Kbely Aviation Museum () is the largest aviation museum in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

and one of the largest of its kind in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. It is located to the north-east of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, at the military airport Kbely.

Creation of the museum

During the mid-1960s, the Prague Military Museum commenced a programme to recover, restore and preserve historic aircraft from around the country for eventual display at Kbely. Initially, one

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

was used, and about fifty aircraft were placed on public display. The aircraft collection continued to grow, and one of the original Wagner-type hangars on the airfield was brought into use, and now contains the earliest aircraft types on display. Another Picha-type hangar has also been added to bring the number of hangars housing the large and varied collection to four.

The aircraft collection

The collection at Kbely now includes 275 aircraft, of which approximately 110 are on public display at any given time. The museum contains many Czech designed and Czech built aircraft dating from

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

through

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and up to 1960's with a collection of supersonic jet fighters. Several unique types are on display, including the early 1920s-built Avia BH-11C L-BONK. The period before World War II is represented with aircraft such as the Avia B-534. World War II models include a Soviet-built

Ilyushin Il-2 The Ilyushin Il-2 ( Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (Cyrillic: штурмовик), the generic Russian term ...

Shturmovik, Avia S-92 (Czech version of Messerschmitt Me-262A Schwalbe in typical Czech colour), Avia CS-92 (Messerschmitt Me-262B Schwalbe in typical German camouflage), Lavochkin La-7. The formerly displayed fully authentic

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...

LF.IX flown by a Czech squadron of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

was transferred to the National Technical Museum in Prague in 2008. The post-World War II period is represented by aircraft such as the Avia S-199 and double seated Avia CS-199 ( Messerschmitt Bf 109G with Jumo engine) and the Aero C3A (Siebel Si-204). In addition to the many military aircraft and helicopters on display, there are several Soviet-designed airliners, some of which were built under licence in Czechoslovakia. Airliners on display include the Avia 14M (

Ilyushin Il-14 The Ilyushin Il-14 (NATO reporting name: Crate) is a Soviet twin-engine commercial and military personnel and cargo transport aircraft that first flew in 1950 in aviation, 1950, and entered service in 1954. The Il-14 was also manufactured in East ...

), an Avia 14T, an ex-CSA

Ilyushin Il-18 The Ilyushin Il-18 (; NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner that first flew in 1957 and became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades and wa ...

and a CSA

Tupolev Tu-104 The Tupolev Tu-104 (NATO reporting name: Camel) is a medium-range, narrow-body, twin turbojet-powered Soviet airliner. It was the second to enter regular service, after the British de Havilland Comet and was the only jetliner operating in the wo ...

. Light aircraft exhibited include the Czech-built

Praga E-114 Air Baby The Praga E.114 was a single-engine sport airplane, designed and manufactured by the Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak company ČKD-Praga. Due to its light weight it was also called Air Baby. Design and development The Praga E.114, first flown in 1934 ...

of 1936, a

Mraz Sokol Mraz or Mráz (Czech/Slovak feminine: Mrázová) is a surname of Czech, Slovak, and Croatian origin. It means ''"frost"'' and is cognate to Maroz (Belarusian), Mróz (Polish), and Moroz (Ukrainian and Russian). It may refer to: People * Alois Mrá ...

, an Aero 45, an Orlican L-40 Meta Sokol and a Zlin 22 Junak. Helicopters on display include a HC-2 Heli-Baby designed by VZLU (Výzkumný a zkušební letecký ústav). After 1 January 1993, when Czechoslovakia was divided, several aircraft were transferred from the collection to the

Slovak Republic Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's ...

for inclusion in that country's aviation museums. Also, in recent years, the museum has exchanged several Czech, and Soviet-designed aircraft for aircraft from the US, UK, Sweden, Switzerland and other countries. File:Vladimír Remek - modul.jpg, Soyuz 28 return capsule that Vladimír Remek returned to Earth in 1978 as the first non-American and non-Soviet cosmonaut in space File:Mil Mi-1M Hare 4003 (8259631014).jpg, Mil Mi-1 File:Mil Mi-24D Czech Republic - Air Force 0220, LKKB Kbely, Czech Republic PP1186488748.jpg,

Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity transport helicopter, troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced ...

File:Letecké muzeum Kbely (188).jpg, Mig-15 File:Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23U Czech Republic - Air Force 7905, LKKB Kbely, Czech Republic PP1186493022.jpg,

Mig-23 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet fighter, alongside similar Soviet aircra ...

File:MiG-29 (2).JPG,

Mig-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...

File:Avia B-534 (Kbely).JPG, Czech Avia B-534 File:Avia S-92.JPG, Czech Avia S-92 File:Yakolev Yak-17 30 white (8237936621).jpg,

Yakovlev Yak-17 The Yakovlev Yak-17 (; USAF/ DOD designation Type 16, NATO reporting name Feather) is an early Soviet jet fighter. It was developed from the Yak-15, the primary difference being tricycle landing gear. The trainer version, known as the Yak-17U ...

File:Il-28U.JPG, Bomber Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle File:Letecké muzeum Kbely (140).jpg,

de Havilland Vampire The de Havilland DH100 Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland, de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force, RAF, after the Gloster Meteo ...

File:Letecké muzeum Kbely (145).jpg,

Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneere ...

F Mk.8 File:T-33 Shooting Star at Letecké muzeum Kbely (138).jpg, Lockheed T-33 File:Tupolev TU-104A Czech Airlines (CSA), LKKB Kbely, Czech Republic PP1185955612.jpg,

File:Sukhoi Su-25.JPG, Sukhoi Su-25 File:Letecké muzeum Kbely (76).jpg, Let L-200 Morava File:Letecké muzeum Kbely (125).jpg, Aero L-39 Albatros File:L-159 prototype.jpg, Aero L-159 Alca

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{authority control Aerospace museums in the Czech Republic Aviation in the Czech Republic Museums in Prague Museums established in 1968 1968 establishments in Czechoslovakia

Creation of the museum

The aircraft collection

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography