New aviation museum opens next to Airbus HQ in Toulouse
A new aviation museum named Aeroscopia which is located adjacent to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, close to Airbus HQ with its A380, A350 XWB, A330 and A320 Family final assembly lines has just opened.
Airbus is a major partner in the new museum – joining together with the city of Blagnac, as well as several local associations to support Aeroscopia, which aims to preserve aeronautical history and generate interest in aviation, science and technology.
The museum houses a collection of iconic aircraft displayed within the exhibition hall and paved grounds, planes include an A300B – the landmark widebody twin-engine jetliner that launched Airbus – a “Super Guppy” outsized transporter used by Airbus to carry aircraft components during the company’s early days, and an Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic passenger airliner.
“Airbus’ contribution to Aeroscopia reflects the company’s great fondness for celebrating its roots and its different phases of aircraft development and production over the years,” said Jacques Rocca, Airbus’ Deputy Head of Media Relations and Heritage, who also is a member of the museum’s technical committee.
Manatour, the company that offers tours of Airbus’ final assembly lines in Toulouse, manages Aeroscopia as well, Rocca explained, providing an exciting “two-faceted” experience for aviation buffs – with all tours of Airbus’ Toulouse production facilities now starting at the museum.
“Visitors to the museum can tour the cabin and the cockpit of Aeroscopia’s passenger aircraft, and the Super Guppy’s cargo hold has been outfitted with a video screen that features an aviation history film,” Rocca said. “A section of the A300B’s cabin also has transparent walls and flooring, which provides an excellent view of the aircraft’s systems.”
To arrange a tour of Airbus’ production sites at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, see Manatour’s website (in French)
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