Back at Belgrade's Aviation Musem

One of the highlights, a JAT Sud Caravelle

Every time I travel through Belgrade Nikola Tesla airport I make some time allowance to go visit the aviation museum next door.

Belgrade's aviation museum is like a time-capsule, not only to the post-war history of the former Eastern Bloc, but also back to the past of a country, Yugoslavia, that no longer exists.

You do not even need to enter the museum proper to admire the collection, as most of it is scattered around the main building, a rather futuristic (for its time) construction that looks like straight out of a 1970s film. The solitude, I was the only one looking around when I visited, and the somehow, run-down aspect of the place, add to this "retro" feeling.

This is the museum building. Aesthetically quite impressive, although my guess is that few of Belgrade airport users know of its existence next door (it is some 250m from the terminal, an easily walkable distance)

The collection ranges from the 1930s to the 1980s approximately and, while most of the aircraft there had a military use,  commercial aviation enthusiasts will also find some interesting stuff, like the Sud Caravelle in JAT livery (the former Yugoslavian and later Serbian flag carrier) that illustrates this post. 

Here is a plan of Belgrade's aviation museum and the collection with all the essential information

This magnificent JAT Caravelle is right next to the museum fence - you do not even need to get inside the museum grounds to get this close to it

It is quite easy to reach the museum from Nicola Tesla airport main terminal: you just need to get off the terminal building, turn left and keep walking for about 250m past some industrial and service buildings. Difficult to miss the museum, on your left hand side, with its rather unique architecture and the old aircraft scattered all around!

The good old C-47 - no stranger to this blog!

An Il-14, a late 1940s Soviet-design based on the Dc-3 and Il-2 aircraft. It first flew in 1950 and over 1,300 of the type were built and used throughout the former Communist bloc

Another close-up view of the Ilyushin Il-14

A WW2 veteran in Yugoslavian air force colours - the legendary Junkers Ju-52

Quite a few helicopters too - like this Kamov Ka-25

The ubiquotous Mig-21, with a Short Sealand seaplane in the background