Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra

Caloundra is a town at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, approximately an hour and half's drive north of Brisbane. Primarily a coastal holiday town, in the hinterland half an hour west of the town centre is the Queensland Air Museum. The museum has been established on the outskirts of the Caloundra regional airport.

1931 Wicko (replica). The home-built Wicko was the first aeroplane built in Queensland. The original had a very short life, being struck off the airworthy register in 1932 after less than a year of trials. 13 improved versions were built and sold in subsequent years before the company went out of business.
https://qam.com.au/collection/wicko-cabin-sports-vh-upw/ 

Tailplane of a early civilian aircraft

Flying helmet

Avro 504K model. Australia's national carrier, Qantas, started life with a single Avro 504K running a mail and passenger (singular!) service in rural Queensland.

Replica First World War Bristol Scout D. Aircraft like this saw valuable service after the war as civil mail-carrying aircraft.
https://qam.com.au/collection/bristol-scout-d-replica/

Calair Skyfox https://qam.com.au/collection/calair-ca21-skyfox-vh-cal/



Bristol Bloodhound Mk 1 reseach missile. Missiles like this were used for research, radar testing and target practice. Funnily enough, one of these popped up on Australian eBay a few years ago. The things people have to sell!
https://qam.com.au/collection/bristol-bloodhound-mk-i-c-n-unknown/

DeHavilland Canada Chipmunk.

Transavia PL-12 Airtruk. These unorthodox aircraft were designed as a flying tractor, capable of performing tasks like cropdusting, transport as well as carrying passengers (in a somewhat cramped rear facing cabin). In popular culture the aircraft is remembered as the 'Sky Pirate's' aircraft in the movies Mad Max II and Mad Max III.
https://qam.com.au/collection/transavia-pl-12-airtruk-zk-cwx-c-n-818/

Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Winjeel trainer
https://qam.com.au/collection/cac-ca-25-winjeel-a85-410-c-n-ca25-10/

Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer seaplane
https://qam.com.au/collection/lake-la-4-200-buccaneer-vh-ejx-c-n-596/

For the Kawasaki collector who thinks he has everything, how about a Kawasaki helicopter?
https://qam.com.au/collection/kawasaki-47g3b-kh4-vh-ahq-c-n-2171/

Canberra bomber



Douglas DC 3 https://qam.com.au/collection/douglas-dc-3-194b-vh-anr-c-n-1944/

DeHavilland Sea Venom. The naval version of the DH Vampire.
https://qam.com.au/collection/de-havilland-sea-venom-f-a-w-mk-53-wz898-c-n-12755/

Hawker Hunter
https://qam.com.au/collection/hawker-hunter-fga-mk-74bs-533-c-n-41h679972/

Gloster Meteor
https://qam.com.au/collection/gloster-meteor-f-mk-8-wa880/

KS-3 Wackett Cropmaster. This was a civilian version of the CAC Wackett trainer.
https://qam.com.au/collection/ks-3-wacket-cropmaster-vh-ajh-c-n-283/

DeHavilland Vampire (dual seat)

DeHavilland Vampire (single seat fighter version)

Lockheed Ventura. The Ventura was used as a medium bomber in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War. They continued in Australian service well into the 1950s.

This aircraft has completed a substantial restoration. Check the link for photos of the aircraft as originally acquired.
https://qam.com.au/collection/lockheed-pv-1-ventura-a59-96-c-n-6371/



Piaggio P166. Piaggio, now possibly more well known as the manufacturer of the Vespa scooter, was originally an aircraft manufacturer. They only turned to scooters and motorcycles after the company was banned from manufacturing aircraft after the war. This highly unusual aircraft with pusher mounted propellers was used by Queensland Airlines for short-hop regional air routes.
https://qam.com.au/collection/piaggio-p166-vh-bhk-c-n-370/



Supermarine Spitfire project. This example was a non-flying, static replica built by an enthusiast in Queensland who donated it to the museum. It is now in pretty poor condition but a full restoration is planned.
https://qam.com.au/collection/supermarine-spitfire-mk-i-k9789/

DeHavilland Canada Carribou transporter. These were used by the Royal Australian Airforce for several decades and transport aircraft. This example is under restoration.
https://qam.com.au/collection/de-havilland-canada-caribou-a4-173-c-n-173/

Beechcraft

MIG-15. Specifically this is a license built copy from Poland.
https://qam.com.au/collection/wsk-mielec-sb-lim-2-c-n-1a0-636/

When the MIG-15 made its first appearance over the skies of Korea, it was the most advanced and versatile fighter aircraft in the air, outperforming US jets such as the Sabre.

Lockheed SP-2H Neptune. The Neptune was also used for martime patrol duties alongside the Orion.
https://qam.com.au/collection/lockheed-sp-2h-neptune-a89-277/

DeHavilland Heron (the four-engined version of the DH Dove) https://qam.com.au/collection/de-havilland-heron-2d-a1-vh-kam-c-n-14123/

Lockheed Orion https://qam.com.au/collection/lockheed-l-285d-ap-3c-orion-a9-760-brooke-msn-5676/

Nord 262 Mohawk
https://qam.com.au/collection/nord-262a-mohawk-298-vh-hix-c-n-42/

The striking pusher engined Beechcraft 2000A Starship.
https://qam.com.au/collection/beechcraft-2000a-starship-n786bp-c-n-nc-28/

The Beechcraft Starship is very usual design with two pusher turbo-prop engines mounted on the main wing, which is placed far to the rear of the aircraft. A canard wing is mounted in the nose for stability. Certainly original and interesting and a very rare aircraft.

