rakowice airport, a short tram-ride from the city-centre.

The museum boasts a collection of nearly 200 aircraft, helicopters and gliders, many unique, and the majority are on display though there are some airframes in the storage and restoration workshops on the site. Many of the exhibits are outside and although a sizeable band of volunteers do their best to look after the aircraft, the extremes of the Polish climate are taking their toll. The weather was certainly extreme on my visit, with heavy rain and strong winds not doing much for photography!

I do hope the following selection of photos will give a flavour of the museum and if any anybody does want any more information please visit the excellent website at www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl where comprehensive details of all the aircraft can also be found.

Avia B-33 29

 Tupolev Tu2S (unmarked)

 PZL-Mielec TS8 Bies 0309

PZL-Swidnik SM1 (licence-built version of the Mil Mi1) SP-SAD

 Yakovlev Yak 23 16 red

 Cessna UC78 Bobcat SP-GLG

  Aero 145 SP-LXH

Yakovlev Yak 40 073

 Mil Mi8S 620

 Misztal-Duleba MD12F SP-PBL

 Mil Mi4A 511

 VEB VEB-14S (East German-built version of the Ilyushin Il14) 3078

 Ilyushin IL28U S3 and Ilyushin Il28R 72

Lisunov Li2T (Russian copy of the Douglas DC3) 027. The construction number also appears on the fin.

Mil Mi2 line-up and, no, I don’t know what the pipes on the ends of the exhausts on 6048 are for!

Tupolev Tu134 SP-LHB

Antonov An26 1508

 PZL-Okecie 106 Kruk SP-PBK

An example of the world’s only jet-powered biplane, PZL-Mielec M15 Belphegor 0603. This aircraft was ostensibly developed for agricultural purposes within the Warsaw Pact countries; however, there was a strong belief in NATO during the Cold War that should things have turned ‘hot’, this aircraft would have been used to deliver chemical weapons.

 Sukhoi Su7s 01 and 806

Sukhoi Su22M4s 304 and 3305

Mig 19PM 905

 MiG Alley! The museum boasts an example of every mark of MiG jet fighter flown by the Polish Air Force. This is the Mig 21 to 29 line-up (with a few Sukhois scattered around!)

As well as all he ‘Soviet era’ hardware, the museum is building an impressive collection of ‘Western’ aircraft –the RAF has donated a Harrier and a Jaguar,

Saab AJ37 Viggen 37904

 Republic F84F Thunderstreak FU-36

 One-time Duxford resident Republic F105D Thunderchief 59-1822