The
National Museum of Naval Aviation is one of the largest
and most beautiful aviation museums in the world. Share in the
excitement of Naval Aviation's rich history. See over 140 beautifully
restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps and Coast
Guard Aviation. These historic and one-of-a-kind aircraft are
displayed inside the Museum's 291,000 square feet of exhibit
space and outside on the Museum's 37-acre grounds. Enjoy free
guided tours both inside and outside the Museum.
The
IMAX®Theater offers students and teachers the chance
to explore our world and its wonders. Our specially designed
534-seat auditorium guarantees that every seat is the best seat
in the house. State-of-the-art technology will zoom your group
into the heart of the film's action, allowing them to live the
adventure. With a screen almost seven stories high, comfortable
stadium seating and 15,000 watts of digital surround sound,
your group will share a unique educational experience.
We also have a Motion-Based Simulator that is available
to groups at a discounted price when advance reservations are
made. The flight simulator generates a mission similar to those
flown by Blue Angel pilots during an airshow. Riders experience
flight on low-level and high-performance turns and manuevers
and feel like they've had a bona fide ride with the Blue Angels.
The large-screen video presentation is coordinated with the
pitch and roll of the simulator. The computer-controlled simulator
is a five-minute ride and can carry up to 15 passengers. The
simulator runs every 15 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
You must sign an acknowledgment stating the following information
has been read and agreed to, prior to making a reservation for
a group visit.
Static
Displays at the Museum
Please
[click] these links for details on all of the Museum's
Major Exhibits
and Aircraft
Collection. They will take you to other pages in this
web site. [click] here to see samples
of the Museum's Major Exhibits and Aircraft Collection
we have selected for you.
Walking
Tour of the Museum
Click
here to view a slideshow-type presentation that highlights
several exhibits around the Museum. This may take some time
to load, but should run on any computer. The presentation will
run in its own window - close it to return to this page of the
Museum web site. By the slide counter at the bottom center of
this screen there are arrow keys; click them to move through
the presentation. Click the "movie screen" icon in
far right bottom of this window to view the slide show full
screen; clicking anywhere will advance to the next slide.
Follow
this link to a printer-friendly version of this presentation.
It is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format - if you do NOT have Adobe
Acrobat Reader,
click here to go to their site, download it for free and
followtheir instructions for installation.
Group
Visit Policy
REQUIREMENTS:
- To assure the safety of all visitors and exhibits, children MUST be supervised AT ALL TIMES while in the Museum
- One adult for every ten children is required.We recommend
each adult have an assigned group of children when touring
the Museum.
- Only ten children with an adult chaperon are allowed in the Flightdeck Museum Store at any one time.
- Ensure each adult chaperon is given a copy of this policy.
- Buses should unload passengers at the Museum's main entrance
and park in the northwest parking area designated for buses.
WHILE IN THE
MUSEUM:
- Quiet, PLEASE. There are often several tours and ceremonies
taking place in the Museum at the same time. Please keep the
noise level of your group to a minimum so that all visitors
can enjoy the Museum.
- No running.
- Backpacks are not allowed in the Museum.
- Do not touch the displays or exhibits.
- Food and drinks are not allowed in the Museum display or
exhibit areas.
- If you picnic at the Museum, you MUST clean up afterwards
and take your trash to the dumpster by the Cubi Cafe.
- Upon arrival, check with the IMAX® personnel (Red Coats)
at the main Museum entrance for assistance.
- Elevators are designed for those who need them, i.e. mobility
impaired persons, children in strollers and senior citizens.
Please use the stairs and DO NOT let children play with the
elevators.
ABOUT
THE MOTION-BASED SIMULATOR:
- The simulator is pre-programmed for the motions experienced
in flight. A computer controls the simulation.
- Simulated motions include acceleration, deceleration, slow and rapid turns, dives and climbs.
- The motion experience runs for approximately five minutes.
