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Capturing History After Dark: The National Aviation Museum of the Royal Thai Air Force hosted a special Night at the Museum event from December 18–21, 2024, offering a unique opportunity to photograph its impressive aircraft collection under nighttime lighting
The first all-metal monoplane fighter in RTAF service, 12 Curtiss Hawk 75Ns were received in 1938 and in World War Two, the dwindling number of aircraft fought in anger against aircraft of the Vichy French, the Japanese and the United States. The type was supplemented and replaced by Nakajima Ki-27 Ota (as the type was named in Thai service) and Ki-43 Hayabusa during the war. [Grant Newman]
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By Grant Newman
On the evenings of 18 through to 21 December 2024, the National Aviation Museum of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) at Don Mueang, Bangkok, Thailand, held a “Night at the Museum” event, which enabled photography of its terrific collection of airframes in a different light. This was a part of a city-wide initiative that went from 5 December to 1 January, in which museums around Bangkok opened their doors to the public at night rather than during their normal opening hours. On site outside were food trucks, a stage on which cultural troupes performed and puppet shows were held, and souvenir stands, all of which kept the public enthralled throughout the night.
The Museum frontage colorfully lit up for the evening’s festivities. [Grant Newman]
The simulator hall was a busy place, with an MC offering commentary on activities around the venue. This had the added benefit in that the aircraft halls were largely devoid of people throughout most of the evening, which gave me the opportunity to photograph the collection unhindered. Turnout was high; many people attended the event on the first night, which is when I sauntered along to it. Opening time was 5 pm, with doors closing at 10 pm.
This Cessna A-37B Dragonfly wears the decorative nose art applicable to 211 Squadron, whose emblem of a diving bird-of-prey can be seen on the fin. The first A-37s arrived with the RTAF in 1973 and were retired in 1996. This one arrived at the museum in April 2010. [Grant Newman]Bought to replace the RTAF’s dwindling supply of Nakajima Ki-43s in 1950, 29 Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIVes came second hand from the Royal Air Force, of which 24 were brought to airworthy condition. Four Spitfire PR.XIXs saw limited service for a year only from 1954, suffering poor serviceability. This aircraft was placed in the museum and noted in 1967 after being rescued from a children’s playground. [Grant Newman]Built specifically for the United States Air Force to a programme named Credible Chase, the Fairchild AU-23A Peacemaker was an armed counter-insurgency aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter. First flying in 1971, all former USAF examples went to the RTAF, this one arriving at the museum in November 2020. [Grant Newman]The Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter had a troubled existence in RTAF service, suffering a high attrition rate, although the F-5E Tiger II fared somewhat better, with examples still in service having received system upgrades. This F-5B is reputedly the oldest two-seat early model F-5 in existence and was delivered to the museum in 2007; the museum also has the oldest F-5A. [Grant Newman]This is the RTAF-4 Chanthra, an indigenous trainer designed and built by the RTAF’s Science and Weapon Systems Development Centre. Loosely based on the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, 12 examples were built, of which the prototype first flew in 1972. [Grant Newman]One of a small number of North American F-86L Sabre Dogs in RTAF, service, the type was not well received and proved particularly complex, suffering low serviceability. This resulted in a brief service career of five years. This one was first noted at the museum in 1971. [Grant Newman]The last surviving example of a Vought O2U airframe left, this V-93S Corsair was one of an estimated 130 examples operated by the RSAF and from 1939 and the renaming of Siam as Thailand, the RTAF. Most of these were manufactured under licence, of which this is an indigenous airframe, possibly the earliest surviving locally manufactured aircraft. [Grant Newman]A Royal Thai Navy Hawker Siddeley AV-8S Matador, one of nine examples, seven single-seaters and two two-seater TAV-8S received from the Spanish Navy for operation aboard the aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet. Although the carrier is still in service, the Matadors were retired in 2006 following a career hampered by a lack of spares support, resulting in a small number of operational aircraft at any given time. It is reported that by the early 2000s, the aircraft were rarely deployed to sea owing to fleet unserviceability. This aircraft arrived at the museum in June 2017. [Grant Newman]The Boeing 100E biplane fighter is based on the F4B and this example is the oldest surviving Siamese/Thai military aircraft. Two were bought in 1929 to participate in a fly-off with other types, including two Bristol Bulldogs for a single-seat fighter to replace the obsolescent Nieuport-Delage NiD-29s still in service. Ultimately, neither type was ordered; 12 Curtiss Hawk IIs were bought as the Siamese Air Force’s (RSAF) replacement fighter two years after the evaluation took place. [Grant Newman]This NZAI CT/4A Airtrainer was one of 24 bought for the RTAF following selection of the type as its primary trainer following evaluation of the Pazmany PL-2, of which the sole example in RTAF service is within the museum. While the CT/4A has been retired, the CT/4E remains in RTAF service. This aircraft arrived at the museum in July 2020. [Grant Newman]Acquired in 1991, the Pilatus PC-9 was the RTAF’s intermediate trainer following basic training on the CT/4 Airtrainer, remaining in service until 2023 when replaced by the Raytheon Beech T-6 Texan II. There are currently two examples on public display, with a third derelict airframe out of the public display area. [Grant Newman]The sole example of the 200-Series 737 operated by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), this Boeing 737-2Z6 was bought in 1983 for the express purpose of transporting the Monarch and his family. Later impressed into conventional VIP service with 602 Sqn, the aircraft was placed in the museum in Oct 2013. [Grant Newman]The first all-metal monoplane fighter in RTAF service, 12 Curtiss Hawk 75Ns were received in 1938 and in World War Two, the dwindling number of aircraft fought in anger against aircraft of the Vichy French, the Japanese and the United States. The type was supplemented and replaced by Nakajima Ki-27 Ota (as the type was named in Thai service) and Ki-43 Hayabusa during the war. [Grant Newman]Interestingly, the RTAF’s Beech Expediters were ex-Royal Air Force airframes left behind in India after World War Two. A total of nine Twin Beeches were operated by the RTAF until 1971. [Grant NewmanThe sole survivor of the numerous Japanese airplanes operated by the RTAF during World War Two, this Tachikawa Ki-55 was one of 24 acquired in 1942 from Imperial Japanese Army stocks in Manchuria at the same time as the RTAF received its Ki-27 Ota fighters. Nicknamed the Tachigawa in Thai service, the Ki-55s were based at Don Muang and reportedly by the end of the war, only two remained usable. [Grant Newman]Based on the Nomad STOL utility aircraft, 20 GAF N-22B Missionmasters were bought for the RTAF in 1981, remaining in service for the next forty years. This example was received by the museum in December 2015. [Grant Newman]Around 128 North American T-28 Trojans were used by the RTAF, with first deliveries in 1962. Although a training type, with the RTAF the T-28 was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft, the last being retired in 1988. This one arrived at the museum in May that year. [Grant Newman]
[The Author would like to thank Steve Ozel’s excellent website Thai-Aviation.Net and Michael Fader’s Thai aviation pages on Wings-Aviation.ch for detailed information on the museum’s aircraft.]
