Naval Aircraft Museum (Kolkata) Explained

Naval Aircraft Museum
Location:Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Coordinates:22.577°N 88.4782°W
Type:Military aviation museum
Owner:West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation
Publictransit: Sub CBD 1 metro station

The Naval Aircraft Museum is a military aviation museum located in New Town, Kolkata, India. It is built by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority and is exhibiting a Tupolev Tu-142 of Indian Navy.

Details

Location

The museum is located in DJ Block, Narkel Bagan, Action Area I of New Town, Kolkata, next to the New Town police station.[1] [2] [3]

History

The initiative for a military museum was taken by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). It is second museum of its kind in the country, after Visakhapatnam.[4] West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) wants to build attraction zones at each leg of Kolkata Gate. So, a two-acre land that was chosen by HIDCO near the gate. After completion, KMDA will handover the museum to HIDCO.[5] The museum is being built in phases. The first phase was clearing and flattening the land,[6] erecting the foundation, reassembly and installation of the aircraft.[7] The next phase includes identification of an architect to design the layout of the museum. Initially, the opening of the museum was expected by mid-2020, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.[8] [9] [10]

Aircraft on display

A decommissioned, 29-year-old Tupolev Tu-142 of the Indian Navy was handed over to the government of West Bengal in February 2020, for setting up the aircraft museum. The aircraft was brought from INS Rajali, Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, in pieces on sixteen trucks.[11] Transportation and installation costs are being borne by the state government. Reassembly process of the aircraft was started by KMDA, in March 2020.[12] Other exhibits for its interior and surroundings like a mannequin pilot, bombs, machinery etc. will be developed by the Navy. The architect responsible for Master Plan and Illumination Design of the Museum is Debmalya Guha of PACE Consultants Kolkata. The museum was inaugurated by Smt. Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, on 8 June 2022. Apart from the aircraft on display, there is a small children's park and a coffee shop.

See also

References

  1. Web site: Naval museum in New Town. 2021-07-31. www.telegraphindia.com.
  2. Web site: 2020-11-15. Naval Aircraft Museum Kolkata. 2021-07-31. AviationMuseum. en-US.
  3. News: 2019-12-04. Navy to set up aircraft museum in Kolkata. en-IN. The Hindu. 2021-08-02. 0971-751X.
  4. Web site: Vizag: Indian Navy aircraft turned museum attracts visitors. 2021-08-02. ANI News. en.
  5. News: Press Trust of India. 2020-02-15. Tupolev 142 plane to be set up at naval aircraft museum. Business Standard India. 2021-08-01.
  6. News: Navy may offer Sea Harrier fighter jet for aircraft museum in Kolkata. The Economic Times. 2021-08-02.
  7. Web site: PTI. 2021-08-02. Bengal FM writes to Sitharaman against privatisation of insurance cos. 2021-08-02. www.millenniumpost.in. en.
  8. Web site: 2020-02-15. Tupolev aircraft arrives in Kolkata, will be installed at India's second naval museum. 2021-08-02. Zee News. en.
  9. Web site: Tupolov aircraft for India's second naval museum arrives in Kolkata. 2021-08-02. WION. en.
  10. Web site: 15 Feb 2020. Tupolev 142 plane to be set up at naval aircraft museum. 2021-08-02. outlookindia.com.
  11. Web site: 2017-12-10. West Bengal to get its first aircraft museum in Kolkata, second in India. 2021-07-31. Deccan Chronicle. en.
  12. Web site: 2020-02-17. Indian Navy aircraft arrives in city, to be soon put up at naval museum. 2021-08-02. The Statesman. en-US.