Ramen around, with Sid at the Royal Thai Air Force museum

In which Sid visits the Royal Thai Airforce Museum in Bangkok, which tells much history without mentioning too much history.

The Thai Air Force is in a great position to run an aviation museum because there is little market for third or fourth hand warplanes.

The first RTAF planes were French, that’s where their first pilots were trained in 1911.  People passing their driving test often buy the model they learnt on.

The first Thai built plane, the Boripatra, was built in 1927 after Breguet and Renault put their prices up

The Boripatra could use a variety of engines: BMW V12, Bristol Jupiter or Curtis D-12. Once prices came down the Thais bought French again and only about a dozen Boripatra were built. This replica on the left looks to have radial engine. Here in the museum they are in line and water cooled, but the props seem rather small.

This museum has several rarities. In 1933 the RTAF bought twelve Vought Corsairs along with the licence to build 100 locally. They saw action against the French (Indochine Conflict) and Allied forces in WW2.This below is the only one left anywhere.  The untold history here is that in the busy month of December 1941 Japan invaded Thailand and the Thais, with no good choices, allied themselves with Japan. (See also Burma railway.)

And below, the last (est) Curtis Hawk III from 1935 and in use to 1949. Note the retractable undercarriage.

The museum specialises in oldest and only.  This below is a 1942 Japanese Ki55 Tachikawa, one of two left, the other being in Beijing.

Here below the oldest Tiger F-5 in use from 1963 to 2007. No market for a 44 year old jet.

There is no guide booklet and about half have no description by the plane. Many of them are sitting outside on the steamy tarmac. There are two halls of helicopters. In the halls some of the cockpits are open and locals were sitting in.

It is a grand day out, so long as you are already in Bangkok. Vaut le voyage must depend on where you’re starting from, but Sid was staying only an hour away.

There might be 200 planes from tiny gliders to Fairchild freighters. A few of them had a plaque like this:

Not the sort of Cessna you will be seeing at the local aero club.