F-16 Landing Gear in the DAF Museum
It may seem like an odd addition, but it certainly isn’t: the landing gear of the F-16 fighter jet that has been added to the DAF Museum collection. In the 1970s and 1980s, DAF’s Special Products division produced hundreds of them.
An initial order from the United States for nearly 500 landing gears for the F-16 marked the beginning of DAF Special Products. In 1976, a factory was even built specifically for their production. Later, this facility also manufactured steering systems for Airbus aircraft and the NATO NH90 helicopter.
The F-16 landing gear that now has a permanent place in the DAF Museum was previously used by DAF Special Products for exhibitions. The model was made operational by the Royal Netherlands Army for the training school at the Leeuwarden Air Base. The DAF Museum has now received the landing gear on loan.
“The unique landing gear of the F-16 fighter jet is a great addition to our collection of DAF passenger cars, trucks, and buses,” says curator Geert van Rooij. “It is a tribute to the DAF Special Products division and its contribution to aviation at the time.”