What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Latest Exhibition
Victory!
It is 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Our Victory exhibition, upstairs in the atrium, marks this significant milestone in world history, and the story of the RNZAF.
Victory includes images and memories of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory over Japan (VJ) 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.
You’re welcome to come along and learn all about the end of World War Two with us.
Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules exhibition is on in teh Cochrane Gallery upstairs in our atrium. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
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Homeforheroes
Help us build a home for our heroes
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
Overseas visitor charge
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.
The charge is required to cover rising costs and to contribute to our new $20 million extension to house the newest members of our collection – our historic Hercules and Orion aircraft.
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Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
URGENT CLARIFICATION: It has come to our attention that there is growing confusion out there between the Handley Page Victor and the Vauxhall Victor, so we wanted to move quickly to extinguish the embers of this bushfire before it spreads.
The confusion is entirely understandable of course.
To the naked eye these beasts are almost indistinguishable.
As well as sharing a name, these warriors were given futuristic designs born during the Cold War, could both take five passengers, and both suffered the odd reliability issue although they won fans wherever they went.
We’ve put together a quick guide to enable you to tell these doppelgangers apart in the carpark at a glance and never be embarrassed at dinner parties again.
The first, and most obvious difference, is in their aerial configuration.
The Vauxhall’s main external sensor was an AM radio receiving aerial, which was located on the front left-hand panel. The Handley Page Victor was fitted with a number of sensors in different spots on its upper and lower surfaces. Another dead giveaway in the sensor department was the nose bulge for the Handley Page’s radar, while the Vauxhall lacked radar entirely.
The second key difference was in their payload capabilities. The Handley Page was designed with bomb bay capable of up to 10,000 kg of conventional bombs or nuclear weapons.
Conversely, the Vauxhall Victor went for a conventional sedan look with a boot/bomb bay at the rear, and it did not come nuclear capable as standard.
If you still can’t tell them apart just have a look at the rear of each craft for the telltale sign of a drogue parachute.
The Hadley Page Victor had a top speed of a little over 1,000 km/h and its slippery shape meant it required a drogue parachute to slow it on landing.
The Vauxhall Victor topped out at about 130 km/h and was equipped with disc brakes and at the front and drums at the rear, so no parachute was needed.
So there you have it.
Never confuse your Victors again!
#urgentclarification #handleypagevictor ... See MoreSee Less
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Spare wheel was easier to find on the Vauxhall.
Thankyou for sharing your not inconsiderable comedic talents once again! 🤣",,,did not come nuclear capable as standard...look for the tell-tale sign of the drogue parachute..."🤣 it is hazardous to read these posts while eating or drinking!
You totally failed to mention that the Victor was the most beautiful and yet menacing looking creation for its purpose, while the Victor looked like a utility box designed to hold several often non functioning components with the panache of hopeless and unimaginative designers from Luton. Talking of nuclear weapons, there used to be a phrase that if a nuclear weapon was dropped on Luton, there would be 2 shillings and sixpence worth of damage recorded…..and that included the Vauxhall plant.
Again and erudite and informative article.
Many thanks for your clarication, I admit to having confused them. 🤣🤣
But in truth RNZAF operate the Handley Page Victor for secret ‘Black ops’ to the north. Please do not discuss this with anybody working in the retail sector, or members of political parties of a sinister side.
As an aviation fan, I saw the winged version twice and, as a mechanic, I saw the four-wheel one far too many times.
Did any Victor's or Valiants visit NZ? To clarify, the flying variants!
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NEW ONLINE PHOTO ALBUM! We hope you’re all enjoying the photos being posted daily to our online image database at airforcemuseum.co.nz/photographs/
If you haven’t seen it, check it out! It’s more than just ‘planes and war’.
Every now and then, when a collection has been digitised and we think it’s more interesting than usual, we create a feature album focused on just that series of photos.
We’re pleased to release a new album featuring the photographs of World War Two Fleet Air Arm (FAA) pilot Kenneth Francis ‘Bruce’ Petrie.
fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5023-Bruce-Petrie-personal-collection/
Keith's 136 photos document his service in teh Fleet Air Arm in the Pacific and over Japan.
We'd like to thank the Petrie family for their generosity in making these precious memories available for all to see. ... See MoreSee Less
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Stunning!
What a great collection of photos! Thanks to the Petrie family 👍
HANGAR TENSION: There has been a lot of tension in the air around the museum with our C-130H Hercules NZ7001 - also known as Charles - making the most of being crowned Aircraft of the Year.
There's a sour-looking Spitfire next to it in the hangar, while the Canberra is looking decidedly cantankerous!
You may be interested to learn Charles is no stranger to competition success.
In June 1979 NZ7001 flew to the United Kingdom on a routine training flight which coincided with the International Air Tattoo at Greenham Common.
NZ7001 took the top prize, the Concours D’Elegance. At the time NZ7001 was 14 years old and had flown 10,000 hours. It was the oldest of the 27 aircraft in the competition.
If you'd like to see the 1979 trophy and learn all about the RNZAF's fleet of C-130H Hercules, come along to our Mighty Hercules Exhibition on now upstairs in our atrium.
#c130H #rnzaf ... See MoreSee Less
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Here you go. It was rather wet that day as you can see! Old style print. Must digitise my photos one day
Was part of the team who worked on 01 prior to the trip, we did put a wee bit extra into the refurbished of the interior.
Buck up, winged warriors. Your day will come 🎈
What is Spitfire and Charlie doing together in Hangar 2 ??? mmmm perhaps a secret plane affair 😜😍🤔
poor spitfire does not like being stood over by a younger sibling
Now does anyone know which C130 was tasked with transporting a Rolls Royce to various aerodromes around the country (NZ) during the Royal Visit of the 1970s (1970). Also may have had land rover on the same Hercules. I believe that the New Zealand Government may have borrowed the Rolls Royce from Australia. But that is getting off topic here.
And a testament to the RNZAF personel looking after their aircraft so well.
They are all winners to me :)
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