Brussels Aeromuseum, Belgium

Here are a selection of photos from the wonderful Belgian aero museum in Brussels. The collection is extensive, covering the dawn of flight right through to the jet age.

WWII Douglas Invader (US)



British trio from the Battle of France. On the far left is the Fairey Battle light bomber. A fast and modern plane when it was first introduced in the mid-1930s, it was totally outclassed in 1940. Every Battle the British sent against the Luftwaffe in the first days of the Battle of France were destroyed with terrible loss and they were quickly withdrawn from frontline service. The Battle gained a terrible reputation as a deathtrap, which was true but slightly unfair. In part the problem was British tactics. Daylight attacks by light bombers, without fighter escort, in an environment of enemy air superiority were always doomed to failure.

On the right is the Hawker Hurricane, Britain's mainstay fighter of the Battle of Britain, and suspended above is a Bristol Blenheim. The Blenheim was developed from a prewar airliner and proved to be a reasonably versatile light bomber at the beginning of the war, but was soon outclassed and obsolete.

Looking down on the Blenheim.

Shelly and the Fairey Battle.





A wonderful Junkers Ju52 transporter/airliner. Introduced in the early 1930s as an airliner, it served the Luftwaffe as a bomber, general transport, paratroop transport and reconnaissance aircraft throughout the Second World War and beyond.

A De Havilland Dragon Rapide amongst the many restoration projects underway.



Nord Aviation 1002 Pinguin 2. This was a postwar French version of the Messerschmitt bf108 Taifun, the predecessor of the ubiquitous Me 109 fighter.





Gorgeous 1932 Proctor Percival.

1944 Percival Proctor Mk4 trainer (UK)

Fairchild C-119 Boxcar

De Havilland Mosquito (UK). The late 30s designed 'wooden wonder' was an excellent light bomber, heavy fighter, night fighter and path finder. It continued in use in many airforces well into the 1950s.

Airspeed Oxford & a DC3

A view over the jet collection


Soviet "Hind" assault helicopter and a Soviet Gaz truck. The tough Hind is still in use with many post Soviet airforces' today, including an updated version in the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Avro Canada CF-100

Gloster Meteor (UK). Introduced in the last months of World War Two, the Meteor was Britain's first operating jet fighter. It continued in use with many airforces well into the 1960s.

Britain's second operational fighter, the De Havilland Vampire, was unfortunately deployed a few weeks too late for service in the Second World War. It was build largely of wood with a steel skin. It served in many post war airforces, including the Royal Australian Airforce.



Soviet Mig-15



Caravelle airliner

The upper floor contains a collection of WWI and pioneer aircraft.

Pre-war Farman boxkite (France)

Taube? (Germany)






Cauldron biplane (France)

Voisin bomber (France)

Farman biplane (France)

French Spad VIII fighter

British Sopwith Camel

Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter

Nieuport XVII

Bristol Fighter



Hannover ground attack aircraft (Germany)

De Havilland Tiger Moth

The remains of two German Zepplin engine cars

Belgian Royal Military Museum, Brussels

Here's a collection of photos from our visit to the Royal Military Museum in Brussels in 2011. The collection was extensive, starting with a large gallery of Belgian Napoleonic War relics. Unfortunately all the galleries closed at 12pm for lunch the day we visited so we didn't get a full look through the World War One section.

Napoleonic uniforms

Artillery from World War One.

A wonderful WWI Renault FT light tank. It's one of my favorite tanks and remained in use right through to the Second World War, although it was totally obsolete.

A gigantic WWI British Mark II tank. The Mark II was first used during the Battle of Somme, although its performance was terrible as almost all broke down before they saw action. They were slowly improved throughout the war, eventually becoming a decisive weapon on the Western Front.

A French Renault UE Chenillette gun carrier in German livery. After the Nazis conquered France they commandeered all manner of vehicles for their war effort. Although obsolete for front line service by the time the war started, they were useful for supporting roles, such as ammunition carriers and gun carriages.

The tank gallery in a outside courtyard. Most of the tanks however were Cold War era and therefore not particularly interesting to me.



Me with a Russian tank and German tank destroyer.

A WWII German Hetzer (significantly modified). After experiencing defeats against the Russians on the Eastern Front, the Germans introduced a new type of tank, the Jagdpanzer or tank destroyer. As the Jagdpanzer was designed to ambush other tanks and would be engaging head on, it was able dispense with a turret in favor of mounting a heavier gun with thicker frontal armour. It also had the advantage of a lower profile, making it easier to hide. As the war progressed and German fortunes turned for the worst, more and more jagdpanzers were built as their lack of a traversing turret meant they were quicker and less complicated to manufacture.

A post war German tank destroyer.

Polar explorer

Ship models in the naval section. Unfortunately we didn't get to look through that section because it was closing.

All of the photos above were taken in 2011. After we had visited the Aero Museum next door, we discovered the military museum was about to close so we did a very quick run through, hence the very few photos. In 2018 we returned to Belgium and took a much more leisurely tour through both museums.

2018 Visit

The Napoleonic Wars

An officer's hat

The Napoleonic period was distinguished by its extraordinarily elaborate uniforms and headwear.

German pickelhelms. They appear to be steel but were in fact made of tanned pigskin.

Steel cuirassiers helms

Tall hats and distinctive plumes signified rank and unit.

More cavalry helments and headwear.

Liberty or Death!

This cap was based on a Roman 'emancipation cap' worn by freed slaves. It became popular as a revolutionary headwear.

Grenadiers headwear

German pickelhelms of the Franco-Prussian War 1870

Medieval and Early Modern Era

14th and 15th century armour and helmets

Full armour suits from 15th Century

15th Century

With the advent of gunpowder, armour was reduced to chest and head armour.

Jousting armour

Russian Imperial Uniforms of the Tsars (special exhibit 2018)

The dress uniform of Tsar Alexander III

Dress uniform Tsar Alexander II

Russian Imperial uniforms 19th Century

Russian Imperial dress uniforms 19th Century

Tsarevitch Alexei

Russian summer uniform and equipment from the Great War.

Russian Imperial decorations

Russian winter uniform

German First World War Helmets

Like the other powers of Europe, the German army entered the war equipped with weaponry and uniforms largely unchanged from peacetime ceremonial wear from the 1890s. This included cavalry helmets with ostrich feather plumes and bedecked bear fur busbys. Totally impractical for the war that was about to be fought.

German ceremonial cavalry headwear was, like in other armies of the time, more about show than practicality.

Cavalry and officer ceremonial helmets

Pickelhelms

After the first months of war, the elaborate, pigskin pickelhelm was being replaced with something a little less 'visible.' Dust covers in mud brown became standard issue. By 1915 the ubiquitous 'stahlhelm' (steel helmet) would be standard issue.

First World War Tanks

Mark A Whippet tank. https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/gb/British_medium_Mark-A_whippet.php

Whippet "Firefly"

Renault FT17

Mark IV "Male." The Male version was armed with 6 pounder naval guns. The Female version was armed only with Vickers machine guns.

Mark IV from the rear https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww1/gb/tank_MkIV.php

Artillery pieces

Link to our photos from our visit to the neighbouring Brussels Airforce Museum https://militarymuseum.blogspot.com/2019/06/brussels-aeroworld-brussels-belgium.html