NMM Soesterberg

1952-built North American F-86F-35-NA Sabre FU-385 (52-5385) seen in 32nd FDS colours. However coded as FU-385/25385 this aircraft was never flown by 32nd FDS at Soesterberg AB. This North American F-86F-35-NA Sabre is the ex 52-5180 that served with the U.S. Air Force and  was transferred in 1959 to the FAP - Portuguese Air Force as 5307. Early November 1979, the 5307 was flown to Soesterberg by a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. At Soesterberg the aircraft was repainted in USAF '25385' colors with 32nd FDS tail scheme. Early 1991 the Sabre was added to the collection of the MLM at Soesterberg. On 1 July 2013, the MLM (Militaire Luchtvaart Museum) was closed and the collection, including the North American F-86F-35-NA Sabre FU-385, went to the new build NMM that opened on 11 December 2014. The real 52-5385 was written off at Luke AFB, Arizona, on 13 July 1962.

This Beechcraft T-7  G-10 was delivered by ship and built up at Avio Diepen. On 9 October 1950 it was flown to the Gilze-Rijen Air Base and put into service at the LSK. Used for the training of observers and as a transport plane.

Fokker S-14 Power trainer - Klu registration L-11 - Factory number 7356 - Proof of registration number 574 - Total flight hours 1351 active hours. The 'L-11' was transferred to the KLu on 30 December 1955 and was in use until the beginning of 1964. In June 1964 the aircraft was transferred to the Anthony Fokkerschool and was used there until 1979 for instruction purposes. Between 1979 and 1981 it was subsequently refurbished at Gilze-Rijen Air Base and made suitable for display in the MLM.

This exhibited F-86K never flew with the Klu but comes from the Italian Air Force. The aircraft was built at Fiat with the number 53-8305. With s/n 38305 delivered to the Italian Air Force with registration number 51-23 and later 51-67. The aircraft was in service with the 51st Stormo at Rimini AB as a target plane. The aircraft was flown to Deelen AB in 1973. The route ran from Rimini, Caselle Reims to Deelen. At that time the aircraft had 2588 active hours. The aircraft was in time for the celebration of 60 years Klu on 30-06-1973. The same year the aircraft was transported to the Klu museum in Soesterberg.

The original Q-305 (c/n 54-1305) does not belong to the aircraft that were handed over to the Italian Air Force but was demolished on Soesterberg AB. The aircraft entered service in July 1956 and was demolished in October 1964. Flight hours were 1350.7. It had been in service with 700 squadron at Twenthe AB and also flew with the squadron code 6A-10. The reason chosen for Q-305 at the museum plane is that the construction number of the demolished F-86 also ended at 305.

As a result of the 'cleanup rage' in the 1960s, no copy of the F-86K was retained. With the permission of the United States, Italy donated a licensed F-86K Saber (with USAF registration 53-8305) to the Netherlands. The aircraft was put out of service shortly before the 5th Stormo of the Italian Air Force at Rimini Air Base. On 12 June 1973 this aircraft landed at Deelen AB, where it received the registration Q-305 and was provided with Dutch colors, as in use with the 700 Squadron.

At the KLu an F-86K (with USAF registration 54-1305) with the registration Q-305 flew operational, but that aircraft was demolished in October 1964.

Photo at Volkel AB of RF-84F 11253 from the Hellenic Air Force. ©Jan v.d. Oever/Collection Volkert Jan van den Berg.

Grumman US-2N Tracker - Construction number 721 - M.L.D. registration 160 - Total flight hours 3089.8 active hours. In August 1960 the '160' entered service with the MLD and flew with the Aircraft Squadrons 2, 4, 5 and 320. In December 1970 it was converted into S-2N and in 1972 to US-2N. On 30 September 1975 it was taken out of service and has been part of the MLM collection since 1981. Built as S-2a Tracker, later converted to S-2N.18-08-1960 put into use by the M.L.D. - 01-02-1974 to 320 squadron as target plane - 30-09-1975 decom-missioned and stored at De Kooy. Transported to the MLM store in Gilze-Rijen. 1981 to the MLM and since that time is part of the permanent exhibition.

On August 27, 1956, Hunter F.Mk.4 with the registration N-122 was delivered by Fokker to the 324 squadron and flew consecutively with the 327, 323 and 325 squadron before it moved on 30 September 1958 to the Flight Service Squadron at Leeuwarden AB. On 29 May 1959 it was written off after 227.5 flight hours and transferred for instructional purposes to the Air Force Technical School in Deelen. Since early 1984 it is part of the MLM collection.

• Lockheed SP-2H Neptune - Registration 201 - Construction number 7241.

• This Lockheed P2V-7B/SP-2H '201' was handed over to the MLD on 8 September 1962 and deployed at the 321 squadron from Biak in Dutch New Guinea. After returning in 1962 it was converted into SP2-H and flew at the 320 squadron from the Naval Air Station Valkenburg and the Navy Air Base Hato in Curaçao. After returning from the Netherlands Antilles, the '201' made its last flight on 9 November 1981. Two ultramodern MacDonell F-15Cs of the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron formed an appropriate escort during the twenty-minute flight to Soesterberg AB.

Breguet SP-13A Atlantic - Category Maritime patrol plane - Year of introduction 1969 - Year of phasing out 1984 - Registration 250(photo) to 258 with the letter V (Valkenburg).

