Musée de l'aviation militaire de Payerne

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Mirage scout in the museum

The Musée de l'aviation militaire de Payerne “Clin d'Ailes” presents historic Swiss military aircraft and helicopters from the era of jet engines and turbines. It is located next to the Payerne military airfield in Switzerland . A dozen aircraft and helicopters are exhibited in two halls. Two to three times a year there is a one-week period with flight operations of the Mirage III DS.

history

With the upcoming Army 95 reform , the Hunter aircraft was decommissioned at the end of 1994. At the same time, Fliegerstaffel 5 was also dissolved. In order to save one of the venerable Hawker Hunter from being scrapped, some passionate militia pilots founded the association “La Cinquième Escadrille” on November 19, 1994 and turned to the Swiss Army . Thanks to the support of the Swiss Air Force and the cantonal military department of Vaud, the association was able to secure the Hunter J-4078 in 1995. This aircraft was exhibited in a former carpenter's workshop in Arnex-sur-Orbe for almost seven years . The Hunter was soon surrounded by other discarded aircraft parts such as engines, ejection seats, material for aircraft maintenance and souvenirs from the former Fliegerstaffel 5. Finally, the Vaud Military Museum in Morges gave the association the DH-100 Vampire aircraft with the registration J-1055, which has been around for almost 20 years in Morges.

As early as 1998 the desire for more spacious rooms arose and the association began to negotiate with the command of the air force and the airfield management in order to find a solution for a museum on the premises of the Payerne military airfield . The efforts of the association fell on fertile ground and in order to give the developing project the necessary impetus and to secure the financing, the support association "Espace Passion" was founded.

In the same year, the Cinquième Escadrille of the Vampire J-1157 was offered, which was exhibited for a long time on an industrial site in Aigle . Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of the members of the Espace Passion association, it was possible to restore the aircraft in a laborious process.

At the request of the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport and in order to legally secure the museum project, the members of the Cinquième Escadrille founded the Fondation du Musée de l'Aviation Militaire de Payerne on March 10, 1999. The Board of Trustees was chaired by Claude Nicollier and consisted of members of the Cinquième Escadrille, enthusiasts of military aviation and its cultural heritage, and representatives of the Air Force. He then took care of the construction of the museum and the search for sponsors. In 2002 a name for the museum was sought through a competition. With his suggestion “Clin d'Ailes”, a play on words that could be translated into German as “winking wings”, the then 12-year-old Bastien Bornand won this competition after the unanimous judgment of the jury. The graphic designer Robert Rausis also created a matching logo. In the same year construction of the museum began and restoration work on the aircraft on display began.

The Clin d'Ailes Museum was finally inaugurated on April 25, 2003. At the beginning there were six aircraft in the only exhibition hall: a De Havilland DH.112 Vampire , a DH.115 Vampire Trainer, a De Havilland DH.112 Venom , a Hunter Mk.58, a Hunter Trainer TMk.68 and a Mirage IIIS . In October of the same year the exhibition was supplemented by an Alouette II and one year after the museum opened, the restoration of the Mirage simulator SIMIR was completed and the first demonstrations could take place. At the beginning of 2004 the Hunter Trainer J-4203 received its civil registration HB-RVW and made its maiden flight as a civil aircraft on May 18, 2004. Two years later the foundation received the Mirage reconnaissance aircraft R-2117 and the Mirage III DS two-seater J-2012 and on November 4th of the same year the partnership with the Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse (MEAC) in Montélimar was officially celebrated (F) sealed.

