Friday, March 28, 2008

Pearl Harbor: The Pacific Aviation Museum

Noah has developed an interest in military aircraft so he was eager to visit the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island.

Here's Ford Island as it appeared in a photo taken from a Japanese plane during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Arizona is one of the ships on the far side of the island. (National Archives and Records Administration)



The air control tower on Ford Island as it appears today.



Hangers on Ford Island after the attack. (Department of Defense)



Hanger 37 and the Pacific Aviation Museum.



Noah studies a diagram illustrating the different elements of the attack.



Noah leans on a torpedo.



Here he re-enacts Major Kong's ride from Dr. Strangelove.



The Mitsubishi A6M Zero.



The Grumman F4F Wildcat.



The North American B-25 Mitchell. This is the type of bomber used in the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942. That raid, planned and led by then Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese homeland.



Noah had a chance to defend the skies over Guadalcanal in this air combat simulator.



Leaning into the turn.



Closing in for his first kill.



Afterwards, Noah coolly described how he maneuvered behind his target and brought it down.