Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection at Gardermoen, Norway
The catalogue for this museum is superb, and could serve as an excellent model for other museums.
1. Gate guard – North American F-86K-18-NF Sabre 54-1290which served in 337, 332 and 334 Squadrons. Withdrawn from use on 14 July 1967 having flown 2132 hours.
2. Repair plate on the museum’s RAF Ia engine,
3. seen here, partly cut away for instructional purposes.
4. Farman F.46, originally tested in France in 1920 and used between 1921 and 1925 by the Norwegian Flying School. After only 6hrs 13 min. flying, it was struck off charge and stored.
5. Heinkel He 111P c/n 1526 built in 1938. As 5J+CN in KG 4 flying from Oslo/Fornebu it was attacked and damaged by Blackburn Skuas operating from HMS Ark Royal. It foirce landed near Digervarden, south of Lesjaskog. The surviving 3 crew members were captured and spent the rest of the war as PoWs in Canada. The remains were recovered in 1976 and restored to almost original condition, as seen here.
6. Republic F-84G Thunderjet 51-11209 which served in 331 and 338 Squadrons. This aircraft arrived in Norway on 29 June 1954 and went into storage at Vaernes in April 1960.
7. Bell 47D-1 c/n 642, which arrived in Norway on 13 April 1953. During a chequered career, with 3 crashes, and almost 6,100 hours in RNoAF service, it was sold in 1968 to a civilian company as LN-ORM. It crashed once more, and finally arrived at Gardermoen on 3 May 1972. Note the stretcher pod with complete protection, necessary in the Norwegian climate!
8. Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire PR XI PL979 dating from October 1944 and operational in France, Belgium and Holland with 4 Sqn 2TAF. Served from 6 September 1945 with 2 Sqn in occupied Germany but soon transferred to No 6 MU at RAF Brize Norton for storage. Sold to the RNoAF arriving on 31 July 1947. Served with 331 Sqn and then No 1 Photo Reconnaissance Flight. Made the last ever operational flight by a Norwegian Spitfire on 25 March 1954, piloted by 2nd Lieut. Amund Klepp, who later purchased the aircraft for 1 Norwegian krone (about 10p!).
9. The only Northrop N-3PB in the world, c/n 320, having been assembled at Reykjavik in June 1941. It flew operations before being transferred to Budareyri and ditched in the glacier river Thjorsa while being flown into storage on 21 April 1943. It was recovered and taken to California in November 1979. After 150,000 man-hours of major restoration it was handed back to the RNoAF on 10 November 1980, briefly displayed in Iceland and then moved to Gardermoen.
10. Junkers Ju 52/3mg4e c/n 6657 CA+JY which was one of 13 landing with mountain artillery on the frozen lake Hartvigvann, south of Narvik on 13 April 1940. They were attacked by both Norwegian and British aircraft, and although one aircraft got away, the remaining 12 sank in the spring thaw. CA+JY was recovered in June 1983 and restored. Other aircraft have also now been recovered from the lake.
(Part 1 of 2 parts)
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