This was the last production F-4B, entering service with VF-121 at NAS Miramar, CA in January 1967. By May 1972, deployed aboard USS Midway with VF-161 and was quickly credited with shooting down a MiG-19 over North Vietnam. Around 1973 it was upgraded to F-4N status and deployed aboard USS Coral Sea with VF-111. Later transferred to VMFA-314 and VF-154. Struck off at NARF Pensacola in late 1983 and put on show in its final colours as deployed aboard USS Coral Sea with VF-154 in 1982

Accepted as a CH-46A by HMM-164 at the end of 1965 and deployed to Vietnam till March 1967 when transferred to HMM-265 (MCAF Jacksonville). Returned to Vietnam in July 1967 on search and destroy missions against Viet Cong targets, also flying Raquel Welch and Bob Hope during their tour. Soon after, shot down but repaired by January 1968, only to crash in July. Again repaired and switched to HMM-165 and then HMM-164. Returned to HMM-165 and on to H&MS-36 in 1970 and to MASDC in 1972. Emerged in 1975 with the USN as a CH-46D and served various units ending with HC-6 from 1989. To museum in 2003

Taken on charge by the Navy as a UH-2B and flown by HC-2 with service aboard USS Shangri-La and USS America, around 1975 this Seasprite was converted to SH-2F for ASW work and was assigned to HSL-31 at NAS North Island, CA. In 1995 it was passed to the National Museum of Naval Aviation (registered N8064H) and by 2018 had undergone a superb restoration by Kaman Corp

This characterful helicopter was put into service with the US Army as H-25A 51-16610 in 1953, transferring to the USN in 1958 as HUP-3 BuNo 147607. Assigned to HU-2 at NAS Lakehurst, NJ, over 1961 and 1962 it saw service aboard USS Forrestal, USS Lake Champlain, USS Saratoga and US Randolph. Redesignated UH-25C, it was placed in storage at Litchfield Park in late 1962. After being struck off in 1963 it was sold as N4953S and arrived at Pensacola for the museum in 1988

Taken on the strength with the Marines in 1962, after loan periods with the USAF and US Army (used by the latter to carry President Kennedy in Dublin), this VH-3 joined HMX-1 in 1966. Among the VIPs carried were Presidents Nixon and Ford. In 1976 it moved to more regular work with the USN's HC-6 and HC-2 at NAS Norfolk and in early 2004 made a ferry flight to Pensacola for the museum where it was restored in its "Marine One" splendour

Assigned to VMCJ-3 at MCAS El Toro on acceptance in 1959 and redesignated from F8U-1P to RF-8A in 1962, then alternating between the Marines and Navy with VFP-62 at NAS Cecil Field (with whom it was converted to RF-8G in 1966), VMJ-4 at NAS Olathe and last after a period at MASDC from 1974, with VFP-63 at NAS Miramar. Went back to MASDC in 1982 where it was placed on Celebrity Row. Moved to the NNAM at Pensacola in 2007 and restored in its VFP-62 markings, unveiled in 2016

Accepted in 1955, this T-28 flew with VT-27 at NAS Corpus Christi, TX then VT-2 at Whiting Field, FL from 1972 till struck off in 1984

Accepted by the Navy in 1958, this F11F's service career encompassed VF-51 and VF-111 at NAS Miramar and VF-33 aboard USS Intrepid before transfer to VT-26 at NAS Chase Field, TX in 1966. In 1967 it was selected for the Pensacola-based Blue Angels and performed as ship #1, being turned over to the nearby NAM at the end of the 1968 season. It was later restored to its smart VF-33 colours and placed on display. With so many jets preserved in Blue Angles or Thunderbirds colours despite not have actually flown with them, it is refreshing to see the reverse happening

The Demon arrived too late for the Korean War and all 239 had been withdrawn by 1964 so it did not get to see action in Vietnam either. Both the original F3H-1 with Westinghouse engines and the later F3H-2 with Allison J71s were underpowered and troublesome, but became the design basis for McDonnell's F-4. This example had just over two years in service with VF-121 from acceptance in 1957, then going to the Naval Air Technical Training Center at Memphis. Put on show at NAS Cecil Field, FL in 1975, it arrived at the NAM in 1999. The F3H-2M Sparrow missile version became the MF-3B in 1962

This early Crusader entered service in June 1958 with VF-174 at NAS Cecil Field, FL in a training capacity. For 18 months from November 1960 it was assigned to VF-11 also at Cecil but deployed aboard USS Franklin D Roosevelt between February and October 1961, spending much of that time shore-based at Rota, Spain. In April 1962 it briefly returned to VF-174 before transfer to VU-2 at NAS Oceana, VA. Flown to the NAM at Pensacola in 1971 and presented as a VF-24 aircraft

This magnificent exhibit is the last surviving Marlin of the 285 built, although unfortunately now too hemmed in for a clear shot. Accepted in 1956, it served VX-1 and several patrol squadrons including VP-40 with which it deployed to SE Asia from 1965 to 1967. It made the last operational flight of a Navy flying boat in May 1967, landing in San Diego Bay. In 1968 it was flown from NAS North Island to Patuxent River and put into the care of the Smithsonian/National Air Museum. In 1977 it was tranferred by barge to Pensacola and by 1990 had undergone restoration, moving inside by 2011

Taken on charge in 1956, this Skyray operated with VF-141 aboard USS Bon Homme Richard, VF-23 at NAS Moffett Field and aboard USS Hancock, VMF(AW)-542 "Tigers" at MCAS El Toro, VMF(AW)-513 at NAS Atsugi, Japan, VMF(AW)-314 back at El Toro and VMF (AW)-114, MCAS Cherry Point. After redesignation from F4D-1 to F-6A in 1962, to NATC and NTPS Patuxent River. Ferried to Pensacola for preservation in 1969

Although now painted as a Naval Air Test Center aircraft, this Fury was in fact operated by VMF-232 "Red Devils", MCAS Kaneohe Bay, HI for its short service life in the mid-1950s. This is one of only two FJ-2s in preservation, although there are also a number of the more powerful FJ-3s surviving

This is actually an ex-USAF T-33A, 58-0480, presented to represent a Navy TV-2 during the Korean War period. It was obtained from the George T Baker Aviation School at Miami where it had been used as a ground instructional airframe registered N63311

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

Records suggest this Banshee did not in fact fly with VMJ-1 which served in Korea as painted, instead remaining in the US with training unit VMJ-2 and later two USN squadrons. After being retired in 1958 it was put on show as a children's plaything in a park at Vero Beach, FL, the cockpit being filled with concrete. From 1989 it underwent an extraordinary restoration at Pensacola for the NAM and is now presented with every instrument correctly in place

Although effectively only a stopgap model until more advanced helicopters were introduced, the HO5S was widely used in the Korean War by the USMC for observation, scouting and medevac. This example is displayed in the colours of VMO-6 with whom it served in Korea before being damaged and returned to the US after a brief detachment in Japan. Moving to VMO-1 at MCAS New River, NC it was civilianised as N8003E by 1963 and entered the Naval Aviation Museum around 1988