Featured Appeal:
Help us Restore and Preserve our Aircraft
Be part of preserving history on the very grounds where it happened. Discover the aircraft that shaped the course of WWII and the stories behind them. Help restore the aircraft that tell the story of Pearl Harbor and inspire future generations.
WILL YOU HELP US RESTORE AND PRESERVE OUR HISTORIC “KATE” AND “VAL” AIRCRAFT?
When visitors cross the bridge onto Historic Ford Island and arrive at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, they are stepping onto America’s World War II aviation battlefield.
Across our campus, the bullet scars remain. From the pockmarked concrete of the Ford Island runway to the shattered glass of Hangar 79, these are permanent scars of the day that changed the world.
The history is real. On December 7, 1941, the skies above this very ground were filled with aircraft that would alter the course of world history — the Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zero”, Aichi D3A1 “Val”, and Nakajima B5N2 “Kate.”
Today, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum carries a profound responsibility: to preserve that history with integrity, present it with clarity, and inspire future generations through its lessons.
Your support of our Restoration Fund today provides our team with the resources to fuel our on-going restoration mission, with a current focus on completing the restoration and presentation of the “Val” and the “Kate.”
The Museum will be the only place in the world to see the three types of Japanese aircraft that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
- “Zero” fighters flew combat air patrol protected bomber formations and strafed airfields.
- “Val” dive-bombers delivered devastatingly precise attacks on U.S. installations.
- “Kate” horizontal torpedo bombers struck the outboard ships of Battleship Row while others flew at high-altitude to drop armor-piercing bombs on the ships moored inboard.
May we count on you for a special contribution to our Restoration Fund of $25, $50, or as much as $100?
Our “Zero” currently stands fully restored — pristine in its livery — representing the aircraft that circled high above the harbor on December 7 and strafed the very hangars that now serve as our Museum. Now, we must complete the restoration of the “Val” and the “Kate”.
To bring these legends back to life, our restoration team is focused on three vital areas of work:
- Authenticity: Securing original engines and airframe components, guaranteeing every inch of the “Val” and “Kate” is historically accurate
- Integrity: Fabricating the heavy structural bones—including the wing spars and tail assemblies—needed to preserve these aircraft for another century
- Detail: Restoring the fine technical elements, from the propeller assemblies to the vintage cockpit instrumentation, that make the history feel real.
Preservation is not passive. It requires expertise, craftsmanship, and significant resources. Historic aircraft restoration is painstaking and meticulous work. Original components must be sourced from around the world. Structural elements must be fabricated to exacting historical standards. Conservation safeguards these artifacts so they endure for generations to come.
Each year, thousands of students and visitors walk through our hangars.
Many arrive curious. Most leave inspired.
When young people stand beneath the wings of a combat aircraft and study its engineering, something powerful happens. They begin to ask questions. They begin to imagine. They begin to dream.
By supporting our Restoration Fund today, you ensure our team has the resources to complete these masterworks so that future generations will encounter these aircraft not as images in a book, but as real machines that shaped history.
We honor the sacrifice. We preserve the artifacts. And we lean forward — helping to shape the future by inspiring the next generation of leaders, pilots, engineers, mechanics, scientists, and explorers.
The same spirit of innovation that defined aviation in 1941 continues today in aerospace, defense, and space exploration. Preserving these aircraft — and telling the stories of American service and sacrifice — stands as a promise that courage, resilience, and ingenuity continue to inspire.
Your gift to the Restoration Fund today will help us:
- Acquire rare vintage aircraft components for the “Val”, “Kate”, and other historic aircraft in our care
Complete expert restoration and assembly of our most iconic aircraft
Preserve structural integrity for future generations
Finalize installation of aircraft and interpretive displays within our historic hangars
May we count on you for a gift of $25, $50, $100, or more? Your generosity sustains our restoration efforts, ensuring these stories educate and inspire for decades to come.
As a former naval aviator and Blue Angel, I understand firsthand the power of aviation to inspire. But nowhere is that inspiration more meaningful than here — on the battlefield where America’s resolve was tested and its future reshaped.
When I walk across our campus and see the progress of this restoration, I am reminded that we are temporary stewards of a permanent legacy. We must preserve it — faithfully, responsibly, and boldly.