Categories: Photogaleries

4 VIENTOS outdoor area gallery

This is the ticket office and access for Museum’s visitors. This access is in a parking lot, located next to the Museum, and all within the Cuatro Vientos Air Force Base. The Museum was opened to the public on May 24, 1981, although the beginnings of the Museum date back to 1966.
This is an image of the former location of some helicopters from the Museum’s collection. From left to right we could see: Bell-47 G3 Sioux from No.782 Sqn., Mi-2 Hoplite, Bo-105 HR, AB-47 J.3B1 and SA-318C Alouette II.
Close-up of the same former outdoor area occupied by a part of the Museum’s helicopter collection. From left to right: Bell-47 G3 Sioux, Mi-2 Hoplite, (used by civil entities), Bo-105 HR, AB-47 J.3B1 and SA-318C Alouette II, (used by civil entities).
The helicopters of the outdoor area were recently relocated and new models were added to the collection. In the image, (from right to left), we can see the following types: AB-47 G3, AB-205, SA-319B Alouette III, Mi-2 Hoplite, two BO-105 and a AS-332B Super Puma.
In this picture we see the Mi-2 Hoplite in the foreground, on the right side of it are SA-319B Alouette III and a SA-318C Alouette II. On the left side from the Mi-2 are two BO-105s, one that served with the National Police and just behind a BO-105 HR that belonged to the Army and performed reconnaissance tasks.
In the same outdoor area, two AB-205 Huey and one AB-47 G3 have been relocated. Behind them, a new installation has been installed to make exhibitions and talks (SHYCEA).
In this part of the outdoor display we find a sample of transport aircrafts that have served with the Spanish Air Force. To the left, in the foreground, we have a Casa C-212 Aviocar carrying the gray air low visibility pattern. To the right on the image we can see another C-212, this time carrying a paint scheme called “lizard”.
Continuing the walk, we came across a DC-3/C-47 Skytrain from No. 721 Sqn., followed by a Casa C-352 from No.911 Sqn. This last model was a Spanish copy of the famous German JU-52 transport aircraft.
This is another image of the same area in which you can see in the foreground the Casa C-352 followed by the DC-3/C-47 Skytrain.
In this area we can see a Casa C-352 cargo aircraft, and to the right, the only B-25 D1 Mitchell that served with the Spanish Air Force. The bomber was intervened after an emergency landing at Melilla in 1943, and was used as a training aircraft until 1953.
This is the entrance to Hangar 1, the largest of the whole Museum and some time ago the door was “guarded” by two prototype aircraft designed in Spain. In the foreground the Hispano Aviacion HA-220 Super Saeta attack aircraft, and in the background the Casa C-101 Mirlo training aircraft.
This outdoor area is dedicated to fighter-bomber aircrafts, and there are models that have served in the Spanish Air Force and others that have been donated by other Museums and Air Forces. On this occasion we can see, from right to left: F-4C Phantom II, Mirage F-1M, Mirage III-E and RF-5A Tigereye from the Spanish Air Force.
On the other side of the same area, from left to right we can see: F-4C Phantom II, RF-4C Phantom II, Su-22M4 Fitter K, MiG-23 Flogger, MiG-21 Fishbed and MiG-17 Fresco. Now all these Cold War’s contenders, rest quietly in the Museum.
The Museum has a remarkable display of fighter-bomber aircraft from the extinct Warsaw Pact. All have been achieved through exchanges and donations with other Air Forces. From right to left we can see: MiG-17 Fresco, MiG-21 Fishbed and MiG-23 Flogger.
Here we can see a close-up of a Mig-21 Fishbed that belonged to the East German Air Force and a Mig-17 Fresco that belonged to the Bulgarian Air Force. The Mig-17 was initially painted with the Soviet Union flag colours, completely painted red!. However, now looks more “suited” with the Malagasy, (Madagascar), Air Force colors.
From another site on the platform there is an overview of the Cold War fighter bomber collection. On the left you can see the Soviet fighter-bombers. Right in the center you can see a collection of Soviet aerial bombs, and to the right of them, is the Swedish Saab J-32 Lansen attack aircraft.
This platform’s corner is occupied by two Swedish aircraft, which arrived flying to the Museum. This fact gives an idea of its good condition at the time of the transfer by the “Flygvapen” or Swedish Air Force. On the left we could see the Saab J-32 Lansen attack aircraft, and on the right, the Saab AJ-37 Viggen fighter-bomber.
Following the AJ-37 Viggen begins the collection of fighter-bombers that have served with the Spanish Air Force. First of all, there is an F-86 Sabre with the colors that carried while flew within Ascua Aerobatics Team. Next we observed an F-104 Starfighter with identification marks belonging to the 12th Fighter Wing.
Continuing the “journey”, in the foreground we see a F-104G Starfighter fighter bomber, and to its right, a Casa-Northop F-5A Tiger II fighter bomber built under license in Spain. Twenty-one “Starfighter” served with the Air Force from 1955 to 1973, along with seventy “Tiger-II”, which did it from 1968 to 1992.
In the foreground we see the French Mirage III-E fighter, and then, a Mirage F-1M figther-bomber, the most advanced version that served with the Spanish Air Force.
Another picture of the same Mirage III-E, of which Spain had 24 units. In its left side we see the Casa-Northrop RF-5A Tigereye, of which there were 18 examples built in Spain under license.
In the summer of 2018, the Museum was in process of improving some areas, and was also finishing the restoration of several aircrafts that suffer enormous damage to remain outdoors. From left to right we can see the Mirage F-1BM and the rear sides of the Mirage III-E, RF-5A, F-5A, F-86 and AJ-37 Viggen.
On place apart from the main outdoor exhibition, in the summer of 2018 there were several aircrafts that had been fully restored or were placed there waiting for a new location. To the left we can see a totally restored Mig-21 Fishbed with the colors of the East German Air Force, where this aircraft formerly served. On the right was the HA-220 Super Saeta prototype and the Mig-17 Fresco.
Another view of the same area where we can see in the first place the HA-220 Super Saeta prototype. In the middle we see a recently restored Mig-17 Fresco. Finally, on the right we see an East German Su-22M4 Fitter K waiting for a more than necessary restoration to give it back the beauty it once had.
This is the Museum’s Hangar No.6, in which it is clear which is its main exhibition!. There are two cabins belonging to a DC-9 and a Boeing 727 airliners that flew with Iberia Airlines. The problem is that in all visits made since these aircraft are there, has never been open to the public, who knows why.
Javier

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Javier