Al Mahatta museum, Sharjah

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

20 years 4 months

Posts: 1,713

Thanks to a conference in Dubai, I suddenly found myself very near this little museum, which is based in the old 1930s resthouse/fort from Imperial Airways days. I figured some of you might be interested in seeing these photos.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4908/32272710198_7093fe95c9_c.jpg
ZA149_AlMahatta_Nov2018 by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4845/46093570552_9b87422c92_c.jpg
ZA149_AlMahatta_Nov2018_8 by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4865/46093556952_e431b5229f_c.jpg
DSC_3526_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/44326901110_0019edcba8_c.jpg
DSC_3547_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4862/46093557082_1dc9373ef9_c.jpg
DSC_3519_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/44326901090_5919555dc4_c.jpg
DSC_3540_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/44326903880_887e151b96_c.jpg
DSC_3669_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4893/44326903730_536e8772cd_c.jpg
DSC_3685_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr

Interestingly, that Auster was flown over the site of old RAF Sharjah on 5th October 2012 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first passenger airplane to land in the UAE. The original airplane in question was a HP42. The Auster was purchased for the museum by the Ruler of Sharjah, probably earlier in 2012.

It is a nice little museum, with additional displays in the old resthouse showing parts, some engines and memorabelia and photos from the early days. There is also a larger display on how aircraft fly and about Air Arabia. I was also treated to a private viewing (I was very near to being the only visitor) of a 1937 filmclip called 'Air Outpost', which I've since found on Youtube as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqnBBPAMUL4

Original post

Member for

20 years

Posts: 1,628

What an excellent "find". Nice to see the British heritage well represented.

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 2,123

It's a great museum. I used to live not far away and it was a regular haunt for me.

It is on the site of the former RAF Sharjah, the first airfield in the region. The old control tower and the old fort, the passenger "terminal" for the HP42s, are still there. The main runway was where the main street runs past nearby.

Don't be fooled by the fake identities of several of the aircraft. I wrote up my take on them at:

https://sites.google.com/site/lgarey...lmahattamuseum

There is also a long thread on the subject of RAF Sharjah at https://www.pprune.org/aviation-hist...ht=raf+sharjah

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 731

Fascinating. Archer, I don't suppose you got any pictures of the display boards inside the Comet nose? I recall designing them many years ago, but never saw how they looked in place?

Member for

20 years 4 months

Posts: 1,713

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4857/45259653015_71011f911c_c.jpg
DSC_3569_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
Upon entering the nose, the display board is mounted against the opposite wall (big white overexposed blob...)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4856/46172252441_d74eb990ce_c.jpg
DSC_3570_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
There is red lighting within the cockpit itself, the display board is just off the left edge of the photo.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4860/45259652935_64e5e093da_c.jpg
DSC_3571_resize by Jelle Hieminga, on Flickr
This should look familiar then...

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 6,043

Lovely - many thanks for posting :)

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 1,424

Was this the Comet Nose which was open to the public on the rooftop viewing area of Gatwick Airport ?

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 731

Wow, thank you for those Archer. I had never seen the finished article other than rolled up in a cardboard tube ready for sending...!

Member for

11 years 3 months

Posts: 1,299

Great photos! Looks like a very interesting museum, Nice to see so many British types on display in foreign places (even if the Comet does make me feel a little bit sad!)