Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle III SE-DAF is to be transferred from the Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museum to the Aviation Museum Society of Finland (AMSF). The historic airliner is due to be dismantled at its current location, Arlanda airport, north of Stockholm, and transported to Finland by August 2022, where a restoration will take place. It has yet to be decided where the Caravelle will ultimately be displayed, but the AMSF hopes the jet will be on show in time for Finnair’s centenary in 2023. The airline – Finland’s national carrier – used four Caravelle IA/IIIs between 1960 and 1964. These were eventually replaced by newer models that served until the early 1980s.
AMSF chairman Janne Salonen said: “It’s clear to us that the aircraft must be saved from scrapping. This is a unique opportunity to get a passenger jet to the Finnish museum environment.
“The main costs are those of transporting the aircraft to Finland, restoration and placing it on display, but these can be divided over several years.”
Named Sven Viking, Caravelle SE-DAF was delivered to Scandinavian Airlines Systems (SAS) in February 1962, flying in these colours until September 1974. Having accrued a total of 27,321 flying hours, it was donated to the Swedish CAA’s historical collection.
Two other Caravelle IIIs – SE-DAA and SE-DAI – can also be found at the airport. Alpha-Alpha is owned by airport operator Swedavia. The other airframe was used by the Swedish Air Force between 1971 and 1999, and is now owned by the Flygvapenmuseum, which plans to repaint it in SAS livery.
