Israeli Air Force Museum

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Israeli Air Force Museum

IAI Kfir on display at the museum
Established	1977
Location	Hatzerim Airbase, Negev desert, Israel
Type	Aviation museum

The Israeli Air Force Museum is located at Hatzerim Airbase in the Negev desert in Israel.

The museum was established in 1977 and has been open to the public since 1991. The museum displays a variety of Israeli Air Force and foreign aircraft, as well as anti aircraft arms. Soldiers from the Israeli Air Force serve as the museum staff.

The museum houses hundreds of models of fighter aircraft that served in the Israeli Air Force as well as actual fighter jets that have been retired from service or captured by Israel. Some of these aircraft, such as the Supermarine Spitfire "Black Spit" of Ezer Weizman and the yellow Harvard aircraft, are maintained in flying condition and even participate in various air shows. The museum includes historic aircraft such as the Mirage 3 Shahak 159 with 13 kills, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 that was smuggled from Iraq in Operation Diamond, the Lavi built by Israel Aerospace Industries, an F-15 Baz with 4 kills, and an F-16 Netz 107 with 6.5 kills. There is also an exhibit of fighter jet parts explaining their uses, an anti-aircraft weapons display, a photography exhibition, and an exhibition titled "Pull to Life" about the 669 Tactical Airborne Rescue and Evacuation Unit.^{[citation needed]}

During Passover and Independence Day, the Air Force displays active aircraft at the museum, such as the F-15I Ra'am, F-16I Sufa, and Boeing AH-64 Apache, and presents special flyovers and activities for children.^{[citation needed]}

The cornerstone for the museum was laid on July 16, 1985, mainly due to the efforts of Brigadier General (Res.) Yaakov Turner. The museum was opened to the public on June 20, 1991.^{[citation needed]}

In February 2015, the silver Boeing-Stearman aircraft was completely destroyed due to poor maintenance. The aircraft had been in flying condition and participated in air shows for years, often flown by Yaakov Turner.^{[citation needed]}

On November 6, 2016, the Ministry of Defense's Engineering and Construction Department and the Air Force announced an architecture competition to design the new Air Force Museum in Hatzerim, which, according to the Ministry of Defense, "will serve as a heritage center for the Air Force and a showcase for the Israeli aviation world."^[1][2] The competition was won by the Haifa-based architecture firm "Schwartz Besnosoff."^{[citation needed]}

In February 2022, it was decided to scrap 20 aircraft that were on display at the museum, including the Boeing 707 that served as a flying command post during Operation Entebbe.^[3]

• Aérospatiale Gazelle - Former Syrian aircraft, captured 1982.
• de Havilland Vampire - liveried as Lebanese Air Force aircraft
• de Havilland Venom - liveried as Iraqi Air Force aircraft
• Hawker Hunter - Former Chilean example (J-747, ex-XF445), liveried as Royal Jordanian Air Force aircraft.^[4]
• Grumman TBM-3E Avenger - BuNo. 69355
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 - former Polish aircraft, bearing Egyptian livery.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 - #007, liveried as Operation Diamond aircraft
• MiG-21 - #339, two seat variant, acquired 2011 from IAI via Romania. ex Madagascar AF aircraft.
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 - Former Syrian aircraft, defected 1989.
• Mil Mi-24 - #4010, Acquired 2004^[5]

• Bristol Beaufighter - remains of Israeli aircraft shot down 1948, retrieved 1994.
• de Havilland Mosquito
• Hiller 360
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 - remains of Syrian aircraft shot down over the Sea of Galilee in 1966
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 - Tail of Egyptian aircraft shot down in 1967
• Noorduyn Norseman
• Sukhoi Su-7 - Tail of Egyptian aircraft shot down during Yom Kippur War
• Tupolev Tu-16 - remains of Iraqi aircraft shot down in 1967

• M163 VADS
• MIM-72 Chaparral
• ZSU-23-4 Shilka
• ZSU-57-2

• SA-2 Guideline - mobile launcher
• SA-2 Guideline - static launcher

• Plymouth Valiant
• Citroën 2CV
• ZIL-157
• Willys M38A1

• Warnes, Alan (March–April 1999). "Hatzerim Album: Spitfires and Meteors at the Israeli Defence Force Museum". Air Enthusiast (80): 76–77. ISSN 0143-5450.

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