Located at the Royal Australian Naval Air Station Albatross, it is the RAN’s official Air Museum. Some years ago it underwent a major redevelopment that saw the facilities expanded and improved. One of the big improvements is a new two-storey display area.

The collection itself is most comprehensive with all major types operated by the Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm represented, to the extent that an A-4 was sources from the US as no original RAN birds could be located.

I am a little curious about the inclusion of a Polish-built MiG-15 trainer in a prominent place in the display. I'm quite sure the RAN never operated the type and I don't recall any Navy aircraft encountering MiG-15s during the Korean conflict.

Coincidentally, immediately after writing the preceding paragraph, I picked up a copy of Australian Road and Track magazine dated March 1993 and inside was an article with the same MiG racing against a Nissan GT-R down the Nowra airstrip! I guess it has been living there for a while.

Along with the actual aircraft on display are a range of models and equipment display detailing other activities of the Fleet Air Arm.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum’s extensive range of display aircraft includes:
• Aermacchi MB326H
• Bell 47G Sioux
• Bell UH-1B Iroquois
• Bristol Sycamore HR51
• CAC Winjeel
• deHavilland Sea Vampire T22
• deHavilland Sea Venom FAW53
• Douglas C-47B
• Douglas TA-4B Skyhawk
• Douglas A-4G Skyhawk
• Fairey Firefly Mk.5
• Fairey Gannet T.5
• GAF Jindivik Mk.3B
• Grunau Baby Glider
• Grumman S-2E/S-2G Tracker
• Hawker Sea Fury
• Hargrave 1894 Glider
• Mig-15 (LIM-2)
• Sopwith Pup
• Westland Sea King • Westland Scout
• Westland Wessex

Image Gallery

To see an overview of the exhibits at Nowra, click on the image below and you'll be taken to a gallery of my own photos taken at the museum. Additionally, I have comprehensive walkaround galleries of most of the aircraft at Nowra in the walkaround section of the site.