The Vietnam People's Air Force Museum, Hanoi or ''Bảo Tàng Phòng Không - Không Quân'' is located on Truong Chinh Street in the ''Bach Mai'' District of
Hanoi
Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
. The museum is on the edge of the disused
Bach Mai Airfield.
The museum tells the history of the
Vietnam People's Air Force
The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF; ), officially the Air Defence - Air Force Service (ADAF Service; ) or the Vietnam Air Force (), is the Aerial warfare, aerial, Anti-aircraft warfare, air and Space warfare, space defence service branch of ...
(VPAF) from its formation in 1954 through to the present day. There is a heavy emphasis on its role in the
Second Indochina War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and the
Cambodian-Vietnamese War. The museum comprises one main building with displays on the history of the VPAF, biographies of VPAF aces, uniforms and flightsuits, aircraft weaponry and engines, items from downed US aircraft and the forward fuselage of a MiG-21. Outside is a static park with aircraft of the VPAF and the
Republic of Vietnam Air Force
The South Vietnam Air Force, officially the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF; ; ) (sometimes referred to as the Vietnam Air Force or VNAF), was the aerial branch of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, the official military of the Repub ...
.
The museum is open Mon.-Thurs. and Sat.-Sun. from 08:00 to 11:00 and 13:00 to 16:00. Entry fee is 20,000
VND
Aircraft on display
Aircraft on outside display include:
*
Aero L-29 Delfin
*
Antonov An-2
The Antonov An-2 (USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet Union, Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau beginning in 1947. I ...
::Plaque states that this aircraft was used in the attack on a secret US radar site at Phou Pha Thi (
Battle of Lima Site 85
The Battle of Lima Site 85, also called Battle of Phou Pha Thi, was fought as part of a military campaign waged during the Vietnam War and Laotian Civil War by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Pathet Lao, against airm ...
)
*Bell
UH-1 Iroquois
The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helic ...
H model
*
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a jet-powered, light attack aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Cessna.
It was developed during the Vietnam War in response to military interest in new counter-i ...
*Cessna
O-1 Bird Dog
The Cessna O-1 Bird Dog is a Liaison aircraft, liaison and observation aircraft that first flew on December 14, 1949, and entered service in 1950 as the L-19 in the Korean War. It went to serve in many branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, was no ...
*Douglas
A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider (formerly designated AD before the 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations) is an American single-seat attack aircraft in service from 1946 to the early 1980s, which served during the Korean War and Vietnam ...
H model
*
Kamov Ka-25
The Kamov Ka-25 (NATO reporting name "Hormone") is a naval helicopter, developed for the Soviet Navy in the USSR from 1958.
Design and development
In the late 1950s there was an urgent demand for anti-submarine helicopters for deployment on n ...
Bsh
*McDonnell Douglas
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...
B model (wreckage)
*
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 was license-built in China as the Shenyang J-5 and ...
F
::Plaque states that on 19 April 1972 this aircraft, piloted by
Nguyen Van Bay
Nguyễn (阮) (sometimes abbreviated as Ng̃) is the most common surname of the Vietnamese people.
Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as ''Nguyen''.
By some estimates 30 to 39 percent of Vietnamese peopl ...
, in company with #2019, piloted by Le Xuan Di, bombed the and in the
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin ( northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern co ...
*
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames include: "''Balalaika''", because its planf ...
MF & PFM
::The MiG-21PFM has 12 victory stars painted on its nose, plaque states that one of the victories was US Air Force F-4E 67-0296, shot down on 5 July 1972 by
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm
::The MiG-21MF has 8 victory stars painted on its nose, plaque states that one of the victories was a
B-52
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Ai ...
D model, shot down on 27 December 1972 by
Pham Tuan. This aircraft is displayed carrying an
AA-1 Alkali radar guided missile inboard of an
AA-2 Atoll
The Vympel K-13 (NATO reporting name: AA-2 "Atoll") is a short-range, infrared homing air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. The K-13 is a reverse engineered copy of the American AIM-9 Sidewinder, hence the similar appearance. Although ...
