US Navy Helicopter Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
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US Navy Aircraft, From Wildcat to Tomcat

Carrier aircraft have details that land-based types do not: tailhooks, catapult fittings, strong landing gear and folding wings. These naval aircraft reference photos cover US Navy and Marine Corps types from WWII to the end of the Cold War. Most were photographed in Alameda, California, like our USS Hornet carrier packs. Start with the F-14A Tomcat (75 photos) or the TBM-3E Avenger (55 photos).

15 products

A carrier air wing, era by era

You can build a flight deck for almost any period from this collection:

  • WWII: the FM-2 Wildcat (27 photos) and the TBM-3E Avenger (55 photos). The Avenger flew from carriers against ships in the Pacific and against submarines in the Atlantic.
  • The early jet years: the FJ-2 Fury (28 photos) and the HUP-1 Retriever (35 photos). The HUP-1 is the 8th of 32 built, from 1948, and may be the oldest one still in existence.
  • Vietnam era: the TA-4J Skyhawk (31 photos) and the UH-34D Seahorse (47 photos).
  • Cold War fleet defense: the F-14A Tomcat, with 75 photos of the variable-sweep wing fighter.

All of these were shot on a Fujifilm X-T3 at 6240 × 4160 pixels.

Submarine hunters

Anti-submarine aircraft are rarely covered in walkaround books, and they are full of detail: radomes, sensor housings, weapon bays and antennas. This collection has 5 of them:

  • S-2E Tracker: 37 photos. This aircraft was restored in the colors of Sea Control Squadron 35 (VS-35).
  • S-3B Viking: 31 photos of the jet that replaced the Tracker.
  • SH-3H Sea King: 56 photos of the helicopter that served the US Navy from 1961 until 2006.
  • SH-2 Seasprite: 45 photos of the shipboard utility and anti-submarine helicopter.
  • SH-60 Seahawk: 87 photos of an HSM-78 "Blue Hawks" aircraft, photographed in Los Angeles.

The carrier itself

USS Hornet (CV-12) is an Essex-class carrier that fought in the Pacific in 1944 and 1945. The exterior pack has 307 photos and the interior pack has 327. Together they give you about 6.5 GB of the ship that carried aircraft like these. For more ships, see warships and submarines. For more interior reference of this kind, see military vehicle interiors.

What to look for on a naval airframe

When you study these packs for a build, check the parts that make a carrier aircraft different. Look at the tailhook and its fairing, the catapult attachment points and the wing fold joints. Look also at the heavier landing gear, and at corrosion around panels exposed to salt air. These are the areas kits often simplify.

Remember that preserved aircraft carry museum paint. The Tracker's VS-35 scheme is a restoration, for example. For a specific squadron and date, compare with period photos.

Frequently asked questions

Which aircraft fit a WWII Essex-class carrier diorama?

The Wildcat and the Avenger. Both served in the Pacific, and the USS Hornet exterior pack shows the kind of ship they flew from.

Is there a pack for the F-14 cockpit?

The F-14A pack is an exterior walkaround. Its product page describes the coverage and lists the photo count, so check it if you need a specific area.

I build models on commission. Can I sell a model I made using these photos?

Yes. The model you build is your own work, and you can sell it. The license covers unlimited projects and has no expiry. What you cannot do is resell the photos or the packs themselves.

Where can I find more jets from the same period?

The jet fighter reference page has the MiG-15, the Avon Sabre, the XF8U-1 Crusader prototype and the F-22.