As a world premiere, the first passenger flight took place on September 16, 2008 in a civil registered (HB-RDF) Mirage III DS two-seater J-2012. As the space in the museum was becoming increasingly narrow, the Board of Trustees dealt with a project for an extension in 2011 and began looking for sponsors to finance it. The financing was already secured in the following year and construction work could begin in 2013. On May 1st, 2015, the new hall was inaugurated and the new museum design opened.

exhibition

The Musée de l'Aviation Militaire de Payerne, Clin d'Ailes, shows a collection of Swiss military aviation from the second half of the 20th century. From the Vampire to the Venom and Hunter to the Mirage III, the beautiful and powerful machines express the rapid progress in the areas of aerodynamics, construction materials and weapon systems. The exhibition consists of ten aircraft and two helicopters as well as simulators, engines, weapons and ejection seats.

De Havilland DH.100 Vampire Mk 6

The J-1157 aircraft on display was manufactured under license at the Emmen aircraft factory and had its maiden flight on May 14, 1952. It was offered to the Cinquième Escadrille in 1998 and then transported to Arnex-sur-Orbe, where it was restored and on June 24, 2000 the Exhibition was handed over. In October 2002 it was transported to Payerne and given to the Museum Foundation. The J-1156 aircraft presented on a pedestal in front of the museum entrance was handed over to the museum on April 25, 2003 by the airport management on the occasion of the museum's opening.

De Havilland DH.115 Vampire Trainer Mk. 55

The exhibited two-seat trainer U-1211 flew in the Swiss Air Force from 1958 to 1990. During his mission he was also equipped with film cameras, which were housed in a special aircraft nose. Numerous aerial recordings were made for films by the Army Film Service and Swiss television . On March 23, 1991, a group of pilots and flight enthusiasts bought the aircraft at an auction with the idea of ​​getting it to fly again. However, it remained at the Sion airport and was eventually offered to the museum. It was transported to Payerne in 2000 and extensively restored in 2001.

De Havilland DH.112 Venom Mk. 1

On March 21, 1955, the Venom J-1584 had its maiden flight. After it was taken out of service in 1984, Eric Chardonnens bought it and transported it to Neuchâtel-Colombier airport . Finally he offered the aircraft to the museum, where it was restored between 2002 and 2003.

Hawker Hunter Mk. 58

The Hunter J-4078 was built in Dunsfold and then flown over to Switzerland, where it entered service in 1959. In 1982 it was converted for use with the AGM-65B Maverick air-to-ground guided missile . Its last flight took place in Payerne on December 16, 1994. It was offered to the Cinquième Escadrille in 1995 and transported to Arnex-sur-Orbe. Reassembled and inaugurated on November 17, 1995, it was the pride of this first, small museum for a long time. It was transported to Payerne in October 2002 and given to the museum's foundation.

Hawker Hunter Trainer Mk. 68

This aircraft was part of the second series of Hunter aircraft procured by the Air Force. It first flew as a single-seater version F.4 in the Royal Air Force , before it was bought as a second-hand in 1972, transported to Emmen and converted there into the two-seater J-4203. After it was taken out of service, it was stored in an aircraft cavern from 1995 to 2001 and finally offered to the museum by the Air Force. It was dismantled, transported by road to Payerne, where it was reassembled. In spring 2004 it received the registration as a historic civil aircraft and the registration HB-RVW. It was then used for passenger flights and also took part in the Air 04 and AIR14 flight meetings. After its last flight on October 3, 2014, it was integrated into the exhibition at the Musée Clin d'Ailes.

Dassault Mirage III S.

The J-2301 was, together with the J-2302, one of the only two Mirage III Ss built by Dassault Aviation in France . All other Mirage III Ss of the Swiss Air Force were built in Emmen. Both aircraft were initially used by the Armaments Service Group (GRD) for acceptance and test flights. On September 8, 1972 the aircraft J-2301 was provided with special equipment and handed over to the flight test center (FES) of the Flugwaffe. It was finally transported from Buochs to Payerne in 2002 .

Dassault Mirage III RS

The R-2117 aircraft on display was equipped with four nose-mounted OMERA wet film cameras. They were able to take pictures at an angle to the front, down and to the side in a total of six positions. In addition, the LIRAS reconnaissance vessel, which was introduced in 1981 and mounted on the fuselage, could be used to make recordings in the infrared range, day and night. The R-2117 made its last flight from Buochs ​​to Payerne in December 2003, where it was handed over to the Foundation by the Air Force in 2005.

