Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Photos of warbirds, classic jets and museum visits
User avatar
Draken
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri 27 Apr 2012, 9:38 am
Location: EPKK/KRK
Contact:

Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Draken »

Hi All,
I would like to invite you to visit one of the best aviation museums in the world:
Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow, located at the one of the first military bases in Europe before First World War - Krakow Rakowice Czyżyny (1912). Part of the airstrip is still in use during annual aviation weekend in June.
There is a lot of unique and "one in the world" pieces of excellently preserved airplanes, big collection of pre-WWI and between-wars machines, solid collection of MiGs and other ex-russian stuff, as well as polish constructions and many western planes inc. Jaguar, Harrier, F-104, Corsair, Draken, Viggen, Mirage, Ju-52 Sea Venom, Vampire etc... There is also unique collection of aviation engines, from single prop motors from pre-war period to modern jet engines used in MiGs and Sukhois.
I would like to show you some of them in this thread, feel free to comment and ask anything ;)

1. One of the most precious planes - PZL P-11, with working engine:
Image

2.
Image

3.
Image

4. Freshly repainted Mi-8 - John Paul II was flying this one during his pilgrimages to Poland
Image

5.
Image

6.
Image

7. Curtis Hawk II - exactly this one was opening the Olypmpic Games in Berlin in 1936.
Image

8.
Image

9.
Image

10. Just a small piece of "MiG Alley"
Image

11. Overview of MiG Alley area
Image

12. RWD-13 - I personally took part of rebuilding this one ;)
Image

13. Spitfire MKXVI
Image

14. Big Nose
Image

15.
Image

16.
Image

17.
Image

18. Cessna DragonFly captured by Vietnam Army and transported to Poland for construction review for USSR.
Image

19. F-5, same history as DragonFly
Image

20.
Image

21. part of collection of ejection seats
Image

22.
Image

23.
Image

24.
Image

25.
Image

26.
Image

27.
Image

28. Jak-18 during engine maintenance, this one is flyable - SP-YYY
Image

29.
Image

30.
Image

31.
Image

32. The one and only jet-powered agro-plane for fields spray - M-15 Belphegor
Image

33.
Image

34. Falkland War veteran
Image

More to come...

Full album with much more pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tchrul/set ... 790005704/

Best Regards,
Tom

User avatar
8674planes
Posts: 917
Joined: Sat 15 Oct 2011, 11:44 am
Location: Essex

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by 8674planes »

Nice photos! It appears that the JU52 and Sea Venom got there in one piece!
"radial engines don't drip oil, they mark their territory"

User avatar
Pablo
Posts: 456
Joined: Thu 29 Aug 2013, 11:53 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Pablo »

Amazing collection with some super-rare airframes. This one's gone on the list! Thanks for posting up - terrific.

User avatar
MarkL
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1874
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:44 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by MarkL »

Brought back a few memories.... although why I chose to go to Poland in January I will never know ! Took months to thaw out. That new building was just being started when I went so nice to see it's now in use. Excellent Museum, get there if you can.

Thanks for the reminder. :smile:

Mark
HTAFC

Mike
Posts: 2800
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:08 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Mike »

Very nice, one of my favourite museums. The Curtiss Hawk has grown a top wing since I was there in the summer!

User avatar
Kenny
Posts: 1682
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 10:25 am
Location: Stamford, Lincs
Contact:

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Kenny »

What a museum!

User avatar
whitus1
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun 21 Sep 2008, 2:18 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by whitus1 »

What a collection! Looks like a place to visit for sure! :up:
keep flying

Traveller
Posts: 869
Joined: Fri 20 Apr 2012, 1:50 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Traveller »

I'll be there next week, thanks for publishing all the pics so I don't need to!

User avatar
Draken
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri 27 Apr 2012, 9:38 am
Location: EPKK/KRK
Contact:

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Draken »

If next week means weekend, maybe we could meet ;)

User avatar
ciaranchef
Posts: 1516
Joined: Sun 20 Jun 2010, 1:36 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by ciaranchef »

Amazing collection, where did the JU-52 come from do you know? Ciaran
"It is generally inadvisable to eject over the area you just bombed"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciaranchef/

farnboroughrob
Posts: 2118
Joined: Fri 05 Jun 2009, 8:31 am

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by farnboroughrob »

Great set of photos, has changed a lot since I was there in 1991. Nice to see a new exhibition hall and some of the ex Berlin Aircraft being restored. I can understand the likes of the jaguar,Harrier, F-104 etc but the Sea Venom is a little out of place. The Ju52 (and Sea Venom) are ex Duxford.

warferry
Posts: 430
Joined: Wed 23 Feb 2011, 11:05 am

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by warferry »

Thanks Draken it is a great place . Noted that one hanger missing from your post .The early era machines ,that you mentioned, hanger just opened in August '11, see my earlier post for shots of them on this board at that time. Cheers Terry

Mike
Posts: 2800
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:08 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Mike »

The hangar with the WWI stuff in has been open a lot longer than that, they were in the same place when I first visited in 2003 as they were when I was there last year. The Camel had grown wings in the meantime though! :smile:

Traveller
Posts: 869
Joined: Fri 20 Apr 2012, 1:50 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Traveller »

Just arrived from Kosice in Slovakia tonight. Museum on Thursday I think Draken.

