The Prague "Kbely Aviation Museum" is one of the largest in Europe. Located on the grounds of the first Czechoslovak military airfield, established in 1918, it features exhibition hangars and open areas showcasing 125 aircraft of various types. An additional 155 planes are stored away. Ten of these exhibits are in excellent technical condition and occasionally take flights.
The museum, which opened to visitors in 1968, boasts a collection of 2,251 exhibits. The displays tell the history of aviation in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, with a particular focus on military aviation, parachuting, and meteorology. Some aircraft in the museum are world rarities.
Visitors can see famous military jets such as the MiG-21 and MiG-23, Su-7 and Su-22, as well as Mi series helicopters produced in Czechoslovakia under license.
Also on display is the descent module of the "Soyuz-28" spacecraft, which the only Czech astronaut Vladimír Remek flew to the "Salyut" orbital station, and the British amphibious aircraft Saunders Roe A.19 Cloud, used by "Czechoslovak Airlines."
One of the unique exhibits of the museum is the restored 2020 aircraft Avia Av-14, produced in 1958 for "Czechoslovak Airlines." On certain days, visitors can board it to feel the atmosphere of that time. Avia Av-14 is the Czech name of the model, as the aircraft was manufactured in Czechoslovakia at the "Jiri Dimitrov Factories" in Letnany. Originally, it was a Soviet aircraft, the Il-14.
Since its opening in 1968, the museum at Kbely airfield has showcased 275 aircraft, including Soviet planes. Among them are the Po-2 (U-2), created under the guidance of Nikolai Polikarpov in 1927, the Il-2 and Il-10 attack aircraft, the La-7 fighter, the MiG-15 jet, as well as the Yak-17 and Yak-23 jet fighters. In addition to aircraft, the museum features aviation engines, historical pilot uniforms, and other exhibits.
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