This MiG-21PFM comes from a Russian air base in Poland, where the hull was placed on a pedestal. Personnel of the 313 Squadron from Twenthe AB received permission in June 1992 to transfer the hull to the Netherlands. With the help of MiG-21 parts, originating from Drewitz AB of the former East German Air Force, the aircraft was as far as possible restored to its original state and provided with Russian license plates. The registration 47 can be traced back to the day on which the restoration was finished, viz. February 16, 1993, which is the 47th day of the year. Since January 7, 1994, the MiG-21 is part of the MLM collection.

In 1969 the Greek Air Force received a squadron of Delta Daggers from the US Air Force, including this aircraft with serial 56-1052. The type was withdrawn in 1974, and this aircraft was stored at Elefsis in Greece. In 1997 this F-102A was taken over by the Friends of the Military Aviation Museum from the Greek Air Force and loaned to the MLM. The serial 61032 (56-1032) is of the commander aircraft of the 32nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron and it painted in a scheme that was used in the period 1960-1963. The real 1032 went to the USA on 3 July 1969 for service with the 132nd FIS Maine ANG, a year later it was transferred to the 159th FIS Florida ANG. In 1974 the unit received the F-106 and 1032 was placed in storage at Davis Monthan AFB. In 1979 it departed and was converted into a PQM102B drone.

Agusta-Bell 204B (I) UH-1. Registration number: 225 Construction number: 3023

Total number of flying hours with the M.L.D. 3136.6 ac/hrs

The Agusta-Bell was purchased to support the Marine Corps. The first two, the 220 and the 221, were intended for deployment in the former Dutch New Guinea but never got there. The 225 was delivered on December 14, 1962 and assigned to VSQ 7. First at Valkenburg and later at De Kooy. The 225 has also been stationed at Hato on Curacao. In addition to transport tasks, the aircraft was also used as a rescue helicopter. This aircraft is also known to have made an emergency landing in the Willemstad in North Brabant. Date November 1968. The helicopter was phased out on December 23, 1977 and in 1978 sold together with all other Agustas in service to the company Sky Controls Inc. in May 1978, Sun Valley California in the United States. The aircraft were shipped via Germany and it seems that the new owner was disappointed because he was assuming that they were UH-1Bs instead of AB204s. The AB204 has a different rotor system and a Rolls Royce engine. The aircraft were still offered for sale to Iran, but there was political opposition to this. In 1992, the Swedish Air Force purchased the aircraft, including the 225. The Swedish Air Force flew with the same type and had major problems with their rotor systems for which no new parts were actually delivered. The Swedish Air Force did not use the aircraft and they were handed over to the Flygvapen Museum in Linköping. However, they had no historical value for the Swedes. For the celebration of the 85th anniversary of the M.L.D. there was a need for an Agusta Bell. In addition, the MLM an AB-204 in its collection and eventually the Swedes agreed to deliver two aircraft. Take a closer look at the 220 and the 225, whereby the 225 proved to be by far in the best condition. The 225 has been refurbished at De Kooy and a team consisting of Adjutant Faken and the Corporals F. de Vries, A. de Rover, F. Boulier, V. van Ieperen and M. Schenk spent 1000 working hours on the restoration. The '225' served from 18 March 1962 to 23 December 1977 at VSQ1 and VSQ7. After returning from Sweden, the aircraft was refurbished in 2002 by employees of MVKK and MLM.

On February 1, 2003, during a symposium on "Half a century of Search and Rescue" at the Military Aviation Museum, the 225 was officially handed over to the director of the Military Aviation Museum by the director of the Flygvapen Museum in Linköping, Sven Scheiderbauer.

Fighter aircraft Curtiss P-6E Hawk (1: 1 replica) registration number C-319

In 1929 the Military Aviation of the Royal Dutch-Indian Army (ML-KNIL) choose the Curtiss Hawk. 8 were ordered. Including reserve devices, 14 were needed. In 1932, 6 more were ordered from Aviolanda in Papendrecht. The aircraft were assigned to the 1st Fighter Aircraft Department in Andir and served until 1935. This device from the collection of the National Military Museum is a replica. The C-319 represents one of the 6 aircraft that were built at Aviolanda at the time. This replica was built at the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, New York and was donated by the Friends of the Military Aviation Museum Foundation. The Curtis Hawk type is during and after the Second World War (W02) by the Military Aviation group of the Royal Dutch East IndiesArmy (ML-KNIL). These aircraft were deployed during W02 above Malacca, Sumatra, Java and Surabaya.This 1: 1 scale replica was built by the Cradie of Aviation Museum (Garden City, New York, USA) d.t.v. the Friends of the Military Aviation Museum Foundation a replica of an aircraft, type: Curtis Hawk biplane, C319, donated to the Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg. This aircraft has great value for the collection of the Dutch Military Aviation and is now part of the collection of the National Military Museum.

Pictured here is F-4E 67-0275/WW red fin-tip while assigned to the 563rd Tactical Fighter Squadron at George AFB, California. Photo taken in June 1987. Nowadays this beauty can be found in the Nationaal Militair Museum (NMM), located in Soesterberg, The Netherlands. Photo ©Rick Versteeg.