New exhibit on the jet engine at Aviodrome

A new permanent exhibition has opened at Luchtvaartmuseum Aviodrome in a specially built hangar. The exhibition, called "Faster Than Sound," is about the development of the jet engine.

In the exhibition, which is housed in a new, large hangar on the outdoor grounds of the aviation museum reminiscent of a cold war hangar (shelter), visitors can see the period in which the jet engine was developed. They can also discover how that technology works through an interactive test cabin. In addition, six jet fighters can be seen up close, four of which are historic aircraft that have been completely restored especially for this exhibition.

"The invention of the jet engine has been enormously important for civil aviation," says general manager Coen Hoozemans. "The jet engine, which was initially developed for military purposes, then provided a huge boost in civil aviation, as the technology allowed aircraft to fly longer distances faster and carry more people and cargo. That gave aviation a huge boost."

Six fighter jets
The exhibition hangar consists of four sections. The "briefing room" explains why aircraft with jet engines were needed in the 1940s. Through the second room, a test cabin where it is explained in a modern way how a jet engine works, the visitor then enters the hall where the first Dutch jet fighter, a Gloster Meteor, is on display. This is followed finally by the 760 m2 exhibition hall, where three more historic aircraft will be on display: the Fokker S.14 Machtrainer, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and the Hawker Hunter. In front of the new hangar are two more historic Cold War fighter jets, a Mikojan-Goerevich MiG-21 and a Saab 37 Viggen.

The aircraft on display in the exhibition were already under the management of Aviodrome. Some were previously on display at the museum, but had been in storage since 2019. The aircraft were refurbished for this exhibition by the enthusiastic volunteers.

Volunteers
Hoozemans: "Our volunteers have been busy over the past few months bringing all the aircraft back to perfect condition. I am impressed by the enthusiasm, knowledge and skill of all involved. I'm sure our visitors will soon be impressed by the planes as well."