Riders are scheduled in groups of 15 at 15-minute intervals.
- The motion is synchronized to a computer-generated film.
There are no individual controls to affect the simulator motions.
Simulator Restrictions:
This is a dynamic, high-speed motion simulation. If you have children
under 3 years of age, we strongly suggest that you not bring them
with you into the simulator. Please leave them with another adult
member of your group. You should NOT enter the simulator if any
of the following apply:
- You are easily prone to motion sickness.
- You have neck, back or heart problems.
- You are pregnant.
- You are claustrophobic.
To schedule a
field trip, the following School Field Trip Registration Form
must be filled out, signed and returned to us. There is a separate
signature line for acknowledging that the Group Visit Policy has
been read. Please click here for a printable
version of this form. There are four ways to contact us regarding
field trips:
E-Mail: namfimax@naval-air.org
Phone: 850-453-2025
Toll-Free Phone: 888-NAS-IMAX (888-627-4629)
FAX: 850-453-2018
Recorded Message: 850-453-2024
School
Field Trip Registration Form
School:_________________________________
Teacher:______________________
Address:______________________________________________________________
City:___________________
State:____ ZIP:________ County:_________________
Phone:(____)___________
FAX:(____)____________ E-Mail:___________________
Group
Size:_______ Grade:________ Children:_______ Adults:________
The
National Museum of Naval Aviation requires one adult chaperon
per ten children while at the Museum.
Date
of Visit:________ Arrival Time:______ Motion / Hearing Impaired?
___________
School group rates: Any IMAX® movie = $4.25 each.
Motion-Based Simulator with a movie = $2.00 for a total package
price of $6.25. A school group consists of 15 or more people.
Payment of one sum (single check, credit card or correct cash)
is acceptable upon arrival. We do NOT accept purchase orders.
Make checks out to the "Naval Aviation Museum Foundation"
or "N.A.M.F." The large volume of visitors to the
IMAX® Theater and Motion-Based Simulator make it essential
that schools stay on schedule. Late arrivals are not guaranteed
a seat in the movie. ALL FIELD TRIP REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED
TO IMAX© Theater/Museum Reservations at 850-453-2025, before
visit date.
Showtimes:
The Magic of Flight - 10:00a.m.______ 12:00p.m._______
2:00p.m._______ 4:00p.m._______
Coral Reef Adventure - 11:00a.m._______ 1:00p.m._______
3:00p.m._______
Requests
for Motion-Based Simulator tickets MUST be approved in advance
through IMAX® Theater/Museum Reservation Staff. Motion-Based
Simulator rides WITHOUT seeing a movie are $2.50 per person.
Ride times are approximate and vary with demand. The 5-minute
Simulator ride seats 15 people (14 students and one adult chaperon)
per ride time. The adult chaperon rides free. Late arrivals
are not guaranteed a seat. Tickets are non-refundable and are
valid for one year from purchase date.
Motion-Based
Simulator requested? Yes____ No____
Do
you plan to eat lunch at the Museum? Yes____ No____
NOTE: The Museum has ONLY outdoor picnic areas and they are
available on a first-come, first-serve basis. School groups
must clean up after themselves. Trash must be taken to the dumpster
by the Cubi Cafe when you leave. Food and drinks should be carried
into designated lunch areas in coolers. Food is not allowed
in the Museum.
Print,
sign, then fax this form to the IMAX® Naval Aviation Memorial
Theater at: 850-453-2018.
By
signing below, I acknowledge and will comply with the Museum/IMAX©
Theater Group Visit Policy.
Signature:_____________________
Date:__________ Printed Name:____________________
The
NC-4 Exhibit |
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In
all of recorded human history, few of mankind's endeavors
have developed with such speed and impacted the manner in
which we live more than aviation. Even now it is difficult
to believe that only sixty-six years after the Wright Brothers
introduced the world to powered flight over the windswept
dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, astronaut Neil Armstrong
took his "one giant leap for mankind" onto the
desolate gray landscape of the moon. Indeed, throughout
the course of its development, the aircraft has signaled
a revolution at virtually every turn, whether changing the
face of warfare, eclipsing the sound barrier, or making
the world a smaller place through air travel.
