Some shots from the Aviodrome Lelystad- lots of classics!

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MatzeH84
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 393
Joined: 29 Mar 2013, 14:26
Location: EDLA, Germany

Some shots from the Aviodrome Lelystad- lots of classics!

Post by MatzeH84 »

Last weekend me and my gf went on a short trip to visit our neighbours in the Netherlands. We decided (well, I asked and she agreed, eye-rolling) to visit the Aviodrome museum in Lelystad, which hosts a very fine collection of aircraft, both on static display and in airworthy conditon. For this post I focussed on the classics, but there is a lot more to see- a 747-200SUD with extended upper deck (still powered by the internal electric system), a lot of Fokkers props and jets, a Lockheed Neptune, a Saab Viggen.. but let's have a look and the classics. I only had a mobile available to take pictures, but I hope it still looks alright.

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The last airworthy DC-2 in the whole world is being serviced, in the background a DC-3 is undergoing restauration with its wings and engines removed.


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Nice (but unsharp) shot of the DC-2 and the good old Cub. All aircraft in this hangar are flying or are being restored to flying condition.


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DC-3 with the star of the show in the background..


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Front view of this well-preserved aircraft.. it's not airworty however, as it's left wing is cut off next to the port engine.


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DC-4 and F.27 on the apron in front of the rebuilt, original terminal building from the Amsterdam airport- complete with check-in counters, historic timetables and offices.


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Front view


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Another angle- the rudder, ailerons and elevators have been removed, I guess for restauration work..


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My personal star of the show, the 749 Constellation. This particular was built as a C121A and flew with the Berlin Airbridge- during its restauration it got the original civilian round nose, complete with the passing light.


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Front view


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These cowlings sure have seen some weather..


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The aircraft was actually flown from Arizona to Amsterdam in 2002! After restauration was completed in 2004, it flew until 2007. Then insurance and crew qualification issues kept it on the ground, then the museum went bankrupt (and reopened soon after), and since then it sits on static display. But still- in theory, it's fit to fly..


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The cabin


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Astrodome


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The engineer's station- pretty close to A2A's rendition!


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The flightdeck


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One of the emergency exits- no slides, but hey, at least you get ropes!


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You can't imagine how massive this tailplane is, until you actually stand behind it.


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The #3 cowling opened for display. There are oil pans beneath each engine, a sign that efforts are made to keep this aircraft close to flying condition.


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A Grumman S-2 Tracker in perfect condition being prepared for a ground run display


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Bonus: Some of the good old avionics A2A fans know quite well.. ;)

After all this was a really great visit. I only kept the most interesting classics in this post, but there is a lot more to see. Especially if you are travelling with kids, they will have a really great day, as there is a lot of program provided especially for them. Playground, simulators, and an interactive tour where they have to master different tasks- morsing their name on live equipment for example, under the guidance of the friendly and helpfull staff.
The airport itself was incredibly busy with GA traffic all the time.
A really great place to visit, I can only recommend it if you're around in the Netherlands.
Kind regards, Matthias

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Jacques
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2376
Joined: 26 Jun 2011, 17:54
Location: West Coast, USA

Re: Some shots from the Aviodrome Lelystad- lots of classics

Post by Jacques »

Thanks for sharing those pictures, Matthias! The best museums are those where drip pans are a necessary beneath the engines!


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