Dassault Mirage III DS

The J-2012 is the only Mirage III in the world that flies as a historic aircraft with civil registration (HB-RDF). It is maintained, repaired and operated on by the Espace Passion association. The aircraft was part of a second series of two-seaters that was procured by the Flugwaffe. The first series of four two-seaters was named Mirage III BS, while the two subsequently procured two-seaters J-2011 and J-2012 were named Mirage III DS. The J-2012 aircraft last flew in December in the service of the Air Force from Buochs ​​to Payerne and was donated to the museum's foundation in 2005.

Northrop F-5 Tiger II

The F-5 Tiger J-3057, a first series aircraft, is still in the Air Force inventory. Together with the other aircraft of the first series, the J-3057 was modified in the mid-1980s and brought up to the level of the second series. For this purpose it was equipped with enlarged leading edge extensions (LEX) and a flattened nose (Shark Nose). Together with eleven other F-5 Tigers, the J-3057 aircraft, bearing an Austrian national emblem, flew in the service of the Austrian air force from February 2005 to July 24, 2008 . In April 2015, ten F-5s were decommissioned due to cracks in the structure, including the J-3057. In March 2016, the J-3057 was loaned to the museum.

Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer

The Pilatus PC-7 aircraft, powered by a propeller turbine, is a powerful trainer aircraft. It is used in the Air Force for the aeronautical aptitude assessment (selection) and basic training. The A-908 aircraft is one of the twelve aircraft that have not been modified to the NCPC-7 level. After its retirement, the A-908 was handed over to the museum in 2009.

Sud Aviation SE 3130 Alouette II

The V-43 helicopter was part of the first series of 15 Alouette II helicopters, which were procured by the Flugwaffe in 1958. On April 19, 1979, the crew of the V-43 had to perform an emergency landing in Naters, during which the helicopter was damaged. The V-43 was repaired and returned to the air force. From April 5 to August 22, 1961, the V-43 was temporarily registered as HB-XBI in order to be used on the occasion of the Algeria Conference in Evian (F). On March 14, 1994, the Alouette II V-43 was handed over to the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, which offered the helicopter to the museum in 2003.

Sud Aviation SE 3160 Alouette III

The V-282 helicopter exhibited in the museum was part of the third series Alouette III and was procured in 1974. The helicopter was partly built under license at the Federal Aircraft Factory in Emmen. After its last flight in 2010, the V-282 was handed over to the museum in the same year.

Simulators

The Musée de l'Aviation Militaire de Payerne, Clin d'Ailes, has a number of interesting simulators for former military aircraft. Some of them are still in working order. In addition, you will also find modern simulators for virtual flight, some with faithfully modeled historical aircraft, such as the D 3800 Morane or DH-100 Vampire. The pearl of the exhibition is certainly the original flight simulator of the Mirage III S (SIMIR), which was put into service in Payerne in 1967. In 2000, after almost 62,000 hours and over 36,000 simulator exercises, the SIMIR was decommissioned and handed over to the museum. This successfully set itself the goal of making the SIMIR functional again. Since 2004 the SIMIR can be seen in action on request and on special occasions, it has also been used as a training device by the pilots of the Mirage III DS J-2012 / HB-RDF since 2008.

Among the other simulators you will find, for example, one of the first real flight simulators, a link trainer constructed in the late 1920s. The first military pilots to fly a jet plane trained to fly instruments on a Link-Trainer D-4, also known as IFSIM (Instrument Flight Simulator) in the Air Force. In addition, the interested visitor will find the SINOR (simulator Noras), on which the demanding task of steering the command-guided air-to-ground missile AS 30 NORAS could be trained. The museum also has a simulator for the American TARAN weapon system, which was built into the Mirage III S. This simulator was originally coupled with a radar on the roof of a hangar, with which the search for and activation of aircraft could be practiced, which were flying over the region of Payerne.

