The museum was founded in 1914 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution. Opened in 1985, the current building is located on the northern outskirts of Oslo. A modest collection of aircraft was enough to attract my attention however the many other collections of scientific equipment machinery which are very well presented made the visit even more worth while.

Left to right: Farman MF-7 Longhorn (F.1). This was a two-seat French Reconnaissance plane built in 1913, it had a Renault "pusher" engine and was designed by Maurice Farman at the Farman Aviation Works. Sixty MF.7s were sold to Norway and served with the Norwegian Army Air Service.

Deperdussin A. Lars Bjerke of Norsk Flyveselskap bought the first Deperdussin in 1912 from Armand Deperdussin's company (SPAD) in France.

Blériot XI. This Blériot made the first crossing of the North Sea when Lieutenant Tryggve Gran flew from Cruden Bay in Scotland to Stavanger on July 30, 1914 the 300 mile flight took four hours and ten minutes. Following Louis Blériot's crossing on the English Channel in 1909, Gran had trained at Blériot's aviation school in Paris. It was Baron Carl Cederström who made the first flight of an aircraft in Norway, when on October 14, 1910 he flew a Blériot XI Etterstad, Oslo.

Left to right: Loening C-2 Air Yatch (LN-BAH ex NC10239). The Loening Air Yacht was flown by Thor Solberg from New York to Oslo in 1935's. In Norway it was registered as LN-BAH and used for joy-ride flights around the fjords. A forced landing on the Hardanger Fjord put an end to these flights and the aircraft was put into store. In 1960 it was donated to Museum and after its restoration was put on display. Full story here.

Agusta Bell 47J (LN-ORD). Supplied in 1957 it was used for the first commercial air service for a helicopter between Stavanger, Sola and Haraldstøtten. It later went on to serve the Ekofisk oil fields before being replaced by a Bell 206 Jet Ranger in 1971. It was retired in 1983.

Høningstad Norge C (LN-BWD c/n 1). This is a Norwegian designed seaplane built by F P Berg in 1960, it was with Widerøe's Flyveselskap a large regional airline from 1960 to 1963. Widerøe's Flyveselskap became part of SAS group.

The Armed Forces Museum housed in a centuries old historic military building on the waterfront at Festnung, Akershus, Oslo is not the easiest to find. Once in the right building (best ask) then finding the aviation exhibits is the next challenge. On my visit in September 2010 there was only this tiger Moth on display. At other tmes other aircraft have been here.

Left to right: de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth (151, ex SE-ANL identity unconfirmed).