When I read in the April edition of Flypast that Hangar 1 at the museum had re-opened and showed pictures of the “Pedro”, I decided to make a visit. Their website stated that the museum was open on Saturday and Sundays 10-14. The trip was well worth the visit, although warm it was bearable. I took the metro (dark Blue line 10 terminus Puerto del Sur) from Princip Pio to Cuatro Vientos, (costing 1.80 euros) then slowly walked along the track beside the railway which took about 20 minutes. On my return I turned left when leaving the site walked a short distance past the road crossing bridge to the bus stop and took the first blue BLAS bus that stopped. (costing 2.0 euros) It had Princip Pio on the front. Traffic was light and it seemed even quicker than the metro – about 20 minutes. Checking out with google earth in advance will give you a clear idea of the location.
Anyone else wishing to visit may wish to be aware of a few things. It has been mentioned in the past that the security guards at the base require identification such as a passport. I didn’t encounter them and it may be that part of the military base is now not in use as there is a security gate off the road to the museum. It may be best to take identification just in case. The museum is free to enter but they do ask for a donation and suggest 3 Euros. There is a small cafe with drinks and some cakes. Hangar 1 is mainly dioramas and the lighting is very poor for photography, so if you wish to photgraph the older machines, it is best to check out your camera settings in advance to cope with the lighting (Same as in RAF museum). You may also wish to take a tripod so that you can take a longer exposure.
I havn’t checked to see if I saw all the aircraft in the Flypast list but as the restoration hangar (no 6) was locked I didnt see the Do24. The main dissappointment was that neither of the 2 Heinkels were visible. Again they may have been in Hangar 6.:mad:
By: Short finals - 15th April 2017 at 18:47
There’s two more near Barcelona too.
The KC-97s are not there any more, I think. The most recent Google Earth images show them absent from the location at Sant Cugat where they stood for many years.
By: Napper Bantock - 15th April 2017 at 14:42
…and it was the first time for me to see “Buchons” with the correct paint scheme on, not desparately pretending to be a “Nazi fighter” 😉
Worth a trip to at Air Zoo in Michigan then……
By: Archer - 13th April 2017 at 20:03
I found my photos from 2006, didn’t think it was that long ago 🙂
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By: ericmunk - 13th April 2017 at 18:10
The KC-97 may be the only example preserved outside the U.S.
There’s two more near Barcelona too.
By: markb - 13th April 2017 at 17:57
There’s a C-97 in Seoul, South Korea as well.
By: Kuno - 13th April 2017 at 17:44
I went there last summer – the He 111 were the aircraft I wanted to see most. What a disapointment when I was told that they are locked away fro restauration (same as the Do 24). Still a very interesting museum with many types you wotn see anywhere else…
…and it was the first time for me to see “Buchons” with the correct paint scheme on, not desparately pretending to be a “Nazi fighter” 😉
By: Arabella-Cox - 13th April 2017 at 16:46
J Boyle, the Israeli Air Force museum also has a KC-97.
The Madrid museum sounds like an interesting place.
By: J Boyle - 13th April 2017 at 15:00
The KC-97 may be the only example preserved outside the U.S.
By: Robert Whitton - 13th April 2017 at 11:04
The Stratofreighter always struck me as a very odd type for the Spanish to operate.
It is a KC-97L Stratotanker, note the underwing jet pods. I believe they used 3 aircraft in Escuadrón 123, where they served to refuel the F-4 Phantoms of Ala 12.
By: j_jza80 - 13th April 2017 at 10:29
Thanks for sharing 🙂
The Stratofreighter always struck me as a very odd type for the Spanish to operate.
By: J Boyle - 13th April 2017 at 06:04
Excellent article with many photos and inventory list in the latest FlyPast.
A very nice mix of aircraft from various countries.
By: Archer - 12th April 2017 at 21:03
Looks like they have indeed moved to another hangar. Also, I think the Do-24 was outside back then.
By: Robert Whitton - 12th April 2017 at 19:44
Thanks Andy, pity I missed them. I also missed the Starfighter but I have seen lots of them in the past!
By: Aero59 - 12th April 2017 at 19:19
[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:”none”,”data-attachmentid”:”3673961″,”data-size”:”full”}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:”none”,”data-attachmentid”:”3673960″,”data-size”:”full”}[/ATTACH] In 2016 I been allowed to take a Look at the Heinkels!
cheers Andy
By: Archer - 11th April 2017 at 12:11
I went there a few years back and the two He-111s were in one end of hangar 1 then. I only saw hangars 1 to 5, both 6 and 7 were closed and the ‘zona helicopteros’ was an outside storage area where photography was not appreciated…. I was told off by one of the guards when I stuck my nose (and camera) around a corner.
The place is certainly worth a visit though!
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April 11, 2017 at 11:58 am