The Air Museum reflects aspects of aeronautics, astronautics and the Cuban air defense
History of the Cuban Aviation
The idea of creating an air force to fight for the independence of Cuba is prior to the first flight of a powered device by the Wright brothers in 1903.
Ten years earlier, Jose Marti had received the proposal Arturo Comas Pons, a journalist, an agronomist and Cuban patriot; of using a flying machine to make it applicable to the activities of war.
The initiative did not materialize, but it marks the early desire to dominate the sky to fight for the freedom of Cuba.
It was in 1958 when the troops of the rebel army belonging to the Second Eastern Front Frank Pais, led by Raul Castro, had the privilege of a rebellious air force reality, aircraft participating in missions supply and combat actions against the positions of Batista; the tyrant.
The history of the Air Museum
Air Museum was inaugurated on April 17, 1986, the Air Museum is located in the La Lisa Municipality, in the neighborhood of La Coronela City of Havana and it exhibits many objects, parts and elements relating to anti-aircraft defense, aeronautics and astronautics, including helicopters, planes and other defensive elements set out in its more than 15 thousand square meters.
There you can see a Mig 29, a subsonic fighter T-33, used during the fighting in Giron Beach (Bay of Pigs), the little Cessna 310 that Che piloted during his journeys to different parts of Cuba during his time as Minister of Industry and the MI-4 helicopter also used by Fidel Castro during the sixties.
Among the treasures of the institution are the most complete collection of the legendary Mig in Latin America, an AT-46 hunting, manned by Cuban pilots, carried out missions during World War II, intercepting fighters who fought in Angola, part of missile that shot down an U-2 American spy apparatus during the October Crisis in 1962 and the aircraft P-51 (Mustang) acquired by Haydee Santamaria in the United States in 1958 and sent to the Second Eastern Front “Frank Pais”, where it was part of the Rebel Air Force.
Old ships are actually fragments of the History of Cuba and world aviation.
In its three exhibition rooms are synthesized by photographs, prints, models, documents and other objects, the history of world aviation since man began to dream of flying to its current presence in outer space.
Likewise, the emergence and development of commercial and military aviation in Cuba is reflected.
It is also present related to the travel of Cuban Arnaldo Tamayo to the cosmos, the preparation of the journey, the selection of candidates to become cosmonauts, chosen preparation and subsequent successful completion of the flight.
Air Museum also has a planetarium where you can see the stars of the South Pole, eclipses and various constellations.
