What's on at Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Latest from the museum
Birthday Parties
Mission: Best birthday ever
Zip up a flight suit, grab your dog tags, and dive into a fully hosted birthday “mission”. From air & sea adventures for preschoolers to rescue and cadet challenges for older children. Our Programmes team runs the activities, the children get awesome photo moments (and party bags), and you can add catering through our café.
Book a birthday party
Latest Exhibition
Victory!
It is 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Our Victory exhibition, upstairs in the atrium, marks this significant milestone in world history, and the story of the RNZAF.
Victory includes images and memories of Victory in Europe (VE) Day and Victory over Japan (VJ) Day which have been sourced from photographs, letters, postcards and personal histories in our collection.
Victory includes insights into how Kiwis celebrated, and how they felt.
Many found it difficult to rejoice after so much loss and suffering.
You’re welcome to come along and learn all about the end of World War Two with us.
Exhibition
The Mighty Hercules
The Mighty Hercules exhibition is on in the Cochrane Gallery upstairs in our atrium. Come and visit and learn all about this extraordinary aircraft.
Learn More
Update
Overseas visitor charge
A $15 entry charge was introduced for all international visitors to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand from 31 March 2025. Tickets available online or from our Welcome Desk on arrival.
The charge is required to cover rising costs and to contribute to our new $20 million extension to house the newest members of our collection – our historic Hercules and Orion aircraft.
Learn More
Our Aircraft
Explore AircraftMore to explore
EJECT EJECT! On this day in 1957, the first successful ejection was made by a member of an RNZAF Squadron.
The aircraft concerned was an RAF De Havilland Venom WR282 being operated by No. 14 Squadron out of RAF Tengah, Singapore during the Malayan Emergency.
It was flown by Flight Lieutenant Mike Palmer on 29 April 1957. The unit history described what happened:
“The first flight was a low-level battle eight at max endurance with the two fours joining after 45 minutes flying. One pair was forced to return early, leaving the other two, Flt Lt Palmer and Fg Off Roud to continue the detail.
"While returning and within sight of Tengah at 1000ft experienced a flame-out which forced him to abandon his aircraft over the Straits of Johore. The ejection seat proved its worth, since he made a watery landing completely unscratched a few seconds later.
"The aircraft arrived with a large splash near a police launch which took successful evasive action and picked up the pilot…..Flt Lt Palmer arrived back at the Squadron during the afternoon looking little the worse for wear!”
The ejection was also the first to be undertaken by a member of the RAF’s Far East Air Force. Mike Palmer went on to become an Air Commodore and was awarded the CBE for his distinguished service in 1978. He served in the RNZAF until 1983 and passed away in 2002.
Between 1957 and 1993, 17 members of the RNZAF used ejection seats in emergencies.
📸 Two members of No. 3 Squadron, Territorial Air Force, in the cockpit of a Vampire at RNZAF Station Ohakea. Handwritten on the album page "Ohakea 1956" "Mike Palmer and 'Tubby' Calder." Original RNZAF negative number OhG5207-56. Iamge: ALB971531196
📸 No. 14 Squadron Venom WE438 at RAF Station Tengah. Image from the Frederick Barry Flavall personal collection. Image: 2017-106.92 ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Dave Homewood
YOU CAN'T PARK THERE MATE! De Havilland Tiger Moths had a reputation for being reasonably simple to fly, but parking was a different matter.
Back in 1952, Tiger NZ1492 found itself in a tight spot at RNZAF Station Wigram.
Happily, no one was hurt. Nevertheless, you can't park your Tiger Moth ther#tigermoth##youcantparktherematek#dehavillandehavilland ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
Still in it's UK orientation, easy mistake to make by the riggers.
This way up mate
❓MYSTERY OBJECT COMPETITION ❓: Righto aviation fanatics, can you tell us what it is and what aircraft it belongs to?
Bet you can't.
Put your answers in the comments below and you'll go in the draw to win an Air Force Museum of New Zealand roundel mug.
They are round with roundels and have regularly topped the World's Most Desirable Coffee Mug list*.
Good luck!
*The annual World's Most Desirable Coffee Mug list is#mysteryobjectus#wedonthaveacluec#impossiblepuzzleue #impossiblepuzzle ... See MoreSee Less
Comment on Facebook
It's a lawnmower.
Clearly, It's the Doohickey which is connected to the Thingamabob, which controls the Whatchamacallit. Simple.
Without that the ships radar would struggle to pick up a Wasp. Called a "Luneburg lens". More a radar reflector than a real IFF.
All day sucker for when pilots have had to bail over enemy territory or are just hungry for some sugar.
India Band transponder. Made controlling a Wasp much easier.
It’s a red and white stripey thing. Plain as day.
I am still none the wiser having read the comments! I have however enjoyed some time reading about the Westland Wasp, Lüneburg lenses, and finding pictures of helicopters with the same mystery object in between the front legs. I will buy a mug 😆
I am always impressed that there are people who know the make, model, and thread type of the weirdest bits. I'll keep drinking coffee out of a tin cup 🥤
At last, the veritable Wigwam for a Gooses Bridle has been found in one piece, Min.
this is the iff antenna on the Mk1 Wasp the system was the ARI 5954?
A counter weight for a cable or hose
IFF antenna on a Mk1 Wasp
The mighty Wasp HAS Mk1
IFF antenna on the WASP
Yep even before looking at the comments my thoughts were the Wasp! Funny we were talking on the weekend about the BBC series Warship that featured the little bug ….
Wasp IFF antenna with a much later fancy paint job. Originally blue colour like the rest of it. Could be folded back I think.
Front wheel of a tiger moth?
It's a baked bean can, capable of dislogding flt deck helmets securely fastened under the chin when conducting weapon loads. Also goes crunch in heavy landings. Personal experience of both.
It’s the antenna of the Westland Wasp HAS MK-1 helicopter
IFF Transponder (thanks for the redirect Dave Whitmore :) ) on HAS Mk1 Westland Wasp as per my pic from back in the day on HMNZS Endeavour :)
I will admit I think it is some kind of antenna but which specifically I don't know. It is fitted to the Westland Wasp HAS Mk 1 as seen here between the two front undercarriage legs.
Luneburg lens from a Westland Wasp helicopter.
Flux capacitor, made it time travel.
Wasp Band Transponder
Omg I do know this one! I did a model of a Westland Wasp years ago and I remember this thing on the bottom of it. Not sure what it does tho, but I def remember painting or decalling the stripes. Loved the Wasp, what a cool little helo…
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