Our aircraft
SAA Museum Society has a rich history of acquiring and restoring aircraft which are on display at the museum.
Andries Pretorius - 1940
The Lockheed Lodestar was used by the South African Air Force (SAAF) during World War II on the shuttle service to Egypt. Most of them featured a camouflage paint scheme, dark green/dark earth with a sky blue under-surface.
Klapperkop – 1943
The venerable DC-3 enjoyed an illustrious career with numerous South African operators. The SAAF “Gooney Birds” took part in the Second World War ferrying troops and supplies and, much later, did duty in the Angolan war and the Namibian border campaign.
Helios – 1945
This Douglas C-54D-15-DC started her career with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). She had a stint with the Royal Danish Air Force and was part of the Phoebus Apollo Aviation fleet.
Outeniqua – 1946
ZS-AUB, a Douglas DC-4 1009, has eight fuel tanks and was often used to ferry engines, and engine change crews, to SAA aircraft that had suffered engine failures, typically the DC-7B’s on the Australia run. During May 1997 the DC-4 was wet-leased to Swissair and used to celebrate Swissair’s 50th Anniversary of the crossing the North Atlantic.
Vickers Viking VC.1A – 1946
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a twin-engined short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber. The initial nineteen aircraft (Mark 1A) produced carried between 21 and 24 passengers. The fuselage was metal but the geodetic wings and tail planes were fabric covered.
Katberg – 1947
The first British transport aircraft with tricycle landing gear. ZS-BCC’s first service with SAA was on the 8th of March 1948 when it operated Palmietfontein-Kimberley-Upington-Karasburg-Keetmanshoop-Windhoek. The Dove’s last service with SAA was from Lourenço Marques (Maputo)-Palmietfontein on 30 October 1951.
Lebombo DC-4 1009 – 1947
In July 1994 Lebombo flew to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in the USA. The journey to Oshkosh was over 15 000 kilometres and she set a new world record for the longest time and distance, propliner flight in one direction, with an unchanged passenger group. Famous film actor, aircraft enthusiast and pilot, John Travolta was aboard Lebombo. Lebombo did SAA proud by winning the award for best transport aircraft, in the classic category, at the show.
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Jan van Riebeeck – 1954
The Junkers Ju 52/3m was the World’s first true multi-engined airliner. The Junkers Ju 52/3m offers the romance of the pioneering days of airlines. Captain Flippie Vermeulen once remarked “The sound is music, the smell is perfume and the movement is pure pleasure”.
Lockheed L1649A Starliner – 1958
The Lockheed L1649A Starliner was the final development of the basic Constellation design and first flew on October 11, 1956. Only 44 Starliners were built, the L1649A being the last of the Lockheed piston-engined airliners.
East London – 1969
This Boeing 707 was named “East London” and was flown to East London on the 28th of January 1970 for the christening ceremony. First SAA revenue service was flight SA220 on the 21st of January 1970 from Johannesburg – Luanda – Madrid – Paris – London.
Pietenpol Air Camper – 1970
This two-seat light aircraft was designed to be built by amateur aircraft constructors (often referred to as “homebuilders”) and is one of the most enduring designs of this type, having been built over a period of eight decades. This Air Camper has been restored to represent the all-wood design as originally envisaged by Bernie Pietenpol, including the use of spoked wheels and a dummy Ford car engine.
Lebombo – 1971
The acquisition by the SAA Museum Society of the “Jumbo” Boeing 747 is possibly the single most proactive event in preserving civil aviation history in South Africa. On 24 June 1995 ZS-SAN Lebombo swooped across a crowded Ellis Park Stadium at the Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand, bearing Good Luck Bokke beneath her wings.
List of preserved Boeing 747 aircraft around the world.
Maluti – 1976
Boeing 747SP-44, ZS-SPC, was used for a presidential flight from 12th to the 17th of October 1980. The airliner was the first SAA aircraft to operate into Houston USA on the 9th of December 1982.
Pukeko – 1986
In her career as a passenger airliner, she has seen service with several operators including Air Namibia and Air New Zealand. She was the first Boeing 737 to land at Rand Airport.
An avid aviation fan?
Explore more about the preserved Boeing 747s and see what scale model aircraft are available.
Read more about our aviation history and the associations which make it possible.
Click on the button to view the relevant associations website.
Take a read through our additional resources and enhance your knowledge on our colourful flying history.