Historical aircraft at Dutch National Military Museum NMM

Flying through the skies, aircraft always have a prominent and noticeable presence when in operation. After their active flying career, the majority of aircraft disappear completely out of sight; most of them are cannibalised for spare parts and the remaining demolished and materials recycled.

Fortunately, there are still societies and individuals who are devoted to maintain some species of aircraft and showcase them in public. In this way, national and international developments in aviation history are kept alive and saved for future generations to tell their stories, often in museums.

One of them is the Dutch National Military Museum (NMM) in the centre of The Netherlands, about 30 kilometres from Amsterdam. The museum gives a general military overview, however without naval aspects, which are at display at the naval harbour in Den Helder.

Built in 2014, NMM is relatively new. Due to the lack of space in the previous museum, it was decided to build a new museum which is centrally located and has extra space. It is for this purpose, Militaire Luchtvaart Museum ( MLM = Military Aviation Museum) was selected and its collection became the part of newly build National Military Museum.

Inside the NMM building, one can find several aircraft that played a major role in Dutch aviation history such as Fokker or Koolhoven propeller fighter aircraft of the period up to 1940. The timeline continues with jet engine powered aircraft like the Thunderjet, the Hawker Hunter, NF-5 Freedom Fighter, F-104 Starfighter and the current F-16. All these aircraft had been in service in the Royal Netherlands Air Force over several decades. Furthermore, an international aspect can be found in the collection with F-102 Delta Dagger and an F-15 Eagle. These aircraft were in service

with the United States Air Force in Europe (USAFE) and operated out of Soesterberg air base, or “Camp New Amsterdam”, as named by the Americans. From 1954 till 1994, the USAFE had 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron based here at Soesterberg. After the fall of the “Iron Curtain” and consequently the cold war in the Eastern Europe was over, the USAFE decided to withdraw various units out of Europe, including the 32nd TFS which had “CR” tail coded F-4E Phantoms flying and in the final years until closure.

Building the NMM facility at Soesterberg has a symbolic background, as the Dutch military aviation came alive

at this place in 1913. Apart from serving aircraft of the USAFE, the base was also an important station for various Dutch Air Force squadrons until its closure in 2008. The years before, Soesterberg was home base of 334 squadron with Fokker F-27 Troopship transport aircraft, 298 Squadron with CH-47 Chinooks and 300 Squadron with Cougar helicopters. 300 Squadron also had a few Alouette III’s but used mainly for VIP flights including use for the Royal family living in the nearby royal palace of Soestdijk. Upon the air base closure, the 334 transport squadron was re-located to Eindhoven air base and the helicopters were moved to Gilze-Rijen air base.

The complete collection of NMM aircraft is larger than the ones that can be seen inside the museum. To meet the aviation interest of the visitors, a small static display line of aircraft including an F-84 and F-102 (both still wearing 32nd TFS markings) was showcased outside the museum within a year after its opening. The surplus collection is kept in storage in a nearby depot. For special occasions, mostly once a year, several aircraft are taken out of the depot and added to the static display outside the museum for few weeks. Among all the showcased aircraft, the main attraction for many visitors is a F-4E Phantom II in original unit markings when active for USAFE at Soesterberg. Fine detail includes the orange coloured tail tip, connected to the Royal Dutch Family of “Orange”.

Recently, extra space for the storage aircraft was given, when all were moved out of the depot to make way for Catalina amphibious flying boat which was kept in a very poor state right at the end of the depot. The Catalina will be a part of a rebuilding project to bring it back into its original, but non-flying condition in the coming years. This will become a new centre of attraction for visitors apart from F-4, also a short display for a Grumman Tracker, Fokker S.14, Cessna T-37, Hawker Hunter, F-86K, RF-84 Thunderflash, Canadair NF-5B and F-104 Starfighter.