Espace des pioneers

A small area of ​​the museum, the “Espace des Pionniers”, is dedicated to people and less to technology. This temporary exhibition changes every year and is dedicated to the pioneers of Swiss military aviation. The topics of the last few years were "The pilots of the aerial battles over the Swiss Jura in May / June 1940" and " Walter Mittelholzer , military pilot, aerial photographer, air traveler and founder of Swissair "

Espace Nicollier

In the “Espace Nicollier” the museum presents the four space flights of its president of the museum foundation, the only Swiss astronaut to date, Claude Nicollier . Thanks to his efforts, the museum has some unique exhibits related to space travel .

Further exhibitions

The museum has other exhibition areas, such as a partial replica of a command area of ​​Fliegerstaffel 5 in Cavern Raron, where you can get an idea of ​​how the planes were used during the Cold War . A beautiful exhibition of radio equipment, a collection of models of the planes of the Swiss Air Force and an exhibition of cloth badges of the Swiss Air Force complete the inventory of the Museum Clin d'Ailes.

partner

Espace Passion

The aim of the Espace Passion association is to support the museum in collecting and preserving the cultural assets of the Swiss Air Force. He also endeavors to keep former Swiss military aircraft in an airworthy condition. Espace Passion is the organization that maintains the necessary professional skills that are necessary to restore historical military aircraft and operate them in flight.

HB4FR

HB4FR Swiss Air Force Museum HAM Radio Club is an association of passionate radio amateurs , which is closely connected with the Museum Clin d'Ailes. The association exhibits its historical radio equipment , including numerous aircraft radios , in the museum. He also operates a high-performance radio station with the registration numbers HB4FR and HB9SPACE. The aim of the HB4FR association is to inspire young people, but also the general public, for science, technology and history related to radio equipment.

Flight Simulation Center (FSC)

The Flight Simulation Center (FSC) consists of two semi-professional flight simulator stations with powerful computers and large screens, which allow an introduction to the world of virtual flight. It is run by an association of passionate specialists and uses high quality material. Precise control sticks and power levers and a system for recording the position, location and movements of the head offer a unique experience.

Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse (MEAC)

Since November 4, 2006, the Clin d'Ailes Museum and the Musée Européen de l'Aviation de Chasse (MEAC) have been linked as partners. This connection manifests itself in mutual support to enrich the respective exhibitions. Visitors to the MEAC will also find a “hangar suisse” in Montélimar in which the former Swiss military aircraft Mirage III S (J-2304), Mirage III RS (J-2103) and Mirage III BS (J-2001) are exhibited.

activities

  • Every year a one-week flight service period takes place 2-3 times, during which the Espace Passion association operates the Mirage III DS in flight.
  • Every spring, the museum opens the new season with a special weekend.
  • At the beginning of October, the museum organizes the Space Days with school classes from the region. The work of the students is exhibited in the museum for a short time.
  • The museum has a sales corner with books, models, clothing and other accessories from the world of aviation.
  • The museum offers a conference room for 80 people.
  • On request, the museum can be booked for company events and private groups.

Web links

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Aviation Photo # 1709067: Hawker Hunter F4 - UK - Air Force. Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
  2. ^ BMLVS - Communication Department - Section 3: Armed Forces - Weapons and Equipment - F-5E Tiger. Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Markus Herzig: HB-XBI SE.3130 Alouette 2 by SwissHeli.com. Retrieved October 26, 2017 .
  4. ↑ MR Susans: The RAAF Mirage Story . Ed .: Royal Australian Air Force Museum. Point Cook Vic 1990, p. 8th ff .

Coordinates: 46 ° 50 ′ 46 "  N , 6 ° 54 ′ 59"  E ; CH1903:  560166  /  188463