A decommissioned fighter aircraft of the Indian Navy is being converted into a museum here and stationed on the beach road to make it an additional tourist attraction.
Work on assembling of decommissioned TU 142 fighter aircraft to convert into a museum may begin soon at the site earmarked for it on the beach road and in all probability it may be inaugurated on August 15.
The inauguration has been planned simultaneously with the official Independence Day function of the State Government proposed to be held in the city.
However, the I-Day function is now being planned elsewhere and the TU 142 inauguration is likely to take place ahead of it, according to sources.
Retired aircraft engineers and other personnel worked for nearly four weeks at Naval Airbase INS Dega using manuals disassembling the aircraft. An internationally reputed agency has been awarded the work on the aircraft museum. The disassembling is said to have cost Rs 3.5 crore.
The aircraft after its decommissioning flew to Visakhapatnam after the Andhra Pradesh Government evinced interest in converting into a museum. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu received it at a special function from Naval authorities.
“Only formal inauguration will take place and the remaining work will continue,” VUDA Vice-chairman P Basanth Kumar said. "Transporting the disassembled parts to the site will be completed by the week-end after which assembling them will be taken up."
After formal inauguration two, three months is needed to make it ready. "We are planning to set up an escalator and aerobridge for entry of visitors to the aircraft since it would be difficult to climb up to the elevation, and exit by a staircase," he said.
The aircraft museum is being set up by the Tourism Department of A P at a cost of Rs 10 crore. The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has been assigned the supervision.
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