Accepted in 1954, this 'Spad' has quite a record. Its first combat cruise came with VA-25 "Fist of the Fleet" on board USS Midway in 1965, during which time it was part of a mission that engaged North Vietnamese MiG-17s, one of the enemy jets being shot down. After operating with VA-52 "Knightriders" aboard the carrier USS Ticonderoga in 1966-1967, it was back with VA-25, this time on USS Coral Sea for a 1967-1968 cruise. During these three deployments, it logged 219 combat missions. In February 1968 it flew the USN's last A-1 combat mission and was ferried to the NAM in 1969

First flown in 1948, the F7U was ahead of its time and the capabilities of available power plants, being dubbed the "Gutless Cutlass". Plagued with weaknesses, over a quarter of the 320 F7Us built were lost to accidents. From 1954 this one flew with VF-83 (Oceana), VF-212 (Moffett), VA-151 (Alameda) and NARTU (Los Alamitos). Displayed in a Los Angeles park from 1960, it was restored from 1991. I was delighted to shoot this having recently acquired the wonderful new Crecy book on the Cutlass, co-authored by the owner of another F7U being restored for flight

This Cougar is painted in the colours of the unit with which it first operated, VF-142 based at NAS Miramar, from 1953 to 1956. Latterly deployed aboard USS Boxer, it was then transferred to VF-144. Next going to the Navy Reserve in 1957, it went into storage at Litchfield Park, AZ in 1959. Moving to NAS China Lake, CA in 1962 it was struck off and was seen on display at NAS Point Mugu, CA in the mid-1980s before joining the NAM in 1990

The Guardian was the largest single-engine piston-powered carrier aircraft to see service, flown in the ASW role till 1955 when replaced by the S2F Tracker. Used for maritime patrol in the Korea, it was unpopular with pilots being underpowered and heavy on the controls, suffering a high accident rate. This example was flown by VX-1 from NAS Key West and Naval Reserve units before disposal in 1956. Operated by Aero Union as tanker N3144G/E30 from 1962, it was later painted back into these USN colours and operated as a warbird before going to the museum in 1993

Making the short flight over from Pt Mugu, "NAVY 375" lands runway 14 and then parks up at Million Air at the south side of the airfield at the very end of the day

Generating vortices as it displays in the afternoon at Spirit of St. Louis Air Show 2024. The Lightning II is from VFA-125 "Rough Raiders" which is a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) that also certifies other F-35C units as "safe for flight."

The last Douglas Skyshark (of 12 built) was saved from fire practice destruction by the Planes of Fame Museum. Displayed for years with a pointed nose replacing missing engines and props, it was sold to long time museum volunteer John Muszala in 1976. Mr. Muszala's warbird restoration company "Pacific Fighters" slowly replaced missing panels and a surprise finding of A2D propellers at a junkyard saw the aircraft take shape at Chino, Ca and Idaho Falls, ID when the company re-located in 1996. The restored aircraft is on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum Annex at Gillespie Field.

Delivered in 1949, this F9F-2 flew combat missions in Korea with VMF-311, VMF-115 and from USS Boxer with VF-151, as displayed here at NAS Pensacola where it completed its flying career in a training role

Although first flown in 1944, development delays meant that the Mauler did not enter service until 1948. The 151 built only operated with front-line squadrons till 1950 and the Navy Reserve till 1953. They were found to be heavy handling and difficult to land on carriers, the smaller Douglas Skyraider being favoured. This example, one of four complete examples surviving, was used as a target at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD before being moved to the Naval Aviation Museum as it was then known in 1972

Built new in 1963. After multiple owners the a/c was registered to Sabreliner Corp on 9 July 1990 as N304NT. Converted to T-39N configuration for the US Navy with Bureau Number 165512. FAA registration N304NT cancelled on 4 March 2002. Retired to AMARC on 23 May 2014.

