The Museum of the Yugoslav Air Force - Belgrade

There is a futuristic building in the capital of Serbia at the Belgrade International Airport. The glass dome resembles a UFO and houses a real gem, the Museum of the Yugoslav Air Force.

The small but very interesting collection is divided into three sections. The post WWII aircraft of the Yugoslav Air Force are in the outer ring of this circular building. Among them are a Messerscmitt Bf-109G-2, a Hawker Hurricane IVRP, a Supermarine Spitfire Vc, a Yakovlev Yak-3, an Ilyushin Il-2m-3, and a Republic P-47D Thunderbolt standing close to each other. In addition, the special evolution of the Air Force can be seen in this collection which also contains American-, British-, and Soviet-built jet fighters. The North American F-86D Sabre and the Republic F-84G Thunderjet stand together with one of the two Yugoslavian Folland Gnats and a MiG-21F-13 Fishbed-C. The planes are in superb condition. It is clear they are regularly maintained: the machine guns in the engine compartment of the Messer are shiny with oil, the aircraft are regularly cleaned inside and out, and lubricants are dripping into trays underneath them.

The Yugoslav aircraft industry is displayed in the inner circle of the building. While the pre-WWII industry is shown only in scale models and pictures in the gallery, the real aircraft represent the more recent decades. There are light liaison planes and small "partisan gunships", the first prototype of the J-22 Orao supersonic attack aircraft, a SOKO G-2 Galeb jet trainer with 6000 landings, and the tail of a G-4 Super Galeb which was hit by a Stinger SAM over Bosnia in 1991, but it made home with jammed controls. There are some surprising experimental aircraft from the forties and fifties including a very small dive-bomber prototype, its pilot in prone position resisting the Gs. There is another tiny aircraft, the first Yugoslavian jet plane which appears to be an experimental aircraft, but a gun barrel is protruding from its nose... There is an exhibition on the ground floor about the supporting industry. Yugoslavian-built missiles and other weapons are displayed together with airfield infrastructures. The Novi Avion, the supersonic fighter project which was developed in the eighties, is part of this exhibit. The fighter resembles a scaled down Dassault Rafale. With the collapse of Yugoslavia further development was abandoned.

The exhibit of the 1999 NATO air strikes is the smallest, but among the most interesting. The wreckage of the two US manned aircraft that were shot down are on display. The cockpit canopy, ejection seat, and FLIR of the F-117A are shown together with the booster of the SAM that shot it down. The composite structure of the squadron leader's F-16 can be seen clearly. An almost intact French Crecelles and an RQ-1 Predator, assembled from a number of these shot down, are hanging from the ceiling. There are a lot of unexploded weapons as well. The Tomahawk on display hit close to the headquarters of the Air Force, and the brand new AGM-154 JSOW is also noteworthy. Anti-radiation ALARM and HARMs are among the collection.

Hidden treasures can be found in the storehouses of the museum. Among others, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a Yakvolev Yak-9, a Fiat G-50, and a Focke-Wulf FW-190 are awaiting restoration. There are about 70 aircraft near the building. The planes, which are closed to the public, were phased out of Yugoslavian service a short time ago. Most of them belong to the SOKO J-1/G-2 (Jastreb/Galeb) jet trainer and light attack aircraft family, but there are a few MiG-21s (Fishbed- and Mongol), SOKO J-22 Oraos, G-4 Super Galebs and a Kamov Ka-28 (Helix- ). Another from the latter type can be seen in front of the building along with a Kamov Ka-25PL. Also in the closed area is a MiG-23ML with its Iraqi insignia painted over. The plane arrived in Yugoslavia for an overhaul before Desert Storm. Because of the political changes, it will probably never fly in the skies of the Middle East again.

Acknowledgements: Cedomir Janic, Director of the Museum

2002. June