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Examined
in this context, the NC-4 flying boat is one of the tangible
symbols of aviation's historic development, both a harbinger
of change and one of the sparks of the aerial revolution.
Her epic transoceanic journey during the period 8-27 May
1919, though overshadowed by the later non-stop flights
of others, nevertheless marked the first time an aircraft
conquered the forbidding Atlantic. Her intrepid crew represented
attributes that have been subsequently passed down through
generations of aviators, combining technical prowess, an
element of daring, and mental and physical fortitude.
On 8 May, the three NC (Navy/Curtiss) series flying boats
took off from Long Island, New York to attempt that first
crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by air. Two of the three
aircraft (NC-1 and NC-3) were forced to land in heavy seas
to take a navigation fix during the long Newfoundland-Azores
Islands leg of the journey. So heavily damaged in the landings,
they were unable to proceed, leaving NC-4 to continue alone.
After nearly 15 hours in the air, NC-4 touched down in the
Azores and continued on to Portugal, arriving on 27 May,
completing the 2,150 mile transit in 26 hours of flight
time at an average speed of 80 mph.
If an aircraft could assume human characteristics, it could
be said that the NC-4 possessed all of these things. She
dared go where no plane had yet ventured, she was a marvel
of technological development, and she endured the chilling
winds over the Atlantic and the spray of its ocean swells.
And 80 years ago, she came in first and thus flew into history.
Commander A. C. Read and his crew of five have the honor
of being the first to fly the Atlantic. The actual aircraft
they used is proudly on display in the center of the South
Wing. |
The
USS Cabot Exhibit |
|
The
Museum's west wing houses an exact replica of the flight
deck and superstructure of a famous CVL, or light carrier,
the USS Cabot, CVL-28. Its extensive combat record
is proudly displayed just as painted on the original ship
- and by the original artist. The voice call for the Cabot
was "Mohawk". The skipper "charged up"
his crew with a rousing "Up and at 'em, Mohawks"
at the end of ship-wide pep talks.
With several World War II aircraft displayed on her deck,
one gains an appreciation for the limited size of a light
aircraft carrier flight deck. This exhibit also houses an
anti- aircraft gun from the USS Cabot; climb in,
take aim and defend the ship! |
The
Squadron Patches Exhibit |
|
Flight
jackets were originally worn to protect aviators from the
harsh weather at high altitudes, but they quickly became
a symbol which set aviators apart from everyone else. The
display will take you from the dawn of the flight jacket
to the present day Navy flight jacket which is still issued
to aviators. There are many colorful squadron patches with
cartoon pictures which depict the squadron’s missions on
display as well. This exhibit is located where the Quarterdeck
(the Museum entrance) joins the South Wing. |
The
Flying Tigers Exhibit |
|
The
American Volunteer Group (AVG) was a band of flyers formed
to help defend China against the Japanese. Contrary to public
belief, the AVG was not a U.S. Army Air Corps unit but a
civilian contracted organization made up of pilots recruited
from the U.S. military. About 60% of them were from the
Navy and Marine Corps. Their fighter was the Curtiss P-40B
"Tomahawk." As a result of the tiger jaws painted
on the nose of each airplane, the group became known as
the Flying Tigers famed for their success against the Japanese
"Zero" pilots. To learn more about this group,
please visit our exhibit which includes a P-40B "Tomahawk"
located in the West Wing near the Blue Angel Atrium. |
The
Prisoner of War Exhibit |
|
Completed
in the fall of 1997, this display replicates parts of the
infamous Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the "Hanoi
Hilton", where U.S. prisoners of war were held during
the Vietnam Conflict. Uniforms, personal items, photos and
other memorabilia provide a vivid picture of life as a prisoner
of war. See some of the things POWs made with their limited
supplies, look at some of their drawings and read some of
their poems. This exhibit is located in the South Wing.
