Canada Aviation and Space Museum
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| Established | 1964 |
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| Location | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at the Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport. |
| Website | aviation.technomuses.ca |
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum (French: Musée de l'Aviation et de l'Espace du Canada) (formerly the Canada Aviation Museum) is Canada's national aviation history museum. The museum is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, at the Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport.[1]
History
The museum was first formed in 1964 at RCAF Station Rockcliffe as the National Aeronautical Collection from the amalgamation of three separate existing collections. These included the National Aviation Museum at Uplands, which concentrated on early aviation and bush flying; the Canadian War Museum collection, which concentrated on military aircraft, and which included many war trophies, some dating back to World War One, and the RCAF Museum which focused on those aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
In 1982 the collection was renamed the National Aviation Museum and in 1988 the collection was moved to a new experimental type triangular hangar from the Second World War-era wooden hangars it had been residing in. In 2006 an additional hangar was opened, which allows all of the collection's aircraft to be stored indoors.
The museum closed 2 September 2008 for remodeling and rearrangement of the aircraft on display. This project was completed and the museum reopened 19 November 2008. The changes made include making space for a new exhibition entitled Canadian Wings: A Remarkable Century of Flight that was unveiled on 23 February 2009, the centennial of the first heavier than air aircraft flight in Canada.[2][3]
In December 2008, the museum announced that approval had been granted for a C$7M expansion to begin in May 2009 and to be completed by the fall of 2010. The improvements carried out included an addition of 2600 m² (28,000 ft²) giving 18% more space and providing room for a new foyer, auditorium, cafeteria, retail space, a landscaped entrance and classrooms.[4]
In April 2010, the parent Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation announced that the museum would be expanded and that its name would be changed to the "Canada Aviation and Space Museum" in May 2010. The Canadian Press expressed concern that the name change would cause confusion with the existing Toronto-based Canadian Air and Space Museum.[5]
Organization
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is under the control of the Canada Museum of Science and Technology Museum Corporation, an autonomous Crown corporation. The Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation's purpose is to preserve and protect Canada's scientific and technical heritage. The Corporation is responsible for three museums:
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum
- Canada Agriculture Museum
- Canada Science and Technology Museum
The museum is also home to 51 Canada Aviation Museum Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
Collection
The museum's collection contains a wide variety of civilian and military aircraft, representing the history of Canadian aviation from the pioneer era before the First World War up to the present day. Particularly noteworthy is the collection of vintage bushplanes from the 1920s to the 1940s. The military aircraft represent aircraft flown by Canadians in the First World War, Second World War, and the Cold War. The museum's best known exhibit is the surviving components of the Avro Arrow interceptor from the late 1950s.
Also at the museum is Space Shuttle Endeavour's Canadarm, the space shuttles' Canadian-built robotic arm.[6][7] It was unveiled on 2 May 2013 with Chris Hadfield on hand from the International Space Station via video screen to aid with the unveiling.[7][8] While Endeavour's Canadarm, officially known as Canadarm 201,[6] was moved back to Canada, Atlantis' and Discovery's Canadarms went to the museums of their respective shuttles.[9]
Also on site are interactive activities on the science of flight, films, demonstrations, a boutique, and guided tours.
A few of the tours take the visitors "behind the scenes" to see conservation and restoration work in progress, and pieces which are in storage.
Aircraft in collection
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.
See also
- List of aerospace museums
- Organization of Military Museums of Canada
- Military history of Canada
- Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation
- History of aviation in Canada
References
- ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia
- ↑ Cadieux, Marie-Josée (November 2008). "Reopening of the Canada Aviation Museum". Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
- ↑ Hughes, Graham (August 2008). "Last chance to get in to see the 'old' Canada Aviation Museum". Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ↑ Adam, Mohammed (December 2008). "Aviation museum to get $7M expansion". Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
- ↑ Canadian Press (April 2010). "Aviation museum name change could cause confusion". CBC News. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- 1 2 Elizabeth Howell (2 May 2013). "Space Shuttle's Robotic Arm Goes on Display at Canadian Museum". Space.com. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- 1 2 Canadian Space Agency (2 May 2013). "Minister Moore Unveils Exhibit for Canada's National Space Icon: the Canadarm". Canadian Space Agency. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ↑ Andy Johnson (2 May 2013). "Unveiling exhibit, Hadfield sends first Canadarm 'last command' from space". CTV News. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ↑ Chris Gebhardt (17 November 2010). "Discovery's retirement plans provide insight into the fate of the robotic arm". NASA. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
- ↑ Ealker, R. W. R. (2006). "Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers Canadian Armed Forces CH-113 Labrador & Voyageur detailed list". Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ↑ Canada Aviation Museum. "Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador". Retrieved 18 November 2008.
Further reading
- McCaffery, Dan (2000), Canada's Warplanes: Unique Aircraft in Canada's Aviation Museums, J. Lorimer, ISBN 1-55028-699-4
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canada Aviation and Space Museum. |
- Canada Aviation Museum
- Canada Aviation Museum floor plan Fall 2008
- Canada Aviation Museum Exhibit Photos
- Canada Aviation Museum Photos
- 51 Canada Aviation Museum Squadron – Royal Canadian Air Cadets
Coordinates: 45°27′28″N 75°38′35″W / 45.457723°N 75.642929°W
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