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An 8-foot model of aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise, stocked with 1/72 models of Dauntless dive bombers and Hellcat fighters, provides a fascinating three-dimensional look at Navy carrier operations of World War II at the EAA museum. AirVenture visitors Yan and Gary Tullius from Akron, Ohio, inspected the detailed diorama.
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| All hands on deck at the EAA museum—from a full-size F4U Corsair fighter to a miniature SBD Dauntless dive bomber, permanent exhibits in the EAA museum highlight the role of the U.S. Navy in winning World War II. |
The EAA AirVenture Museum’s Eagle Hangar features a permanent exhibit on the contributions of naval aviation to victory in World War II.
During this centennial of the U.S. Navy air power, museum visitors can place the remarkable World War II aircraft they see on the field in context with the battles they won as depicted in the Eagle Hangar.
A favorite stop is the 8-foot model of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, ready to launch planes with a deck filled with finely detailed, 1/72-scale models of SBD Dauntlesses, F6F Hellcats, TBM Avengers, and even a radar-equipped F4U Corsair night fighter for nocturnal protection against intruders.
The carrier glides through simulated waves, its hull bearing the incipient onset of mid-cruise rust.
Only the stiff sea breeze and the roar of radial engines are missing.
EAA’s amphibious Navy biplane J2F Grumman Duck graces the gallery floor, its bright prewar markings in sharp contrast to the camouflage that became mandatory with the war.
This particular Duck was formerly part of the stable of movie aircraft maintained by Tallmantz Aviation in California.
And in its own life-size aircraft carrier deck diorama rests an original F4U-4 Corsair fighter, its folding wings pointing skyward toward a railing where mannequin Navy crew members man their stations.
The carrier diorama includes a ready room where visitors can experience the feel and drama of wartime operations.
Extended hours have the museum open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during AirVenture this year, except for Thursday when a special event will close the museum at 3 p.m.
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