|
JRF-3 |
|
Name: GOOSE
Designation: JRF-3
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft
Type: Utility, Training
Crew: Two pilots plus 4-7 passengers
Power Plant: Two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-6
Dimensions: Span 49'; length 38'
Weight: 8,000 lbs gross
Speed: 201 mph maximum
Range: 640 miles |
Appearing in 1937, the JRF
"Goose" was the first in a long line of amphibian
flying boats produced by Grumman Aircraft Corporation for
military and commercial use. Equipped with main and tail
wheel landing gear which retracted into the fuselage, the
high-wing aircraft was also capable of carrying six to seven
passengers. Variants of the "Goose" ranged from
the JRF-1 to the JRF-6 series with the first production
models being delivered to the Navy in late 1939 and to the
Marines and Coast Guard shortly thereafter. Under the Lend
Lease Act, 54 of the more than 300 produced were programmed
for Great Britain as a navigation trainer. While provisions
were made for the carriage of two 250-pound bombs on wing
racks, the primary duties within the Navy were as a utility
transport, to tow targets, as a photo aircraft, and navigation
training. Some of them were provided with autopilots and
anti-icing equipment for use by the Coast Guard in northern
waters.
The Museum's aircraft is a JRF-3 (BuNo
V190) obtained from Glen Hyde of Roanoke, Texas.
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FF-1 |
|
Name: FIFI
Designation: FF-1
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Type: Carrier-based fighter
Power Plant: One 750 hp Wright R-1820-F
Dimensions: Span 34' 6
Weight: 4,658 lbs gross
Speed: 229 mph maximum
Range: 365 miles tactical |
On 2 April 1931, the Navy issued
a contract for an experimental fighter to be called the
XFF-1 to Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. This
contract marked the beginning of a Navy/Grumman association
that has endured to the present day.
First flown in 1931, the Grumman FF-1
(affectionately known as "Fifi )" was noteworthy
for its innovative design characteristics that marked
a great step forward in aircraft design - first fighter
with retractable landing gear; an enclosed canopy for
both cockpits; and, an all metal, stressed skin fuselage.
The "Fifi" was of rugged design typical of all
future Grumman aircraft. The single significant drawback
to the FF-1 was its poor climb capability, taking six
minues to reach 10,000 ft.
The FF-1s entered service with the fleet
in June 1933 with delivery to VF-5B, the only squadron
to ever operate them. They were withdrawn in November
1935 and relegated to reserve duties. A later model (FF-2)
was configured as a trainer with the installation of dual
controls and operated with Marine Reserves. By 1941 only
two remained in service.
The Museum's aircraft (BuNo 9351) was
manufactured by Canadian Car and Foundry under license
and sold to the Nicaraguan Air Force in 1937. In 1961,
it was rescued from a scrap heap in Nicaragua by an American
agricultural aerial spray contractor doing spray work
on a plantation down there. In reconstructing the airplane,
he substituted a Pratt and Whitney R-1340-AN1 engine in
place of the original Wright R-1820 which was inoperable
due to fourteen years of neglect and corrosion. Five years
of spare-time work was spent in getting the aircraft in
condition to fly to his base in Longview, Texas where
he continued to work on the plane. After hearing of the
aircraft, Grumman persuaded the owner to demonstrate the
FF-1 at an open-house and Blue Angel show at their Peconic,
Long Island facility. The owner initially refused to sell
the aircraft to Grumman, but relented when told its final
destination would be the Naval Aviation Museum. Retired
Grumman employee volunteers completed the restoration
after which the plane was sent on a barnstorming tour
of the United States to show it off. It was flown to Pensacola
on 9 June 1967 and became the first aircraft placed on
interior display in the original museum.
