| Airforce Museum of the Bundeswehr (Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr) |
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|---|---|
Museum outer fence |
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| Location | Berlin-Gatow, Germany |
| Type | Military Museum |
| Website | www.luftwaffenmuseum.de |
The Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr (German for Air Force Museum of the German Federal Armed Forces), together with the Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr, is one of the major military history museums in Germany. The museum acts as an independent military department. Entrance to the museum is free.
The museum is in Berlin at a former Luftwaffe and Royal Air Force (RAF) airfield, RAF Gatow. The focus is on military history, particularly the history of the Luftwaffe of the Bundeswehr. The museum has a collection of more than 200,000 items, including 155 aeroplanes, 5,000 uniforms and 30,000 books. There are also displays (including aeroplanes) on the history of the airfield when it was used by the RAF.
Aircraft include World War I planes like the Fokker E.III as reproductions, as well as World War II planes like the Bf 109 as well as at least one aircraft of every type ever to serve in the air forces of East and West Germany. Most of those postwar aircraft are stored outside on the tarmac and runways, however, and many are in bad condition. There are long term restoration projects, including a Focke-Wulf Fw 190.