National Naval Aviation Museum
![]() ![]() Location within Florida | |
Established | 1962 |
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Location | Pensacola, Florida |
Coordinates | 30°20′58″N 87°18′13″W / 30.349580°N 87.303582°W |
Type |
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Website | www.navalaviationmuseum.org |
The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The museum was established 14 December 1962 with the initial facility located in a cramped 8,500 square foot building aboard the air station that had been erected during World War II and which was dedicated in June 1963. The Phase I portion of the current facility was dedicated Sunday 13 April 1975, although it had been informally open since November 1974. Construction of the new location began in November 1972.[1]
The museum is devoted to the history of naval aviation, including that of the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard. Its mission is "to select, collect, preserve and display” appropriate memorabilia representative of the development, growth and historic heritage of United States Naval Aviation.[2] More than 150 aircraft and spacecraft are on display, including four former Blue Angel A-4 Skyhawks, the Curtiss NC-4 (the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic), U. S. Coast Guard helicopters, biplanes, a K-47 Airship control gondola and tail fin, an aircraft 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 (see Navy One). These historic and one-of-a-kind aircraft are displayed both inside the Museum's 300,000 square feet (30,000 m2) of exhibit space and outside on the Museum's 37-acre (150,000 m2) grounds. The museum also functions in coordination with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM or NAVAIR) as the Navy's program manager for nearly all other retired Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft on display aboard U.S. military installations in the United States or overseas, or in numerous other museums or public displays. In a similar manner to U.S. Air Force aircraft on loan from the NMUSAF's collection which remain under official USAF ownership, these other American-preserved naval aircraft continue to remain the property of the Department of the Navy and are typically identified at these locations as being "On Loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum."
In addition to the displays, the museum operates an IMAX theatre, museum store, and cafe. The Cubi Point Café is itself an exhibit as it displays squadron memorabilia from the closed NAS Cubi Point Officers' Club.[3] 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-square-foot (22,800 m2) expansion to the museum which would add classroom and dormitory space for the students during their stay.
The museum is open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm 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.
Practice demonstrations by the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, may be viewed from the museum most Tuesday and Wednesday mornings between March and November. These practices are weather permitting, and a tentative practice schedule may be viewed on the Blue Angels’ website.
Captain Robert L. Rasmussen, a retired Navy captain, former Navy fighter pilot and former Blue Angel demonstration pilot, was the former director and reported to the Naval History & Heritage Command. He hand-sculpted many of the statues and painted many of the watercolor and oil paintings in the museum as well. He retired in 2014 and was replaced by Captain Sterling Gilliam.[4]
Collection
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- Curtiss A-1 Triad
- Douglas AD Skyraider
- Douglas A3D Skywarrior
- Douglas A4D Skyhawk
- 4 x Douglas A-4F Skyhawk II (Blue Angels)
- Grumman AF Guardian
- Bell AH-1 Sea Cobra
- Bell HH-1K Iroquois
- North American AJ Savage
- Martin AM Mauler
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero
- Grumman A-6 Intruder
- Vought A-7 Corsair II
- McDonnell Douglas AV-8C Harrier
- Curtiss BFC Goshawk
- Grumman C-1 Trader
- McDonnell Douglas C-9 Skytrain II
- Beechcraft JRB-2 Expeditor
- Douglas R4D-5L Skytrain first flight to South Pole
- Douglas C-117D (R4D-8) Skytrain
- Douglas R6D/C-118 Liftmaster
- Convair C-131 Samaritan
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules
- Lockheed C-130T Hercules (Fat Albert)
- Lockheed KC-130F Hercules (landings/takeoff from USS Forrestal)
- Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave
- Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight
- Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion
- Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak
- Grumman E-1 Tracer
- Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
- Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star
- Sopwith F.1 Camel
- Fokker D.VII
- Boeing F4B-4
- Curtiss F6C Hawk
- Curtiss F7C Seahawk
- Douglas F3D Skyknight
