National Naval Aviation Museum
The National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at 1750 Radford Boulevard, on the grounds of Naval Air Station Pensacola. It opened in 1962.
The 300,000 sq. ft. museum houses more than 150 aircraft and spacecraft on display, including four former Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawks, a United States Coast Guard helicopter, biplanes, a K47 Airship control gondola and tail fin, the plane that President George H. W. Bush trained in, and the S-3 Viking used to transport President George W. Bush to the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003.
In addition to the displays, the museum operates an IMAX theater, museum store, and cafe. Also the museum is the home of the National Flight Academy, a 6-day program designed (in partnership with the Escambia and Santa Rosa school districts) to teach 7th through 12th grade students about the importance of science and math in aerospace careers. The Academy is currently planning a 245,000 sq. ft. expansion to the museum which would add classroom and dormitory space for the students during their stay.
The museum is open 9:00AM to 5:00PM every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Parking and admission to the museum are free, though donations are welcome. Some exhibits inside the museum, such as the theatre, charge separate admission.
Captain Robert L. Rasmussen, a retired Navy captain and Blue Angel, is the current director of the National Museum of Naval Aviation. He hand-sculpted many of the statues in the museum as well.
Contents
Collection of aircraft
The expansive collection of aircraft on display at the museum include the following:
Pre-World War II
World War II
- A6M Zero
- B-25 Mitchell
- C-45 Navigator
- C-46 Commando
- F4F Wildcat
- F4U Corsair
- F6F Hellcat
- F7F Tigercat
- F8F Bearcat
- FG Corsair
- FM Wildcat
- HNS Hoverfly
- J2F Duck
- J4F Widgeon
- JD Invader
- JRC
- K-47 Airship Control Car
- L-8 Airship Control Car
- LNS-1
- N1K2-J George
- N2S Kaydet
- N2T Tudor
- N3N Yellow Peril
- NR Recruit
- OS2U Kingfisher
- P-40 Tomahawk
- PB2Y Coronado
- PB4Y-2 Privateer
- PBJ Mitchell
- PBY Catalina
- PS-2
- PV-2 Harpoon
- R5C Commando
- SBD Dauntless
- SB2A Buccaneer
- SB2U Vindicator
- SNB Kansan
- SNJ Texan
- SNV Valiant
- TBF Avenger
- TBM Avenger
- TDR-1
Korean War Era
- A-1 Skyraider
- AD Skyraider
- AF Guardian
- AM Mauler
- CH-37 Mojave
- C-117 Skytrain
- C-118 Liftmaster
- C-131 Samaritan
- C-47 Skytrain
- D-558-1 Skystreak
- F-6 Skyray
- F2H Banshee
- F3D Skynight
- F4D Skyray
- F7U Cutlass
- F9F-2/5 Panther
- F9F-6/8 Cougar
- FD-1 Phantom
- FH-1 Phantom
- FJ-2/4 Fury
- H-13 Sioux
- HO3S
- HO4S
- HO5S
- HR2S Nojave
- HUP Retriever
- MiG-15 Fagot
- OY Sentinel
- P2V-1 Neptune
- R4D Skytrain
- R4Y Samaritan
- R6D Liftmaster
- T-33 Shooting Star
- TV-2 Shooting Star
- UH-25 Retriever
Vietnam War Era
- A-3 Skywarrior
- A3D Skywarrior
- A-4 Skyhawk
- A4D Skyhawk
- A-5 Vigilante
- AH-1 Sea Cobra
- AJ Savage
- C-1 Trader
- C-130 Hercules
- CH-53 Sea Stallion
- E-1 Tracer
- EC-121 Warning Star
- F3H Demon
- F11F Tiger
- F-4 Phantom II
- F-8 Crusader
- H-2 Seasprite
- H-3 Sea King
- H-34 Seabat/Seahorse
- HH-52 Sea Guardian
- HU-16 Albratross
- O-1 Bird Dog
- P2V-7 Neptune
- P5M Marlin
- RA-5C Vigilante
- S2F Tracker
- SP-2H Neptune
- SP-5B Marlin
- T-28 Trojan
- T-34 Mentor
- TF Trader
- TH-57 Sea Ranger
- U-1 Otter
- UF Albatross
- UH-1 Iroquois
- WF Tracer
- WV Warning Star
Modern Era
External links
External link
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