Lockheed Orions were used by the RAAF for naval patrol duties. They are still in service with many armed forces including the US.

Royal Airforce uniforms

The Queensland Air Museum is located at 7 Pathfinder Dr, Caloundra West QLD 4551, on the Sunshine Coast. It has a very good collection that is well worth visiting. For more information, check out their informative website here:
https://qam.com.au/

Speyer Technical Museum, Germany

45 kilometres west of the Sinshiem Technical Museum, and about half and hour south of Mannheim, is the Speyer Technical Museum. The sister museum of Sinsheim, Speyer is also a massive affair with vast halls displaying everything from sewing machines to fire engines. Although the two museums are relatively close to each other and appear to be similar in concept, their collections are so huge that there is little cross over. Visiting both won't leave one with a feeling of disappointment.

One of the points of difference at the Speyer museum is that it has a larger maritime section, with a German seagoing submarine from the post-war period as well as an impressive collection of wartime German midget submarines.

Like Sinshiem, Speyer's aircraft collection is spectacular, with an Antonov An-22 heavy transporter and the Soviet version of the space shuttle, the Buran. A collection of airliners are also mounted above the museum halls. https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/ 

Mercedes-Benz

Ford DUKW amphibious truck.

Fire engine collection https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/fire-engines



Moto Guzzi Falcone and Citroen Traction Avant

KDF Kubelwagen. The Volkswagenwerkes' main production during the war. https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2014/07/volkswagen-at-war.html

Messerschmitt Me109

Junkers Ju52 https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/junkers-ju-52

Junkers Ju52

Biber https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/submarine-beaver

Biber German midget submarine. These were developed late in the Second World War as coastal defense submarines. They were poorly designed and built and more dangerous to their pilots than enemy vessels as their poorly ventilated Opel car engine filled the cockpit with carbon monoxide. The Biber had no means of navigating beneath the surface or aiming the torpedoes other than driving straight at the target. Almost all Biber missions failed to achieve anything other than killing their crews.

SdKfz.2 NSU Kettenkrad https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/kettenkrad_sdkfz2.php

Mig



Fokker Dr1 triplane. Most famous as the aircraft that Baron Manfred von Richtoffen was flying when he was killed in 1917.

Zundapp motorcycle

Junkers Ju52. On the wall at the rear is the remains of a Dornier Do17.

Trains and steam rollers

LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin model

Warship models

Aircraft display.

On the left is a Hawker Hunter and on the right a Lockheed Starfighter. https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/lockheed-f-104-g-starfighter

Aircraft display

Soviet helicopters

Soviet helicopters

Suhhoi Su 22 in the foreground https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/suchoi-su-22 and Sean O'Kelley houseboat https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/the-kelly-family

Antonov An-2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonov_An-2

View looking back to the entrance with Speyer cathedral in the background. In the foreground are number of diesel marine engines.

Dornier Do24 remains. In the background is Speyer's spectacular cathedral. Construction of the cathedral commenced in 1030 and became important as the burial place of the Salian, Staufer and Habsburg emperors until the 14th century, when the Habsburg's settled in Vienna as their seat of power. https://www.speyer.de/sv_speyer/en/Tourism/Tourist%20attractions/The%20Speyer%20Cathedral/

The scant remains of a Dornier Do 24 flying boat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Do_24
These flying boats were among a series built by Dornier as passenger and fast mail aircraft during the interwar years. During the war they were used by the RLM as long range reconnaisance and maritime patrol aircraft.

Antonov An22 heavy transport https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/antonov-an-22

View from the top of U-9 https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/submarine-u9

German Seehund midget submarine. The Seehund addressed the problems with smaller types, such as the Biber, and had the potential to be effective coastal defense midget subs, but were too late in the war to have any effect. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seehund

Seehund



Sukhoi Su 22 in the yard. Mounted in the centre is a Fairey Gannet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Gannet

Developed after the war as a carrier based anti-submarine and reconnaissance aircraft. They were powered by contra-rotating propellers, an unusual choice. They were introduced in 1953 and had an extremely long service, being finally retired in 1973. They also served in the Royal Australian Navy.

Looking back towards the entrance from the Antonov.

Inside the cargo bay of the Antonov.

The aircraft displays at Speyer are spectacular. https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/boeing-747





Speyer is about 40 kilometres south of Mannheim (just above Schwetzingen on this map) and 45 kilometres from Sinshiem if travelling along the A6. It is well worth visiting both Speyer and Sinsheim museums, but you should allow several hours to appreciate them all. Both can easily be visited from Heidelberg by car or public transport. For opening hours and directions, check the website: https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/how-to-reach

For photos of other parts of the collection, check out below:
Sinsheim aviation and military: https://militarymuseum.blogspot.com/2020/05/sinsheim-technical-museum-germany.html
Motorcycles: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2009/08/auto-technik-museums-at-sinshiem-speyer.html
Microcars: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2009/08/sinshiem-micro-car-collection.html
European cars: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2009/12/speyer-and-sinshiem-auto-collection.html
American cars: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2009/12/sinshiem-auto-collection-american-cars.html