Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, or The Swiss Museum of Transport
Story and photos by Del Laughery
Nestled on the northern shore of Lake Lucerne is the small town of Lucerne, Switzerland. While you may travel to this destination to view the Alps from the north, see the 12th century covered bridge that crosses the Reuss River, experience the medieval architecture, or view the Lion of Lucerne (a rock relief created in 1821 to commemorate Swiss Guard deaths during the French Revolution of 1792), you should also etch out some time to visit the Swiss Museum of Transport, or Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, an extraordinary collection of hardware that documents man’s technological gains in shrinking distances between points on the globe, and Switzerland’s most popular museum. While this article only discusses the aviation portion of the museum, a complex of five buildings and a large courtyard that include trains, ships and submarines, cable cars, automobiles, a planetarium, and an interactive history of Swiss chocolate, there are plenty of non-aviation reasons to visit the museum and take-in the Swiss perspective on transportation.
When you first enter the museum, you are greeted with a courtyard created by the five buildings that create its perimeter. Sitting among other amazing pieces of the collection such as the Mesoscaph PX-8 submarine Auguste Piccard, a large submersible that took a total of 33,000 people to the bottom of Lake Geneva as part of the 1964 Swiss National Exposition, you’ll find two Swiss Air Lines aircraft, a Douglas DC-3 with registration HB-IRN, and a Convair 990A Coronado, registration HB-ICC, one of eight purchased by the airline in 1962. Given only 37 of these aircraft were produced, I was particularly pleased to see her, and equally happy at how much care is provided, both inside and out. You can walk into both aircraft – the back of the cabin of the DC-3 and the entire interior of the 990A – and get a sense for what airline travel was like during those periods.
Situated just behind the DC-3 is an entrance to the aviation building. As soon as you walk in you realize this is a well-run organization, with displays that are on par with the Smithsonian or the National Museum of Naval Aviation. While small compared to those other two museums, you realize you’re standing in a world-class display of aviation history, and you should give it the time and respect that it’s due. One of the first things that will catch your eye is a very damaged Hispano-Souza engine that was the powerplant on a Swiss EKW C-35 reconnaissance biplane that crashed into Lake Zugersee in May 1940. The aircraft was rediscovered in late 2019, and the engine raised on March 20, 2020. The shape of the three-bladed prop provides some insight into how drastic the impact with the water was.
While we’re talking about engines, nearby you’ll find a cutaway version of the General Electric CJ-805-23 aft turbofan, the powerplant for the Convair 990A, which was developed from the GE J79 that flew on the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, F-4 Phantom II, and the B-58 Hustler. While the engine was relatively successful in military service, it was not known for its fuel economy, and was the primary reason the fleet of 990As were withdrawn from Swiss Air service in 1975.
Above the Hispano engine are many airframes suspended from the ceiling. Most notably is the only remaining Lockheed Model 9C Orion painted in a brilliant Swissair red, as well as an excellent example of a Swissair Fokker D.VIIa, and a Swiss Demonstration team Northrop F-5E Freedom Fighter, while slightly farther away, but still suspended, is a wonderfully displayed snow-ski-equipped Fiesler Fi 156 C-3/Trop Storch of the Swiss Air Force, a Pilatus PC-6 Porter (complete with a skydiving mannequin), and a classic Bell 47 in Heliswiss livery.
Breaking away from the main display area, several other aircraft are showcased. First up is an Augusta A109 rescue helicopter displayed with the doors open so that visitors can see the flight deck. Often, donated aircraft arrive with most of the avionics and indicators removed, but this twin-engine chopper came complete and provides some perspective on a relatively modern-day helicopter’s interface. Also available is the gondola/cabin of the Zepplin NT “Baden-Wurttemberg”. The NT stands for New Technology. Introduced in 1997, this example was connected to one of six such airships produced. They have been used for passenger service, advertising, and research. This cabin was placed in service in 2003 and retired with 12,210 hours and 12,484 landings in 2014.
An unusual piece of history in the form of Felix Baumgartner’s space jump capsule is also on display. Mr. Baumgartner free fell from the capsule from a then-record 127,852 ft over New Mexico, achieving a maximum speed of 843.6 miles/hour, making him the first person to break the sound barrier without benefit of a powered vehicle.
There are numerous other displays in the aviation building, many of which are quite kid friendly. If you and the family find yourself in beautiful Switzerland, and you’re headed to Lucerne to see the foothills of the Alps, make it a point to set aside a day for the Transportation Museum. Yeah, you’ll have to give up some time with some of the most amazing scenery on the planet, but for us aviation nuts, it’s a trade worth making.