Flare Path
Posts: 3148
Joined: Wed 07 Dec 2011, 8:53 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Flare Path »

Wow! :worship:

ArabJazzie
Posts: 2174
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 9:38 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by ArabJazzie »

Great post Draken and i think i need to rev up my Polish colleague to sneak me into his suitcase!
DanO1978 wrote:Looks an excellent collection.

Surely Duxford must have stipulated the Ju-52/CASA went indoors though? What a shame to see it left out in the elements.


I thought this was owned privately when at Duxford, who didnt exactly keep it indoors much towards the end of its tenure.
Arabest,
Geoff.
52 in a year! We must be certifiable!

User avatar
Draken
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri 27 Apr 2012, 9:38 am
Location: EPKK/KRK
Contact:

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Draken »

Thanks all for the comments, of course there are hundreds of planes more at the museum, pictures above are just a small part. The pre- and WWI hangar is now fully restored and open, with a lot of unique pieces.
@Traveller - if you stay a bit longer in the afternoon on Thursday - at 5PM there is official opening/presentation of fully restored Mi-8 helicopter (my pic no. 4). There will be crew who was flying with Pope, some officials etc...
On Saturday there is also an interesting event - one of polish foundations for children is organizing police helicopter flights for a little girl who always dreamed of flying the helicopter.
I will be there on Saturday, so I'll update the thread with new pics.

Mike
Posts: 2800
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:08 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Mike »

ArabJazzie wrote:Great post Draken and i think i need to rev up my Polish colleague to sneak me into his suitcase!
DanO1978 wrote:Looks an excellent collection.

Surely Duxford must have stipulated the Ju-52/CASA went indoors though? What a shame to see it left out in the elements.


I thought this was owned privately when at Duxford, who didnt exactly keep it indoors much towards the end of its tenure.
Arabest,
Geoff.

No, it wasn't owned privately, it was always part of the IWM collection and was kept hangared since the late-70s until it was turfed out for the Poles to dismantle it. It was sold for a risibly small sum, as was the Storch, which went to a private owner. The IWM disposed of the Ju-52 altogether, it wasn't loaned out, so they have no ability to stipulate how and where it is displayed.

User avatar
Chrisse
Posts: 1612
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 10:47 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Chrisse »

Lovely place, surely one of the museums I should pay a visit to. Thank you for the sneak preview :smile:

User avatar
Ledhead27
UKAR Staff
Posts: 2210
Joined: Tue 20 Dec 2011, 6:49 pm
Location: Inverness (and occasionally 20,000ft - if the aircraft can make it that high)

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Ledhead27 »

Great set, some lovely little gems in there. I'm liking the look of that MiG alley :biggrin:
"PostMan, FuelMan, SpamCan, NoPlan, CivviMan, Dan"

UKAR Party Plane Captain

4 out of 5 baguettes

Traveller
Posts: 869
Joined: Fri 20 Apr 2012, 1:50 pm

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Traveller »

Just got back from the museum (excellent), I saw a film crew earlier around the Mi8 and wondered what was going on. I'll do a new post with some photos some time but here is how it looked 2 hours ago..............

Image
upload photo

Image
hosting images

User avatar
Draken
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri 27 Apr 2012, 9:38 am
Location: EPKK/KRK
Contact:

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Draken »

Hi,
few pics from sunny Saturday ;)

1.
Image

2.
Freshly restored Yak-23
Image

3.
And Yak-17
Image

4.
Image

5.
Image

6.
Image

7.
Delfin came few weeks ago from Czech Republic.
Image

8.
Image

9.
Airworthy Stearman spending the winter in Museum
Image

10.
Image

11.
Now fully repainted Thunderchief, with individual marks of Gen. Donald Kutyna, who's been flying this one during Vietnam War. I really recommend reading his story :)
Image

And now few pics from small hangar. It is now totally rebuilt. The exhibition is called "Wings of the Great War" and all the unique and oryginal planes are presented in very nice form.

12.
Image

13.
Image

14.
Image

15.
Image

16.
Image

17.
Image

18.
Image

I've added more to my album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tchrul/se ... 790005704/

Cheers!
Tom

User avatar
Jeff Hunt
Posts: 176
Joined: Tue 16 Jun 2009, 11:37 pm
Location: Guelph Ontario Canada

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Jeff Hunt »

Holy moly, what a museum! Outstanding, many thanks for this post.

Jeff

User avatar
Draken
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri 27 Apr 2012, 9:38 am
Location: EPKK/KRK
Contact:

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Draken »

Small update from April 2017 ;)

1.
Image

2.
Image

3.
Image

4.
Image

5.
Image

6.
Image

7.
Image

8.
Image

9.
Image

10.
Image

11.
Image

12.
Image

more added:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tchrul/al ... 5704/page2

Cheers,
Tom

User avatar
Saracen
Posts: 443
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 7:27 am
Location: Leighton Buzzard

Re: Polish Aviation Museum Krakow

Post by Saracen »

How easy is it to get here from the Airport. Would a taxi be best many thanks for any advice
Previously known as WATFC and any Similarity to any persons alive or dead is purely coincidental

Post Reply