| National Aviation Museum |
At that time, NAM's focus was on bush flying and early aircraft manufacturers in Canada. A second collection, held by the Canadian War Museum, concentrated on military aircraft from World War I to the 1950's, while the Royal Canadian Air Force collection emphasized military aircraft related to RCAF history.
Beginning in 1964, the three collections were amalgamated for public display under a new name, the "National Aeronautical Collection", in new quarters at Ottawa's historic Rockcliffe Airport. The arrangement, which gave visitors a better perspective on the development and use of aircraft in Canada over the years, proved to be tremendously popular.
Coming under the wing of the National Museum of Science and Technology in 1967, the National Aeronautical Collection continued to acquire both military and civil aircraft important to Canadian and world aviation history. It has since grown to include 118 aircraft and countless artifacts such as engines, propellers, instruments, armament, flying gear and wind tunnel models.
In 1982, the collection was officially renamed the National Aviation Museum. The Museum has avoided the tendency to concentrate exclusively on the aviation accomplishments of a single nation, or on developments within one sector of the aviation industry. Instead, the Museum's collection policy is to illustrate the development of the flying machine in both peace and war from the pioneer period to the present time. The collection gives particular, but not exclusive, reference to Canadian achievements.
Consequently, aircraft from many nations are represented in the collection -- a fact that has earned it a strong international following.
The Museum's qualified technologists restore vintage aircraft to original airworthy standards; the Museum has a well deserved reputation for excellence in our conservation and restoration work.
The National Aviation Museum is recognized as having the most extensive aviation collection in Canada and one which ranks among the best in the world.
In 1988, the importance of the collection was acknowledged in the opening at Rockcliffe of the first phase of a multi-phase development program to serve as the new home of the Museum.
The story of aviation is told through a variety of techniques, ranging from our flying program (one of the aircraft we fly on special occasions is a reproduction Sopwith Pup, a World War I fighter aircraft), to on-floor demonstrations, off-site educational activities, special events, animation and a growing list of hands-on explanatory exhibitry, including computers which allow the various themes to be developed. We are in the process of completing a new media plan for the Museum which will considerably enhance our abilities to interpret and demonstrate a range of concepts applicable to aviation and the science and technology which underlie it.
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