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Photograph of two airplanes
Bell AH-1G Cobra final flight in Hawaii

The Hard Life of Snake 298

Posted on June 23, 2011 Bell Helicopter delivered our Bell AH-1G Cobra to the Army on October 1967. Its serial number is 66-15298, indicating that it was ordered in 1966. In February 1966, the 298 arrived in Vietnam. Instead of being assigned to a division, it was assigned to a

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Black and White photograph of the battleship West Virginia (BB-48) sailing.

Revenge of the Pearl Harbor Battleships

Posted on June 13, 2011 October 25, 1944, 0200 hours. It is the final major day of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Six America battleships slowly steam back and forth across the mouth of the Surigao Strait. Five are survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack—West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, and

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Aerial Bomb - Aerial Bomb Fuzes

Aerial Bomb Fuzes

Posted on May 05, 2011 When visitors at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum look at the Japanese bomb replicas on our attack wall, they sometimes ask about the little propellers on the bombs. Obviously, these are too small to make the bomb change directions. Some even notice that one of the

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Tomcat

Our Tomcat “Felix 102”

Posted on April 11, 2011 The F-14 From the 1970s through 2006, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the defender of the fleet. These huge, fast, swept-wing fighters could take on anything in close-in dog fights and could shoot down enemy aircraft 50 miles away. Toward the end of the Tomcat’s

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Black and white photograph of WWII fighter plane on the tarmac.

Pearl Harbor: The Bombs of the Second Wave

Posted on December 23, 2010 Japanese Bombs and Torpedoes at Pearl Harbor On December 7, 1941, Japanese torpedoes and bombs devastated Hawaii’s warships and air fields. The “Weapons Wall” at Pacific Aviation Museum has full-size models of three of these weapons—the ones used in the first wave of the attack.

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Navy SH-60B Seahawk helicopter landing

Sikorsky SH-60B Antisubmarine Warfare ASW Helicopter

Posted on December 02, 2010 The newest addition to Pacific Aviation Museum’s collection is a Navy SH-60B Seahawk helicopter. The Sikorsky Seahawk is a navalized version of the Army’s UH-60 Blackhawk. The Army began using the Blackhawk in 1979. The Navy quickly saw the Blackhawk as a good foundation for

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Historic Ford Island Aerial Photo

Where Would the Enterprise Have Moored?

Posted on November 01, 2010 The Pacific Fleet’s three aircraft carriers were fortunately out of port on December 7, 1941. The Saratoga was en route from Bremerton, Washington to San Diego, where she would embark her air wing. The Enterprise and the Lexington were on missions to deliver aircraft to

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Scout Floatplane

U.S. Scout/Observation Floatplanes in World War II

Posted on September 20, 2010 OS2U Kingfisher Floatplane Missions In World War II, aircraft carriers were not the only ships to launch and recover aircraft. Cruisers and battleships each carried a few small floatplanes. Most were Curtis SOC Seagulls or Vought OS2U Kingfishers. Curtis SO3C Seamews and SC Seahawks also

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PBY Catalina

PBY Catalinas at Pearl Harbor

Posted on March 16, 2010 Japan’s Attack at Pearl Harbor When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, their main targets were battleships and aircraft carriers. However, they were worried about the big PBY Catalina flying boats, which had the range to find the Japanese fleet and track it for hundreds of

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Shokaku

Phoenixes, Dragons and Cranes…Oh, My!

Posted on February 16, 2010 At the start of the battle, the crew of an American ship killed the Deep Blue Dragon. Enraged, the Flying Dragon destroyed the ship that had killed her sister. But the crew of another American ship, plus survivors from the first, returned and slew the

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Aircraft Carrier

Aircraft Carrier Ops

Posted on January 13, 2010 With every successful Navy is the integration of aircraft carriers and air superiority capabilities. The evolution of the aircraft carriers is equally as impressive with the switch from propeller to jet engines and the need for more specialized aircraft aboard. pictured below is the USS

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f4C Phantom

The F-4C Phantom II

Posted on December 10, 2009 Introduction The McDonnell F-4 Phantom II was the West’s premier Cold War fighter during the 1960s and most of the 1970s. This big Mach 2 fighter was flown by all three U.S. services, providing all-weather interception, air superiority, bomber escort, tactical bombing, deep interdiction, reconnaissance,

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Amelia Earhart’s Crashed Plane on Runway of Luke Feild

Amelia Earhart’s crash on Ford Island, March 20, 1937

Posted on November 16, 2009 THE MOVIE CRASH The movie Amelia graphically depicts Amelia Earhart’s crash on Ford Island in March, 1937. Ford Island is located in the heart of Pearl Harbor and is home to Pacific Aviation Museum. The crash ended her first attempt to fly around the world.

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