An Australian-built Sabre jet, one of the most powerful fighter planes of its time, is the star attraction at a special exhibition this Sunday.
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The Sabre will be on display alongside a Lockheed Hudson Bomber, V2 rocket and a Centurion tank at the Australian War Memorial's Big Things In Store show at Mitchell.
The annual open day features items used in conflicts including those in Afghanistan, East Timor and World War I.
Though built in Melbourne, the Sabre was acquired in July from New Zealand and is undergoing restoration work to restore it to its original RAAF status.
The Sabre - with the serial number A94-954 - served for 11 years with RAAF squadrons from 1958 to 1969, carrying out patrols in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Head of Military Heraldry and Technology at the Australian War Memorial, Rebecca Britt, said the institution had been interested in acquiring a Sabre for nearly 40 years.
''We put a lot of effort into our collecting policies and our acquisitions. We collect items that can tell the broader story of Australian men and women in a particular time,'' Ms Britt said.
The Sabre helped tell the story of Australia's involvement in the Malaysian Confrontation in particular.
Military Heraldry senior curator John White said, ''Back in the 1950s this [was] one of the most powerful fighter aircraft in the world, they were built locally in Melbourne and this is one of 112 ... It's got a very good history for the period and it allows us to talk about some big political and social stories from that time which you can't do unless you have a big artefact like this,'' Mr White said .
The display gives a rare insight into the way technology has developed over the years.
The public will be able to walk around the warehouse and see many different items including a Bushmaster prototype, an early variant of what they are still using in Afghanistan today.
''We are really collecting history as it happens'', said Ms Britt.
The open day runs from 10am-3pm on Sunday, September 18. Entry is free and there will be activities and talks for people of all ages.