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THE COLLECTION
The Australian Aviation Museum has a wide range of aircraft and aviation artifacts on display, many aircraft in fact manufactured at Bankstown Airport. Hawker de Havilland built hundreds of aircraft during and after WWII, including Tiger Moths, Mosquito Bombers, Drovers and Vampires. Included in our collection are a number of rare aircraft, including the world's only Fawcett 120 (also manufactured at Bankstown, a 1931 Clancy Skybaby, a Luton Major and a Harley Newman Gyrocopter which has never flown ! Artifacts include a complete Radio Set from a Lancaster Bomber, Navigational Sextants, a Drift Sight from a Beaufighter, Silk Aircrew Tropical Escape Maps and a unique Trouser Button Compass. The Bofors Anti-Aircraft Gun on display is of the type used during WWII to guard Bankstown Airport against air attacks from the Japanese. Mr. Neville Bryce, a Museum Founding Friend, manned a Bofors Gun at Bankstown Airport as a young soldier during the war. On display are a number of historic military and commercial aviation uniforms. A unique item is a Leather Flying Coat once worn by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. Museum Volunteer Brian Barrett has shown exceptional skills in building life like models to display the uniforms and flying helmets. Two of his greatest models are those of our late Patron Nancy-Bird Walton, AO, OBE and a life size model of "Smithy", who now greets visitors in the foyer of the Museum. New displays are constantly being added to the Museum Collection, so please visit this site, and of course the Museum itself often. Click on the name of the Aircraft or Artifact for more details
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