Welcome to the virtual aviation musem

This is the homepage of the virtual aviation museum, the WebSite of european aviation history on the internet. If you have got any questions, suggestions, please drop me a mail: The adress is to be found on the footer of every page.

European Aviation History On The Internet

The Virtual Aviation Museum is a collection of data about the european aviation history and the surviving historical aircraft. It is available on the internet to everybody free of charge. We don't have an own exhibition hall or any exhibits. And we don't sell or buy anything: No aircraft, no spares, no weapons. (Don't laugh - we get such offers or requests every week).

100 years of powered flight ! 100 years of powered flight ?

  Today, every child could tell: It is about one century ago that the first powered flight ever took place. On December 17th, 1903, Orville Wright took to the air for a 12 seconds flight with a fyling machine, that he and his brother had assembled in their fathers bicycle repair shop. Both Wrights became famous and founded an aircraft and air engines manufacturing imperium that still exists. And mankind is thankful of what these two have invented. But.... a little detail is missing. About 2 1/2 years earlier, another powered flight has taken place, on american soil, too. Gustave Whitehead, an immigrant from germany originally named "Gustav Weißkopf", made his first real flight on August, 14th, 1901, in Bridgeport, Conn. There were small hops earlier, but this flight lastet for about 1/2 mile. In January, 1902, he was able to fligh 7 miles. It is hard to say, why the Wrights are credited for the first powered flight. But it's a fact that they knew how to go public and how to make money of this invention. So: thank you, Gustav, thank you, Orville, and thank you, Wilbur!

Visitor's Tip: Aviation Museum Laatzen-Hannover

A few years ago the german FLUGWERK aircraft restauration company started a FW 190 rebuild project. Objective is to build complete and airworthy Focke Wulf FW 190 A-8 (Butcher Bird). Those FW 190 are "remanufactured", down to the last screw, making them a real dublicate to the originals. The 0-airframe, that was build around a number of original fragments is since last year exhibit of the Aviation Museum Laatzen Hannover. It is the only FW 190 on display in a german museum.
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The Calendar 2006

Your calendar for the year 2006. Put the images on your computer desktop or just print it and put it on the wall (or to your cubicle - Avibert). A dozen of the most interesting motives from the virtual aviation museum. This year all images do show interesting details, each representing a milestone in aviation.
See the Calendar 2006...

Highlights 2006

  This year again, the ILA takes place in Berlin. Worth a visit! When there's ILA, there's Farnborough Intl., too. Another MUST for the aviation enthusiast: La Fète Aérienne in La Ferté Alais (Whitsunday weekend). During the whole summer a number of great airshows take place in the UK. Let me mention here RIAT Fairford, Flying Legends Duxford and the RAF Air Show in Cosford. But there's life on the continent, too: The KLu Open Dagen in Leeuwarden, Koksijde Air Show, Brno Air Days, even in Germany "Tannkosh" and Flensburg. As every year, the climax is the worldwide largest pilots party in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I hope you have a happy year 2006, and a lot of great shows to visit. May be we meet on one or another location.
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