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F6F-3 |
|
Name: HELLCAT
Designation: F6F-3
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Type: Carrier-based fighter
Crew: Pilot only
Power Plant: 2,000 hp P&W R-2800-10/R-2800W
Dimensions: Span 42' 10
Weight: 12,415/12,483 lbs maximum
Speed: 388/400 mph maximum
Range: 540/650 miles tactical |
In 1942, Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Corporation began mass production of the F6F "Hellcat"
fighter as replacement for the F4F/FM-2 "Wildcat"
which had been carrying the burden of fighter operations
in the Pacific. The results obtained from testing a captured
Japanese "Zero" restored to flyable condition
were utilized in refining design features of the production
F6F to enable it to engage the "Zero" on equal
terms and thus dictate the rules of combat. At one time
during the war, Grumman was delivering a "Hellcat"
at the rate of one per hour around the clock for a grand
total of 12,275 deliveries from 1942 to 1945.
While the F6Fs capability for carrying
bombs and rockets was widely utilized in air support of
friendly ground forces as well as the destruction of enemy
airfield installations and shipping, it is best known
for its role as a fighter. All in all, the "Hellcat"
was credited with destroying 5,156 enemy aircraft in air-to-air
combat (75% of all Navy aerial kills) with a kill ratio
of 19:1.
Combat stories of F6F encounters with
enemy aircraft during World War II are legendary and include:
a. A division of four pilots from the
first squadron to receive the F6Fs accumulated 50 kills
without the loss of a single aircraft.
b. A Marine night fighter squadron shot
down twenty-two aircraft over a two month period.
c. David McCampbell (Navy's leading ace
with 34 aerial kills and 20 on the ground) accounts for
seven aircraft from a flight of 80 in a single encounter;
and, later attacked a flight of 60 aircraft with a single
wingman, shooting down nine while his wingman accounted
for 7 others. McCampbell received the Medal of Honor.
A "look-alike" of his aircraft, "Minsi
III" (BuNo 94203), received from Aerial Classics
is one of two F6Fs in the Museum's collection.
d. A flight of F6Fs feeds into the landing
pattern of 49 Japanese aircraft on Guam and shoot down
30 while the balance crash on landing.
Following the war, F6Fs were used as advanced
flight trainers and radio controlled "drones"
as targets and explosive laden aircraft flown against
installations in North Korea.
One of the F6Fs on display, an F6F-3 (BuNo
66237), was recovered in 1970 from 3400 feet of water
off the coast of California where it had crashed in 1946
and restored to its present condition. The aircraft is
painted in WW II colors of VF-31 assigned to the USS Cabot,
and reflects the fourteen aerial kills made by LTJG Ray
Hawkins prior to his 22nd birthday. The other F6F on display,
an F6F-5 (BuNo 94203), is painted in the colors of CDR
David McCampbell, the Navy's leading ace.
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BFC-2 |
|
Name: GOSHAWK
Designation: BFC-2
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright Corp.
Type: Carrier-based fighter-bomber
Crew: Pilot only
Power Plant: One 700 hp Wright R-1820-78
Dimensions: Span 31' 6
Weight: 4,638 lbs gross
Speed: 205 mph maximum
Range: 280 miles tactical |
The success of Curtiss and
Wright Companies in developing two-seat dive-bombers from
original fighter designs led the Navy to specify a similar
bombing capability for its new single-seat fighter under
development in the early 1930s. The end result was the Curtiss
"Goshawk" fighter-bomber destined to achieve more
publicity than its short production run (57 total including
prototypes and variants) appeared to justify.
Of the two prototypes presented by Curtiss
for consideration (XF11C-1 with a 3 bladed propeller and
double row 600 hp radial engine; and, the XF11C-2 with
a two bladed propeller and single row 700 hp radial engine),
the XF11C-2 was selected for production. To reflect the
role of "fighter-bomber" it was ultimately redesignated
from F11C-2 to BFC-2. A later variant with hand-operated,
retractable landing gear was designated BF2C-1.