When delivered to the USN in 1948 this F8F went straight to the Naval Air Technical Training Unit here at NAS Pensacola but was transferred to the US Navy Reserve in 1950 at Akron, OH then Birmingham, AL. After time with experimental unit VX-20, it was struck off in 1956 with just 757 hours recorded. Displayed outdoors at Naval Training Station Bainbridge, MD, it was moved to the National Aviation Museum as long ago as 1964 and is now presented as the aircraft of Carrier Air Group 19's commander

There is doubt about the identity of this Raven. Some sources quote the c/n as 198 which would make it the genuine BuNo 128647, but it seems highly likely that it is in fact ex-USAF H-23A 51-4017 painted to represent an HTE-1, in which case it was previously on the civil register as N3HK

Displayed here at NAS Virginia having been given to the Smithsonian Institute in 1953 for the National Aviation Museum. It remained for another couple of years before being barged to Pensacola on loan to the Naval Aviation Museum and is now preserved as shown in my photo here. In 1946 it had accomplished a record-breaking flight from Perth, Australia non-stop to Ohio, the crew being accompanied by a young kangaroo gifted to the National Zoo in Washington DC

The prototype of the Neptune, the XP2V-1, made its maiden flight in May 1945 and in Sept/Oct 1946, the early aircraft seen here made a record-breaking flight from Perth to the USA. Intended originally to reach Washington DC, the crew had to settle for Columbus, OH having covered some 11,236 miles over a period of 55h 17m. It then flew with the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River until 1953 when presented to the Smithsonian Institution, going on display at NAS Norfolk, VA where I got to photograph it in 1975. Loaned to the Pensacola museum in 1977 and delivered by barge

Another USAAF trainer posing as a Navy variant. This is actually a BT-13A serialled 41-11355 that was sold after post-war storage as N60828 in the mid-1950s. When placed on display after acquisition in 1982 it was marked to represent a Navy SNV-1, of which some 2,000 were supplied to the USN between 1941 and 1944. Like the PT-22 in the museum, the serial is a fake derivation from its civil registration

The fake serial on this PT-22 is derived from its registration, N49086. It is actually an ex USAAF trainer, 41-15512, civilianised after WWII. It suffered at least four serious accidents during its military and civil career. The Navy version which this aircraft displayed since 1982 represents is the NR-1 Recruit, of which 100 were procured during the war

On display at Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum. The lightweight Tiger was Grumman's first supersonic fighter. It was found to be underpowered by its Wright J65-W-6 engine, short on range and endurance. The F-11 served aboard carriers from 1956-61, equipping seven USN squadrons. It stayed on as a trainer and demo aircraft till 1969. Built in 1955, this short-nose Tiger served with Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River. It was struck off charge on 23 Feb 1960. Previously displayed at Admiral Farragut Academy, FL, it is painted as a Blue Angels aircraft that flew the type from 1957-69.

Some 584 J2Fs were built from introduction in 1936, but this one was not delivered until 1945. After service at several different stations on the East Coast, it was transferred to NAS Norfolk for storage in 1948. In 1969 it went on show at the USMC museum at Quantico, VA, moving to Pensacola in 1974

From acceptance in 1944 this Helldiver flew with VB-84 and then VB-14/USS Wasp but in May 1945 ditched in Otay Lake, CA after engine failure. The crew were saved but it was not until 2010 that the wreckage was recovered. The major restoration project has only recently been completed

After serving as a regular USN transport from 1943, BuNo 12418 was transferred to VX-6, NAS Patuxent River in 1955 and converted next year to R4D-5L for use in Antarctica. On 31st October 1956, it made the first ever landing at the South Pole, the crew of seven becoming the first humans there since the Royal Navy's Captain Scott reached the pole in 1912. Qué Será Será was presented to the Smithsonian Institute in 1958 and placed in store at its Silver Hill facility. In 1974 it was loaned to the Naval Aviation Museum but was damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Restored for display inside by 2011