Description of the attraction
The Aviation Museum in Plovdiv was opened in 1991 near the city airport. The museum complex represents numerous achievements and gradual development of aviation in Bulgaria. In addition, this museum acts as a branch of the National Military History Museum.
The museum is divided into two expositions - internal and external. The outer is located in an open area where various flying machines are located. Among the most valuable exhibits is the Arado-196 (also called Shark A-3), a military green seaplane produced at a German plant. This is the only surviving exhibit in the world, inherited by Bulgaria in 1943. In addition, under the open sky, visitors can see fighters of various generations, as well as sports, military and transport aircraft.
The internal exposition of the Aviation Museum is dedicated to both the history of aviation in Bulgaria and the successes of the Bulgarian cosmonautics. The original spacecraft of Georgy Ivanov, the country's first cosmonaut, is located here. In April 1979, he was also a member of the international team that entered orbit on the Soyuz-33 spacecraft. Part of the exposition are Ivanov's original spacesuit and costume. The descent vehicle is being demonstrated together with an original parachute.
Among other exhibits dedicated to astronautics, the museum displays a high-altitude compensating suit worn by cosmonauts when flying at high altitudes. It was such a suit that Yuri Gagarin wore when he first went into space.
Special stands with documents and photographs allow tracing the development of the Bulgarian aviation. One of the most curious museum collections is dedicated to the designer Hristov Asen Yordanov. The Aviation Museum also keeps a model of the first aircraft in Bulgaria by Yordanov. Subsequently, in the USA, this Bulgarian scientist became one of the most important aircraft designers.
Visitors to the Aviation Museum have the opportunity to find themselves in the cockpit of a real MiG-15 aircraft, where they can even take a picture. This combat training vehicle was created in the 1950s. The museum also displays modern weapons, bombs and shells, aircraft black box and other exhibits.