- Douglas F4D Skyray
- Grumman FF
- Grumman F3F
- Grumman F4F Wildcat
- Grumman F4F Wildcat (Underwater Display)
- Grumman F4F Wildcat (Suspended)
- General Motors FM-2 Wildcat (Quarterdeck)
- General Motors FM-2 Wildcat (Mezzanine)
- Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
- Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat
- Grumman F7F Tigercat
- Grumman F8F Bearcat
- Grumman F9F-2 Panther
- Grumman F9F-6 Cougar
- Grumman F9F-8 Cougar
- Grumman F11F Tiger
- McDonnell FH Phantom
- McDonnell F2H Banshee
- McDonnell F2H-2P Photo Banshee
- McDonnell F3H Demon
- McDonnell-Douglas F4H Phantom II
- McDonnell-Douglas RF-4B Phantom II
- North American FJ-2 Fury
- North American FJ-4 Fury
- Vought F4U Corsair
- Vought F7U Cutlass
- Vought F-8 Crusader
- Grumman F-14 Tomcat
- Grumman YF-14A Tomcat (Pedestal outside)
- Grumman F-14D(R) Super Tomcat
- Grumman F-14A Tomcat
- General Dynamics F-16N Viper
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
- Beechcraft GB Traveller
- Hanriot HD.1
- Bell HTL-4
- Bell HH-1K Huey
- Sikorsky HNS Hoverfly
- Sikorsky HO3S
- Sikorsky HO4S
- Sikorsky HO5S
- Hiller HTE
- Bell HTL Sioux
- Piasecki HUP Retriever
- Grumman HU-16 Albatross
- Kaman H-2 Seasprite
- Sikorsky H-3 Sea King
- Sikorsky VH-3 Sea King (Marine One)
- Sikorsky HSS/HUS Seabat/Seahorse
- Sikorsky HH-52 Sea Guard
- Douglas JD Invader
- Curtiss JN-4D Jenny
- Grumman J2F Duck
- Grumman J4F Widgeon
- Cessna JRC Bobcat
- Grumman JRF Goose
- K-47 Airship Control Car
- Schweizer LNS-1
- L-8 Airship Control Car
- Curtiss Model F
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
- Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden Kai "GEORGE"
- Curtiss NC-4
- Curtiss N2C Fledgling
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 Canary (Wheels)
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 Canary (Floats)
- Ryan NR-1 Recruit
- Stearman N2S Kaydet
- New Standard NT-1
- Timm N2T Tutor
- Consolidated N2Y
- Nieuport 28 C.1
- Vought OS2U Kingfisher
- Cessna O-1 Bird Dog
- North American PBJ Mitchell
- Consolidated PBY Catalina (Suspended)
- Consolidated PBY Catalina (Cutaway)
- Consolidated PBY Catalina (Flight Line)
- Consolidated PB2Y Coronado
- Consolidated PB4Y-2/P4Y-2G Privateer
- Martin SP-5B Marlin
- Franklin PS-2 glider
- Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon
- Lockheed P2V-1 Neptune (Truculent Turtle)
- Lockheed P-3 Orion (First prototype (converted Lockheed L-188 Electra), plus an additional P-3A)
- Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk
- North American RA-5C Vigilante
- Curtiss-Wright R5C Commando
- Douglas Dolphin
- Ford RR-5 Trimotor
- Brewster SB2A Buccaneer
- Douglas SBD Dauntless (Underwater Display)
- Douglas SBD Dauntless (Mezzanine)
- Douglas SBD Dauntless (Midway Veteran)
- Vought SB2U Vindicator
- Curtiss-Wright SNC Falcon
- North American SNJ Texan
- Vultee SNV Valiant
- Grumman S2F Tracker
- Lockheed S-3 Viking (ex-Navy One)
- Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout
- Project Apollo/Skylab Command Module
- General Motors TBM Avenger
- Grumman TC-4C Academe
- Interstate TDR
- Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger
- Lockheed TV-2
- North American T-2 Buckeye
- North American T-28 Trojan
- Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
- North American T-39 Sabreliner
- de Havilland Canada NU-1B Otter
- ZPG-2 Control Car
See also
Naval aviation museums
- Aeronauticum, German naval aviation museum, Nordholz
- Fleet Air Arm Museum, United Kingdom museum of naval aviation, Yeovil, Somerset
- Fleet Air Arm Museum (Australia), Australian museum of naval aviation, Nowra, New South Wales
- Naval Aviation Museum (India), Indian naval aviation museum, Goa, India
- Shearwater Aviation Museum, Canadian naval aviation museum, Sheerwater, Nova Scotia.
- Pacific Aviation Museum, US Pacific Fleet and Japanese aviation, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
United States museums
- Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
- List of maritime museums in the United States
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
- U.S. Navy Museum
Other
References
- ↑ Coleman, J. F., "Welcome Aboard the New Naval Aviation Museum", All Hands - The Magazine of the U.S. Navy, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C., April 1975, Volume 52, Issue Number 699, pages 3-4.
- ↑ Coleman, J. F., "Welcome Aboard the New Naval Aviation Museum", All Hands - The Magazine of the U.S. Navy, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C., April 1975, Volume 52, Issue Number 699, pages 3-4.
- ↑ http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/cubi-bar-cafe/
- ↑ Davis, Marketta (1 January 2016). "National Naval Aviation Museum welcomes new director". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Museum of Naval Aviation. |
- National Naval Aviation Museum official website
- National Flight Academy