The Goshawk was capable of carrying four
112 lb bombs under the wings or a bomb of up to 500 lb
beneath the fuselage on a crutch which swings down to
prevent the bomb hitting the propeller when released.
A 50 gallon fuel tank could also be carried under the
fuselage.
BFC-2s delivered to the famous carrier
based High Hat squadron in 1933 were later modified to
have a higher rear fuselage and half-canopy over the cockpit.
BF2C-1s delivered to a carrier-based squadron a year later
served only a few months before landing gear problems
led to their withdrawal. These were the last Curtiss fighters
accepted for service by the Navy.
The BFC-2 (BuNo 9332) on display was restored
over a three year period by World Wide Aeronautical Industries
and is one of only two Goshawks on display in the world.
The other is in Poland.
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AF-2S |
|
Name: GUARDIAN
Designation: AF-2S
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp.
Type: Carrier-based ASW strike or search
Crew: Pilot and aircrewman
Power Plant: One 2,400 hp P&W R-2800-48W
Dimensions: Span 60' 8"; length 43 '4"
Weight: 25,500 lbs gross
Speed: 317 mph maximum |
Conceived as a replacement
for its TBF/TBM "Avenger", Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Corporation presented single and twin-engine versions of
the AF "Guardian" for consideration by the Navy.
With a tandem cockpit arrangement for two, the single-engine
design was selected. The first prototypes for testing included
a Westinghouse turbojet in the tail for quick escape but
this feature was not incorporated in operational aircraft.
When the AFs entered mass production in
the 1950s, their intended mission had been changed from
torpedo-bomber to antisubmarine warfare. In this role,
the Navy ordered two versions for use in a hunter-killer
team concept. The hunter half of the team was the AF-2W
equipped with a big belly radome and a four man crew to
search for submarines both visually and electronically.
When located, an accompanying AF-2S would pinpoint the
target with its underwing APS-30 radar, illuminate it
at night by means of a special spotlight, and follow-up
with an attack by depth charges and/or homing torpedoes.
In the late 1950s, the AFs were replaced
by the twin engine Grumman S2F "Tracker" as
the primary ASW aircraft. The "Guardian" has
the distinction of being the largest single-engine propeller
aircraft ever operated by the Navy.
The Museum's AF-2S (BuNo 123100) was obtained
in flyable condition from Aero Union Corporation in California.
|
FJ-4 |
|
Name: FURY
Designation: FJ-2/FJ-4/F-1
Manufacturer: North American Aviation, Inc.
Type: Carrier-based fighter
Crew: Pilot only
Power Plant: One 7,700 lb s.t. Wright J-65-W-16A
Dimensions: Span 39' 1
Weight: 23,700 lbs gross
Speed: 680 mph maximum |
The North American FJ-4 "Fury"
is the end result of a number of modifications to earlier
FJ models in order to accommodate a 50% increase in the
aircraft's fuel capacity while still retaining its four
cannons and wing pylons for "Sidewinder" air-to-air
missiles. Production models of this series were delivered
primarily to the U.S. Marine Corps during the period 1955-1957.
An attack version of the "Fury"
(the FJ-4B) was also developed incorporating some of the
design features of the F-86 "Sabre" as well
as strengthened wing to enable delivery of tactical nuclear
weapons and up to five "Bullpup" air-to-ground
missiles weighing 540 lbs each.
The versatility of the "Fury"
was ably demonstrated in 1958 when two Marine FJ-4B squadrons
flew non-stop across the Pacific from Hawaii to Japan
with two airborne in-flight refuelings en route.
374 FJ-4 and FJ-4B aircraft were produced
for the Navy and Marine Corps. The Museum's FJ-4 (BuNo
139486) on display in the South Wing was received in 1964
from NAS Glynco, Georgia by direction of the Chief of
Naval Operations. An FJ-2 (BuNo 132023) is also on display
in the South Wing.
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