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Chandigarh: Admn, IAF set to sign MoU for vintage museum
The IAF plans to showcase its vintage aircraft, armaments and memorabilia from different wars, including the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the Kargil War at the museum
The vintage aircraft museum is all set to take wings with the UT administration and the Indian Air Force likely to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the end of this month, it has been learnt.
The proposed museum will come up at the government press building in Sector 18. The IAF plans to showcase its vintage aircrafts, armaments and memorabilia from different wars, including the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the Kargil War at the museum. There will also be a flight simulator at the museum.
Vintage aircrafts like the Dakota and the Spitfire are planned to be exhibited at the museum. There will also be audio-video galleries and a space for showcasing documentaries on IAF history, said a UT official.
The IAF will design the museum, for which it will hire a consultant. Depending upon the space and design, the number and type of vintage aircrafts will be selected, added the official.
IAF officials are happy with the space available at the four-storeyed building with a glass facade, which is a heritage site. “The IAF officials expect the museum to bring greater awareness in the region, particularly among children, about the role and contribution of the air force in national security and defence,” said the official.
The administration had shut down the government printing press in 2019. It had then decided to house a vintage car museum, a dream project of UT administrator VP Singh Badnore. Later, the administration had decided to set up a heritage furniture museum on one of the floors. Another section was planned for organising auctions of the spare heritage furniture items.
After failing to get any response on tenders floated to invite firms to establish the museum, the administration decided to convert it into an IAF vintage museum.
