The idea of establishing an Air Museum dates back to the early days of
aviation in Portugal and it is mentioned in the Portuguese Air Club statutes as
early as 1909.
It actually started to take shape much later when Navy aviator and pioneer,
Admiral Gago Coutinho, having in mind the establishment of a national aviation
museum and under the orders of the Navy Department, started collecting items
which had been given to him and Sacadura Cabral. The whole process was slow.
In 1953, an important step forward was given by journalist Mário Costa Pinto
who, in a letter published by the Jornal de Sintra, drew the attention of the
Minister of Defence to the importance of an aviation museum. When in 1954
Pinheiro Correia was elected chairman of the Portuguese Air Club board of
directors, he immediately set up a working group to study the creation of the
museum. Step by step, the museum cause was gaining supporters and sympathisers.
In 1963, General França Borges, the Mayor of Lisbon, agrees to allocate a
room in the Palácio dos Pimentas which was to become a city museum, in order to
exhibit a great number of pieces bearing evidence of the Portuguese important
role in the history of aviation. In July 1965, the Aviation Secretary of State,
General Francisco Chagas, commissioned the final projects for the establishment
of the museum. Finally, on 21 February 1968, the Air Museum was officially
created by decree of law and the dream had finally become true thanks to the
devotion of a number of people and the firm determination of Maj. General
Fernando de Oliveira, who was able to secure the premises in Alverca, using
facilities which had belonged to OGMA - The Main Workshop of Portuguese Air
Force where it is today.
The Museum’s exhibiting area has approximately 3 000 square meters, and it
consists of a main show room, two lateral rooms and the outdoor area.
There are 20 aeroplanes, engines, propellers, and a variety of accessories which
include flight equipment, flight instrument panels, flight simulators, air
armament dating back to World War I, and air charts; there is also a
considerable amount of navigation, communications, and photographic equipment,
drawings, paintings, stamps, uniforms, trophies, model aircraft, and a multitude
of objects which are related with or belonged to the Portuguese pioneer
aviators.
The show rooms and displays
Carlos Beja Room
On the walls of the main show room, several panels trace the evolution of the
“Air and Space Conquest” since the myth of Icarus until men’s first step on the
moon. A painting depicting the historic event of 8 August 1709, when Father
Bartolomeu de Gusmão demonstrated his aerostat (The Passarola) in the presence
of the royal court, is part of this display, as well as a model of the
“Passarola”.
There is a model of the Portuguese flag taken to the moon by the crew of Apollo
16 space ship, in 1972. There is also a mock-up of POSAT-1, the first Portuguese
satellite launched on 26 September 1993, and in the main show room, the visitors
can trace the origins of Naval and Military Aviation in Portugal, follow the
careers of the first Portuguese pilots breveted in France (1915) and in Portugal
(1917).
It is also worth mentioning the references to the Portuguese Expeditionary
Corps, and the Expeditionary Squadron saga in Mozambique and Angola during WWI
(1917-1918), as well as the several Portuguese Air Force Bases. There are panels
dedicated to the Portuguese transcontinental air crossings in the 20’s and 30’s,
whose highlights are the 1st South Atlantic air crossing, in 1922, by Gago
Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral, and the 1st South Atlantic night crossing, in
1927, carried out by Sarmento de Beires, Brito Pais and Manuel Gouveia. The
first air crossing between Portugal and Macao, in 1924, and the round trip
Lisboa-Dili-Lisboa, in 1934, are also well documented. Finally, there is a small
scale aircraft model collection showing the most famous aircraft of aviation
history.
Edgar Cardoso Room
One of the lateral rooms, entitled the “Sala dos Pioneiros” (Pioneer’s Room), is
dedicated to the pioneers and other relevant figures who played an important
role in the history of aviation in Portugal. It is possible to find a collection
of trophies, documents, decorations, and other personal objects, which are part
of the invaluable treasure of the Air Museum.
Also on display, are two Clifford Harmon trophies, which rewarded relevant
aviation deeds, and an important photographic documentary on the 1st Military
Aviation Course, that took place in 1916/1917, in Vila Nova da Rainha.
An area, adjacent to the Pioneer’s Room, was made available for temporary
exhibitions.
Facing the Pioneer’s Room, there is another room containing a philatelic
exhibition, Air Force uniforms, flags and banners. There are samples of
different types of airborne armament such as aircraft machine guns, aircraft
cannons, bombs, etc. There is also an Alouette II helicopter, a Link Trainer
simulator a numismatic collection and many aircraft models.
Planes in Exhibition:
AUSTER D-5/160, BLÉRIOT XI, CAUDRON GIII, CESSNA T-37C, DE HAVILLAND DH 82A
TIGER MOTH, DEMOISELLE XX, FAIREY III D Mk2, FIAT G91 R3, GRUMAN G44 'WIDGEON',
GRUNAU BABY, HAWKER HURRICANE IIc, JODEL D9 (CS-AXA) 'BÉBÉ', LTV A-7P CORSAIR
II, MAURICE FARMAN TIPO MF-4, NORTH AMERICAN F 86 F 'SABRE', NORTHROP T-38 A
'TALON', PIPER PA - 18 (L21B) SUPER CUB , ROLANDO DE OLIVEIRA 'NIKUS' MINIPLANE,
SCHULGLEITER SG38, SUD-AVIATION SE-3130 ALOUETTE II,SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE Mk IX
Planes in Flying Condition:
AUSTER D-5/160, DE HAVILLAND DH 82A TIGER MOTH, DORNIER Do 27 A4, M.H.1521
BROUSSARD, NORTH AMERICAN T-6 G, PIPER PA - 18 (L21B) SUPER CUB
The Museum has also a large quantity of engines in exhibition and an even
larger quantity of engines and other material Stored due to lack of space.
USEFUL INFORMATION FOR VISITORS
How to get there:
- The Air Museum is in Alverca, 15 km north of Lisbon. - It is possible to reach
Alverca by road or by train and the Museum is near to the railway station.
To book group visits or for further information, please call:
Phone: - 351 21 958 27 82 / 351 21 958 12 94
Or Fax: - 351 21 957 19 31
Opening hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (July, August and September
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Closed: Mondays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Easter
Sunday.
Entrance prices:
Adults ........................... € 1,50
Older than 65 ................ € 0,75
Students and minors ...... € 0,50
Younger than 12 ............ Free entrance
Text from http://www.emfa.pt/www/po/musar/index.php?lang=ing