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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FRASER AND JACK: Today we remember Fraser Barron DSO (and bar), DFC, DFM and Jack Walters DFC, two highly-decorated RNZAF airmen who were lost when their Lancaster crashed 81 years ago.
James Fraser Barron was born in Dunedin in 1921 and was educated at Waitaki Boys’ High School before joining the Mines Department in Wellington.
He volunteered for the RNZAF and as a pilot airman and embarked for the United Kingdom in January 1941.
Fraser was an extraordinary pilot, flying Wellington, Stirling and Lancaster bombers on 79 operations, and accumulating 1274 flying hours.
His rise through the ranks was swift. He went from Flight Sergeant to Wing Commander in under two years and was the first RNZAF aviator to win the triple awards of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), and the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM).
On 20 May 1944 Fraser was the designated ‘master bomber,’ leading a mission to attack the Renault Works near Le Mans in France, with Jack as wireless operator.
Their Lancaster crashed over the target with the loss of all eight crew.
Jack William Walters was born in Gisborne in 1921 and was a postman before joining the RNZAF. He trained in Canada as an air gunner.
Jack was 23 and had completed 51 operations when he was killed over France alongside Fraser.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
#bombercommand #rnzaf ... See MoreSee Less
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Lest we forget.
URGENT CLARIFICATION: It has emerged that this photo of these sleek yellow RNZAF twins parked outside our hangar has led to some confusion about their model types, so we wanted to move swiftly to clear up any doubt about which is which.
This is not surprising of course, because both are yellow, streamlined, purpose-bult and elegant machines which did the job and did it well.
It is almost impossible for the untrained eye to tell them apart, so we’ve prepared a quick guide to allow you to identify them at a glance.
The model on the left is a Clark Clarktor aircraft tug and the model on the right is a de Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth biplane. (The model on the far right is our man Jim, who has nothing to do with any of this so please do not blame him for this clarification. He is innocent!)
The first key difference is in their functions – the Tiger was for training and Clarktor was for towing. So the Clarktor sports hefty tow hitches front and rear, which the Tiger sadly lacked.
The second is in their materials. The Tiger was built for speed and lift, so its lightweight wooden frame was covered in Irish linen, and later a meterial called ceconite.
The Clarktor was more about downforce, and its exoskeleton was all about steel – and lots of it. Our Clarktor weighs in at 6,500 kgs while the Tiger was a much more dainty 500 kg unladen. This weight factor may be the reason the Clarktor is called Big Bertha and unwanted models of it have been used breakwaters around the world.
Finally, the biggest difference was in the stopping department. The Clarktor has air brakes with significant stopping power to prevent its substantial bulk, and that of its aircraft load, from rolling on somewhere dangerous.
The Tiger Moth, famously for pilots learning to fly it, did not come fitted with wheel brakes but used its tail skid to create landing drag.
So there you have it. You will never be confused again between a Clarktor and a Tiger.
You’re welcome!
#urgentclarification #clarkclarktor #tigermoth ... See MoreSee Less
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Used to drive a couple of Clarks. They had 265 Hemi's in and were a bit more fun with the governor wound out. Never flown a plane but been in plenty.
Jim's specifications please
I am presuming that the wings have been removed from the Clarktor for transportation ?? John McCormick.
. . . and here I was believing that the DH. 82B 111 was the final iteration of the Tiger Moth ! The incredible amount of lift generated by the aerofoil shaped fuel tank in this rare later model, enabling the wings to be dispensed with, must have resulted in huge savings in materials and construction time.
Oh wow a trainer tug.
Was there a bulk deal on yellow paint somewhere that was too good to miss?
You've missed the adorable instant difference. One of them has the cutest little flasher on its roof!
I would have both, given the opportunity.
Thak you for the info, I did not know the difference before
Lummee guess… The Clarktor has the tall tyres, and the Tiger Moth has the dainty dunlops?
Jim is present for scale (for accuracy, could you advise Jim's height)
Thank you for clarifying that--I would have assumed that the vehicle on the left was made by Blackburn.
New collection.
Great to see my old Tiger back home at Wigram!
I'm pretty sure I've seen a Tiger Moth with a tow hitch and a glider attached. But I can't remember if it was at the front or the back.
You're pullin' our legs. Everyone knows that tigers have stripes. Where are the stipes?
One of them will have wings fitted, but I can't recall which one. Please send photos later.
😁
Renato A. Azevedo
Well explained
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FREE HUNTS TODAY! Today is International Museum Day (IMD), and this year we’re going to transform your day and stimulate some young minds with FREE HUNTS!
The Air Force Museum of New Zealand opened its doors 38 years ago, and since then we’ve hosted millions of visitors and built up a fascinating collection of more than one million heritage objects.
Along the way we hope we’ve transformed some lives by inspiring awe and wonder about our extraordinary aircraft and even more extraordinary stories of service and sacrifice.
This year’s IMD theme is the future of museums in rapidly changing communities - and we know the biggest impact we can make on the future is through our Tamariki.
So that’s why we decided that the best way to celebrate IMD and to encourage all the young minds out there was to make our legendary hunts (normally $5) free.
We’ve got three levels, to suit all ages, and they will expand the mind and show you around the museum at the same time.
We are open from 9.30am, so please come on down and celebrate International Museum Day by museuming* with us.
Happy museum day!
*Museuming is not officially a word, but if everyone starts using it, it may be one day. It means being awe-inspired by extraordinary aircraft and learning about the history of New Zealand military aviation.
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Happy International Museum Day Air Force Museum of New Zealand!
Monique Maynard
Aotearoa Quilters has their exhibition The Great NZ Quilt Show on this weekend Friday and Sat 10 to 4pm Sunday 10 to 3pm. Wigram Airforce Museum, Christchurch.
A must see event. And the whole family can enjoy the opportunity to pop into the Museum, or visit the lovely Cafe and Gift shop. Really cool venue.
See you there !
we were on TV1 breakfast show this morning, have look on TV demand. Very cool. ... See MoreSee Less
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Was a really great show of talent. Well done ✅
Lorraine Jones