Tehran's Air Museum
(IRANIAN AEROSPACE EXHIBITION CENTRE)

Photos © Thomas Pohl

Thomas Pohl visited the museum in October 2002 and a number of aircraft remain to be identified; the museum is placed near the Iran Air maintenance area and the dump-corner, containing a couple of interesting aircraft. An eye-catcher is the former Iran Air 707 EP-IRJ that is used as a restaurant.

Matt Miller seems to have an excellent theory:

Near the undercarriage is a small plate visible, it shows the name of "American World Airways".

Matt again:

In April 2003 I received some additional info from Leon Manoucherian, born Armenian in Iran, now a U.S. citizen.:
The Dakota picture you have was operated by Ministry of Water and Power in its Agricultural Irrigation department before it was retired. They had another C-117 (actually an ex-US Navy R-4D) in their inventory, fate of which is unknown.
Here is a link to a photo taken 27Feb05, on Airliners.net

On 04Sep2013 Dean Baxter wrote this to me: "I have found an old chest full of my father's papers. He used to be a Line Pilot for Pan American World Airways.
In his chest I have discovered many of his old flight logs and incidental papers. The file which I have included is of an incident involving the DC-3 NC49552, which is shown in the photograph on your web page.
I have his complete flight log books from his first flight in the early 1930s through the 1950s. My father flew the Boeing 307 in the Smithsonian Museum; he flew it, and a sister ship, to South America. He also flew a plane know as the 'Eichman Ellis Aerobat' in Brownsville, TX in about 1943.
My father passed away in an auto accident in October of 1953."
Documents on NC49552 BirdHit (pdf)

Leon Manoucherian offered the following information:
There were two USAF-owned C-7A in Iranian camouflage, operating covert missions out of Mehrabad air force base (1st tactical base-Tehran), flying mostly Eastward toward Dasht-e-cavir desert, where U.S. had highly classified Intelligent bases. They were also flying to North of Khorasan Province Northwest of Iran where Iranian-U.S. Listening posts and IBEX-system radars were installed across the border with (then) Soviet Union.
They had Iranian serials 5-53 and 5-55 (5-55 had three-tone standard IIAF camouflage, while this one had a desert tone). The serials are not even standard as Iranian aircraft cargo carried 5-XXX digits and after 1977 5-XXXX, there was no two digit throughout the inventory.
Nobody would talk about these two aircraft, but it is known that they carried full gear of SIGINT and ELINT equipment, perhaps operated under CIA branch Iran.

Niels Borcharding wrote in March 2007 upon a recent visit to this museum:
"I tried to enter the DHC-4 but couldn't, since both doors are locked. Right hand side was locked by a bolt and left hand side was locked by a padlock, which was not well attached to the door; we tried to open that door, but for some reason it was stuck and we had to abandon it completely when a schoolclass of about 30 children looked at the three of us to see what we were doing!
Looking through the last window on the left hand side I could see the msn plate attached near the righthandside door of the aircraft. I told my new friends that if they ever were able to enter the plane that that was the plate and that I really wanted to know what was on it.
So close..."

In Sep.2013 I received a welcome update by Jean-Louis Bleneau:
"About the Caribou II AF-553 on display at the Teheran Aerospace Exhibition I would like to give you some clues: This aircraft was not a C-7A but a DHC-4A (c/n 52) delivered in April 1962 to Air Asia with registration B-853 and operated by Air America in SVN until 1968.
Transferred to the USAF as serial 61-2388 (out of sequence because 61-2388 was originally attributed to another C-7A, c/n 45, w/o in August 1963), she was leased back to Air America until sold to The Pacific Corp in June 1973.
The Pacific Corp, itself known to be backed by the CIA, sold it to Southern Sky Inc, based in Dallas, TX, to the purpose of logistic support of the Ibex stations in Iran.
553 was flown only for logistic support and personnel transport and this is why she was abandoned in Iran.
SIGINT and ELINT operations in connection with Project Ibex were flown using four C-130H, two Aero Commander 560 and later converted Boeing 707, all belonging to the IIAF."
Jean-Louis used to write for several French aviation magazines in the past; since retired he writes on a regular basis online:
http://richard.ferriere.free.fr/
Click on 'Monographies JLB', on the left side of the screen, to see Jean-Louis' writings.
And you will see he published recently a rather extensive history of the DHC-4 Caribou.
For his references he built a large selection of files about transport planes, piston or turboprop powered, with a dedication for twin engined ones.

Fokker F-27 EP-SNA

A few more photos of the Boeing 707:

The interior: what would the food be like ?

The cockpit.. well, it once was !

List of Iranian Aerospace Exhibition Centre, by Bob Ogden (Air-Britain, 2008)

During Feb.2008 Michael Prophet went to Tehran and he made a report of his visit to the museum.

Nigel Hitchman reported on a visit to Tehran 06Feb2017:
"At 1830 local this evening, 1500gmt, I saw what only could have been an IL-18, sitting on the cargo ramp at Tehran, Khomeini (OIIE); it was just dark and saw it nose on, so no idea of the operator, any ideas?

I went to the Tehran Aerospace Exhibition Centre but to find it closed, as had been reported.
Security on the gate were friendly, but wouldn't let me in; they even called someone but answer still 'no'. Apparently it closed around a year ago and the 707 restaurant next door closed 4 years ago!
From the road I could see most of the museum collection through the fence.
Of interest might be confirmed still present: the DHC 2 Beaver, DHC4 Caribou and the DC-3.
I couldn't see the A-26. I think due to the angle I had to look and buildings and trees that were in the way.
Everything else seen on Google Earth in the museum area towards the front were seen, exactly as on there..
Didn't risk taking pictures, could have got some reasonable ones thru the fence, although perhaps not the DC-3 as it was too far away.
I also went to the Holy Defense museum, which was good, but nothing relevant for propliner enthusiasts.

I visited Besat Park and saw the C-47 here (unmarked and I believe identity still unconfirmed; pics further below), but I didn't find the Beech 18.
The Beech 18 sighting was reported to me by Bob Ogden in a draft copy of his museum book notes."

On the above question about identity of Ilyushin IL-18 it was suggested: "...may be EX-75466, which is possibly still active in the area (last noted 8/15 at Erbil, Iraq)."
And 'Dave' (dfspotting on Yahoo's Classic-Propliners) added: "ATDB.aero reports the Ilyushin 18 at Khomeini to be TT-WAK (c/n 172011401)."

Bob Parmerter remarked on the Beech 18: "Reportedly, in 2011, the following two Beech 18s were spotted in Iran:
· EP-HIH D18S A-525 - Displayed at the entrance to Qazvin airport [OIIK]
and
· EP-.... - Displayed in Besat Park, Teheran [T] .
The Besat Park Beech18 was either EP-ADH AT-11 c/n 1265 of Iranian Airways Co, Tehran (crashed @Abdullah Airport, Ahwaz, Iran 26Aug1956; seems like a long time for the remains to still be around),
or ... the only other Beech 18 to have been reported in Iran, EP-HII, whose identity (c/n) is unknown."

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