Strange perhaps, but the emblem of the German Museum of Technology is an American ‘plane, perched high overhead, in the Berlin sky. It is a Douglas C-47, which became famous during the (West) Berlin Airlift early on in the Cold War, and soon to be nicknamed the ‘‘Candy Bomber’’. Colin Bruchmann, Deutsches Technikmuseum Guide: "Just before landing its pilot, "Uncle Wiggly Wings", used to throw chocolate bars and other sweets, attached to small parachutes, out of the windows of the ‘plane for the children of Berlin."
This is not the only treasure housed here in this 6,000 m2 (65,000 square feet) museum; there are dozens of other flying machines, from nineteenth century gliders to the legendary Condor, the transatlantic route pioneer ; and for those more interested in the mechanical aspects of aircraft, the highlight of the museum is its collection of aircraft parts, including piston-driven and jet engines, propellers and even landing gear.
There are also technological innovations strongly linked to the history of Germany. The museum has several Nazi aircraft, such as the Messerschmidt BF110 and 109, not forgetting the famous Junkers 52 bomber, used during World War II before finding international success. Colin Bruchmann: "And at the end of the 40’s, because it was a very reliable aircraft, the French and Spanish even acquired the license to build this model."
Every year, 600,000 interested visitors flock to the German Museum of Technology. The museum is open daily, except Mondays, and with an entrance fee of 8 euros, that’s cheap at double the price.
