Qantas Founders Museum

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The listed hangar in front of the museum's Boeing 747

The Qantas Founders Outback Museum (German: Qantas-Gründermuseum ) is an aviation museum in Longreach , Queensland , Australia . Longreach was the seat of Qantas from 1921 to 1929 .

Qantas story

The museum shows the aviation history of Qantas, the second oldest continuously registered airline in the world and the oldest and largest airline in Australia, initially known as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services LTD. was founded in Winton on November 16, 1920 and moved to Longreach in 1921.

With the historical hangar from 1922 at its center, the museum shows various aircraft of historical importance for Qantas. For example, it houses the first jet aircraft in operation, a Boeing 707-138 , cn 17696/29, which was put into operation in July 1959 with the aircraft registration VH-EBA. It was brought up to the level of 707-138B in September 1961, among other things by installing new turbofan engines . In 1969 it was sold to PWA , a former Canadian airline (see also Canadian Airlines International and Air Canada ), and after several changes of ownership and lengthy downtimes from 2002 to 2006, it was restored at Southend Airport in England . After several test flights under the still valid registration number VH-XBA, the transfer to Australia took place in December 2006 in a 28-hour flight and finally on June 10, 2007 to its installation in Longreach. Exactly this 707 is the oldest still airworthy aircraft of this type.

Another large exhibit is a Boeing 747-238B , cn 22145/410 with the registration VH-EBQ, which can be fully entered and viewed by the public. This aircraft, named "City of Bunbury " and bearing the same registration number as when it was commissioned, made its maiden flight on November 28, 1979 and was a donation from Qantas to the museum in 2002. The aircraft was supposed to be scrapped. Since the runway at Longreach Airport was only designed for small aircraft and not for aircraft of this size, all seats, interior panels and any ballast were removed for the transfer of the machine. In order to fly the Boeing the 1000 km long route from Brisbane to Longreach, it was refueled with just enough kerosene , while all removed parts were transported by truck to Longreach. The repair and expansion of the runway was financed from the sale of the kerosene that remained in the tanks.

There are also several historical aircraft on the exhibition grounds that have been in use for the airline over the years. Among other things, a Douglas Corporation DC-3 VH-EAP , an Avro 504K , a De Havilland DH.50 Iris (replica), a De Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth (replica) and the Catalina , a flying boat.

Because of its importance, the historic hangar is inscribed on the Australian National Heritage List .

photos

  • Entrance to the main building of the museum

  • The first Qantas passenger aircraft, the Avor 505 in the museum (replica)

  • The Boeing 747-200 (City of Bunbury ) on the museum grounds

Web links

Commons : Qantas Founders Museum  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ qfom.com.au : Qantas Founders Outback Museum website , in English, accessed September 29, 2011

Coordinates: 23 ° 26 ′ 23.6 ″  S , 144 ° 16 ′ 14.2 ″  E