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Grand opening of the Agusta Museum in Italy

The new Agusta Museum was inaugurated on December 17th, 2002, with the participation of high-level government and military representatives. The museum, located near the Agusta plants in Cascina Costa (Varese), Italy, was set up by the Association of the Agusta retired staff, with the full support of the Italian helicopter manufacturer.

The Agusta Museum offers an exhaustive pictorial coverage of the century-long Agusta history and a series of exhibits including helicopters, motorcycles, a prototype car, aircraft components, scale models and other significant artifacts. Consideration was given to the history of SIAI Marchetti and Caproni, two other important Italian aircraft manufacturers which were acquired by Agusta in recent years.

The museum is easily reachable, being just the other side of the Malpensa airport main terminal. Three helicopters stand in the outside garden as gate guardians: the only existing experimental A 105B, an A 109A prototype and a veteran AB 47J-3B1 of the Italian State Police. Inside the main building of the museum the less known diminutive Agusta A 103 single-seater, designed during the 1950's, is on display.

Before the official opening ceremony of the museum, Agusta offered the hosts an almost complete static display of their current rotorcraft products, comprising A 119 Koala, A 109E Power, A 109 LUH prototype, NH 90, EH-101 Civil, EH 101 ASW Italian Navy, CH-149 Cormorant Canadian Forces, A 129 Mangusta, AB 139 and A 109K2.

Address: Museo Agusta, Via Giovanni Agusta 500, 21017 Cascina Costa di Samarate (VA) Italy. Opening hours: Tuesday and Wednesday from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm; Sunday from 9.00 AM to 12.00 and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm. For group visits phone: +39-331-220545.

In the picture: The only prototype of the Agusta A 105B (MM80416) is now on display at the gate of the Agusta Museum in Cascina Costa, Italy. (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, December 2002)