What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
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New Exhibition
Victory!
This year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
A new exhibition, called Victory, marks this significant milestone in world history, and the story of the RNZAF.
Victory includes images and memories of Victory in Europe (VE) Day which have been sourced from photographs, letters, postcards and personal histories in our collection.
Victory includes insights into how Kiwis celebrated, and how they felt.
Many found it difficult to rejoice after so much loss and suffering. While it was a day to celebrate, there was still a war in the Pacific to fight.
You’re welcome to come along and learn all about VE Day with us. The exhibition is on in our upstairs balcony in the atrium.
New Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
We are delighted to let you know that our latest exhibition, the Mighty Hercules, is now open. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
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#Extraordinaryaircraft
Help us build a home for our #extraordinaryaircraft
Our Lockheed C-130H (NZ) Hercules and P-3K2 Orion have had long-term preservation work completed so they can be safely stored while we work on plans for a new permanent exhibition space large enough to house them.
Measuring 29.8m from nose to tail, with a wingspan of 40.5m and a tail soaring to just under 11m high, the Hercules is too large for our current exhibition halls. The Orion is almost as tall and even longer – stretching to 36m thanks to its submarine-detecting tail boom.
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Update
New charge for overseas visitors
A $15 entry charge was introduced for all international visitors to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand from 31 March 2025. Tickets available online or from our Welcome Desk on arrival.
We were sorry to have to charge after being free for so many years, but the charge is required to cover rising costs and to contribute to our new $16 million extension to house the newest members of our collection – our historic Hercules and Orion aircraft.
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Our Aircraft
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HAIL TO THE CHIEFS: We've got a new interactive display so our visitors can learn all about the 29 Chiefs of Air Staff and Chiefs of Air Force who have led the RNZAF since it was formed in 1937.
The display board is upstairs in our atrium, and the list runs from Sir Ralph Cochrane in 1937, through to the current chief, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb.
Please visit to visit to take the new display for a test drive and brush up on your CAF facts.
CAF FACT 1: Interestingly, not all chiefs have been pilots. Four have been navigators or navigator/bomb aimers - starting with Air Vice- Marshal Pat Neville in 1986. Pat was an English Electric Canberra navigator in Malaya and Singapore.
And that's our fact of the day.
We're using the space freed up by our reorganisating our chiefs for a new display - we will kee#CAFu#rnzafd.
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OH MO YOU DON'T! Christchurch chef Miro Hands can't just stroll into our museum with the finest specimen of a pilot's handlebar moustache we've seen in a long time and not expect to get his photo taken with a Skyhawk.
Well done Miro, your moustache #mooftheweekto you!
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"7.5 out of 10. Good effort overall, with nice highlights and presentation in general. My only negative comment would be that the 'stache does need some slight manicuring around the edges. Apart from that minor issue; keep up the good work, young man." 🤙 - Wing Commander John Bates AFC, RNZAF...probably. 😉
That sir is a piece of art! 👌
Haha - pip, pip and all that as the Brits might say. Chocks away chaps! (Attributed to Biggles).
That 'mooostache' is so sharp he should have it registered.......
Awesome handle bars
Art 👏
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SCRAMBLE! If you get along to see our FREE Battle of Britain movie screening (10am tomorrow) you can take a short stroll to see our Jumo engine, which has its own fascinating story to tell from the pivotal air battle of World War Two.
On 2 August 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Pilot Officer Irving Smith was flying his No 151 Squadron Hawker Hurricane when he encountered a lone German bomber over the Midlands.
He stalked the Heinkel unobserved, firing a burst from the Hurricane’s eight machine guns at a range of 15 metres.
His attack damaged the right-hand engine, and Irving followed up with another burst of gunfire which disabled the left-hand engine. The bomber ditched in the sea at Chapel St. Leonards, the crew of five escaped unharmed and were taken prisoner.
The Jumo engine from the Heinkel shot down by Irving was recovered and donated to us in 1981, and is on display each day from 9.30am until 4.30pm, upstairs in our Insights Exhibition.
Pilot Officer Irving survived three operational tours during the war, ending up with a Distinguished Flying Cross and bar. He retired from the RAF in 1966 with the rank of Group Captain.
Last chance to see the Battle of Britain tomorrow (Saturday 26 July) at 10am, with an introduction by our Research Curator Simon Moody. #curatedcinema
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At a range of 15 meters?! He must have seen the fear in their eyes.