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INDIAN AIR FORCE MUSEUM

CLASSIC   AIRCRAFT FROM 50s AND 60s

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World War 2 1950s and 60s Modern Giants Vintage  Flight

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 Aircraft 1950s-60s
Vampire NF54 ID 606
Ouragan IC 554
Mystere IVa IA 1329
Gnat IE 1059
HAL HT-2 IX 737
Sikorsky S55C IZ 1590
Mil Mi-4 BZ 900

A further examination of the hangar adjoining the Museum and the flight area outside brings  to forth  a variety of aircraft that equipped the IAF in the mid 50s and 60s. These examples include the Night fighter variant of the Vampire, Two examples of the Hunter fighter bomber, the first generation Dassault Ouragan, and its bigger cousin, the Mystere IVa.

Two Helicopters find their place in the Museum. The Sikorsky Whirlwind and the Mil Mi-4. There is another example , a Bell G-47 that flies with the Vintage flight.

A HAL's HT-2 can be seen besides the earlier generation trainer it replaced. this aircraft is much  in contrast with the yellow painted Prentice.

The girst Gnat to be flown with the IAF, Gnat IE 1059 is displayed outside the hangar near the war memorial at the entrance of the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vampire - Click to Enlarge Vampire -  Click to Enlarge
De Havilland Vampire NF.54 - ID 606

The Night Fighter variant of the Vampire fighter as seen in the hangar. ID 606 . Note the Rolls Royce Nene Turbo Jet in the foreground in  the picture on the left. The NF 54 equipped No 10 Squadron which was based at Palam.

Ouragan  - Click Here to Enlarge Ouragan - Click to Enlarge
Avions Marcel Dassault MD.450 Ouragan (Toofani) - IC 554

This Ex-Black Archers Toofani (Hindi Name for Hurricane /Ouragan) was earlier in Grey-Green camou. Equipped with wingtip tanks, the Toofani saw little combat, even though 104 were acquired. .

  
Mystere - Click to Enlarge Avions Marcel Dassault MD.452 Mystere   IVa

The first official supersonic aircraft in the IAF , the Mystere provided the vehicle with which the IAF Pilots broke the sound barrier in dives. IA 1329 is one of the last examples acquired by the IAF. The last serial number being IA 1334.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited HT-2 - IX 737

HAL's indegeniously developed HT-2 (HT standing for Hindustan Trainer). The HT-2 saw very long service, including a major redesign in the 80s that saw it being equipped with a new Lycoming engine and flying with the FIS school till 1988.

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S-55_Small.jpg (9975 bytes) Sikorsky S-55 Whirlwind - IZ 1590

Very few examples of the Whirlwind saw service with the IAF, which was the first Helicopter to see service with the IAF. These equipped No. 104 HU.

Mil Mi-4 - BZ 900

Almost looking like an exact copy of the Whirlwind, the Mi-4 performed much better in high altitude zones. The Mi-4 saw extensive service in the North East during the 1971 War.

Mil-4_Small.jpg (11652 bytes)
   

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