IR-homing missile
*
Mil Mi-4
The Mil Mi-4 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 36", NATO reporting name "Hound")'' Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1963-1964'', p. 303 is a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.
Design and development
The Mi ...
::Plaque states that this was
Ho Chi Minh
(born ; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), colloquially known as Uncle Ho () among other aliases and sobriquets, was a Vietnamese revolutionary and politician who served as the founder and first President of Vietnam, president of the ...
's personal helicopter
*
Mil Mi-6
The Mil Mi-6 (NATO reporting name Hook), given the article number ''izdeliye 50'' and company designation V-6, is a Soviet Union, Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter that was designed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, Mil design bureau. ...
Hook-A
*
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 ...
Hind A
*
Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models: the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants, and th ...
*
Ryan Firebee
The Ryan Firebee is a series of target drones developed by the Ryan Aeronautical, Ryan Aeronautical Company beginning in 1951. It was one of the first Jet engine, jet-propelled drones, and remains one of the most widely used target drones ever b ...
(wreckage)
*
Shenyang J-5
The Shenyang J-5 ( Chinese: 歼-5) (NATO reporting name ''Fresco'') is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5 was exported as the F-5 and was originally designat ...
::Plaque states that this aircraft scored 9 victories, one of which was US Air Force F-4C 63-7614, shot down on 12 May 1967 by Ngo Duc Mai
*
Shenyang J-6
The Shenyang J-6 (wikt:歼, Chinese: 歼-6; designated F-6 for export versions; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is the Chinese version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter, the world's first mass-produced supersonic airc ...
*TL-1
::A Vietnamese designed and built training and liaison aircraft
*
Zlin Z-26
Image:Kamov KA-25Bsh.jpg, Kamov KA-25Bsh
Image:Mig 21MF.jpg, Mig 21MF
Image:Mil Mi-24A.jpg, Mil Mi-24A
Image:Shenyang J-6 and 2 Mig 21s.jpg, Shenyang J-6 and 2 Mig 21s
Other display items
Also on display outside are:
*
57 mm AZP S-60
*
Fan Song
The SNR-75 (also referred to by the NATO reporting name Fan Song) is a series of trailer-mounted E band/ F band and G band fire control and tracking radars for use with the Soviet SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile system.
Description
The ...
radar
*
M1939 37mm AA gun
*
M3 Half-track
::Plaque states that this was formerly used by
Groupe Mobile 100
The Battle of Mang Yang Pass (also known as the Battle of An Khê or the Battle of Đắk Pơ) was one of the last battles of the First Indochina War between the French Union and Việt Minh which took place from 24 to 29 June 1954. The battle w ...
and captured in the
Battle of Mang Yang Pass
The Battle of Mang Yang Pass (also known as the Battle of An Khê or the Battle of Đắk Pơ) was one of the last battles of the First Indochina War between the French Union and Việt Minh which took place from 24 to 29 June 1954. The battle w ...
*
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet Union, Soviet amphibious vehicle, amphibious light tank that was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exporte ...
light amphibious tank
*
SA-2
The S-75 (Russian: С-75; NATO reporting name SA-2 Guideline) is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude air defence system. It is built around a surface-to-air missile with command guidance. Following its first deployment in 1957 it became one of the ...
Guideline SAM
*
ZPU-4
See also
*
List of aerospace museums
This is a list of aviation museums and museums that contain significant aerospace-related exhibits throughout the world. The aviation museums are listed alphabetically by country and their article name.
Afghanistan
* OMAR Mine Museum, Kabul - inc ...
*
B-52 Victory Museum, Hanoi
*
Bach Mai Airfield
References
{{Reflist
Air force museums
Museums in Hanoi
History museums in Vietnam
Indochina Wars
Military and war museums in Vietnam
Vietnam War museums