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 bombs has two propellers—one on […]
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 life, F-14s became Bombcats, capable […]
Aircraft #13 on the Doolittle Raid
Posted on April 05, 2011 This is a firsthand account by the pilot of aircraft #13 on the Doolittle Raid off the Hornet in 1942. Take the time and enjoy a bit of history. My name is Edgar McElroy. My friends call me “Mac”. I was born and raised in Ennis , Texas the youngest […]
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 replacing its SH-2 Sea Sprite, […]
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 saw some use in the […]
P-40 Warhawks and Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers (Pearl Harbor)
Arriving Tiger at Pearl Harbor This summer, FedEx will deliver a big package to Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum—a World War II P-40E Warhawk. FedEx inherited the P-40 when it purchased Flying Tiger Airlines. As you might expect, the aircraft is painted in the colors of the Flying Tigers. This new arrival will give docents at […]
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 miles. The PBY’s role in […]
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, and SAM suppression services. Vietnam […]
New Arrival F-102A Delta Dagger
Posted on October 15, 2009 During the dangerous period between the late 1950s and 1960s, the F-102A Delta Dagger was the heart of America’s Air Defense Command. If war had broken out, the U.S. SAGE network would have directed flights of Mach 1.25 F-102As to attacking Soviet bombers. Near the bombers, the “Deuces” would have […]