Known in Naval Aviation circles as the “Big Fighter,” the F-14 featured a unique variable sweep wing that automatically shifted in flight from 28 to 60 degrees sweep for optimum performance at any speed. The Tomcat made headlines during the 1980s in air-to-air engagements with Libyan fighters over the Gulf of Sidra. The aircraft on … F-14D Tomcat
The aircraft carrier’s command and control platform, the Hawkeye has the distinctive feature of a 24-foot diameter circular rotating radar dome atop the fuselage. The airplane was once nicknamed the “Hummer” because of the noise its four-bladed props made. The eight-bladed props visible on the museum’s airplane, which create a sound akin to a swarm … E-2C Hawkeye
Delivered to the fleet in 1962, the VH-3A on display served in the Executive Flight Detachment of Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) 1 during the presidencies of Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. No single helicopter is called “Marine One,” with any one of HMX-1’s aircraft assuming that name when the President is on board. … VH-3A Sea King
The Viking entered service in 1974 as a platform for hunting Soviet submarines, the end of the Cold War shifting the airplane’s role to surveillance, aerial refueling and precision targeting against enemy forces and infrastructure on the ground. After flying combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, on May 1, 2003, this airplane transported President George … S-3B Viking
The SH-60B was the first version of the Seahawk to enter service, becoming operational in 1983. The Seahawk is a versatile platform employed at sea in the antisubmarine and anti-ship roles, and used extensively for search and rescue, drug interdiction, cargo lift and insertion of Special Operations Forces into hostile landing zones. During its service, … SH-60B Seahawk
The H-2 Seasprite entered service as a utility helicopter in 1962 and was modified to fly combat search and rescue in Vietnam. In June 1968 a Seasprite crew performed a daring night rescue of two downed aviators, the helicopter’s pilot, Lieutenant Clyde E. Lassen, receiving the Medal of Honor. The aircraft on display is a … SH-2F Seasprite
The Harrier utilizes the concept of “Vectored Thrust,” in which turbine by-pass air is routed to one of two pairs of moveable nozzles at the wing roots, while jet exhaust is directed through the second pair. The combined “thrusts” enable the airplane to either hover or fly normally depending on the position of the nozzles. … AV-8C Harrier
The AH-1W entered service in 1986, and during Operation Desert Storm five years later Marine Corps squadrons flying them destroyed 97 tanks and 104 armored vehicles. The Super Cobra boasted an array of offensive firepower, including 20 mm cannon, rockets and precision-guided munitions, which made it a potent platform for providing close air support for … AH-1W Super Cobra
The tandem-rotor CH-46 entered service during the Vietnam War and operated until Marine Corps squadrons retired it in 2015. Nicknamed the “Phrog” by Marines, the CH-46 has been likened to a flying bus with its ability to deliver troops to landing zones and evacuate wounded personnel. One of the original design parameters of the Sea … CH-46D Sea Knight
The first naval aircraft designed specifically as a multimission strike fighter, proficient in both the air-to-air and air-to-ground arenas, the F/A-18 Hornet entered operational service in 1982. The F/A-18C variant like that on display operated aboard aircraft carriers until 2021. The museum’s aircraft is one of two Hornets that shot down Iraqi MiG-21 Fishbed fighters … F/A-18C Hornet