Patuxent (Pax) River Naval Air Museum, Lexington Park, Maryland

An excellent museum with many aircraft that have been used at the Naval Air Station. The main hall opened a year ago and is beautifully light and airy, and currently uncrowded. The ajacent hangars also contain a lot of interesting stuff - well worth a visit.

Aircraft Reg'n Thumbs Notes
Beech (Raytheon) T-6A Texan II (Pilatus PC-9 Mk2) N8284M The prototype - developed from the PC-9 and winner of the US JPATS trainer contest.
Beech T-34B Mentor 140921 N34PR Was used by the Patuxent River Navy Flying Club.
Bell TH-1L Iroquois 157842 Search & rescue trainer version for the US Navy - 45 built.
Bell TR911X Eagle Eye scale prototype   2nd and sole remaining 7/8 scale tiltrotor prototype built by Scaled Composites. The Coast Guard had shown interest, but cancelled it.
Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight 152578 US Marines
Boeing X-32B None STOVL contender in the JSF competition, which was won by the X-35 in 2001.
Curtiss-Ely A-1 Triad replica None Replica of the Navy's first aeroplane, bought in 1911. This was built by the local EAA Chapter 478.
Douglas NA-4M Skyhawk 155049 SD-300 Built as an A-4F, this was modified as one of two prototypes of the A-4M, a close air support version for the Marines.
Douglas F4D-1 Skyray 134764 Marked "US Naval Test Pilot School".
Grumman E-2B Hawkeye 152476 Marked "Naval Air Test Center".
Grumman F-9J Cougar 144276 "NATC"
Grumman NF-14D Tomcat 161623 Marked "NAWC Aircraft Division" - Naval Air Warfare Center. An F-14A used for engine and systems testing for F-14D development, becoming an NF-14D.
Grumman NA-6E Intruder 156997 500 Marked "NAWC Aircraft Division".
Grumman S-2D Tracker 149240 240 Marked "Scientific Development Squadron One". The RL on the fin has lost an N - for Naval Research Laboratory.
Gyrodyne QH-50D DASH DS-1679 DASH = Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter.
Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite 161642 US Navy
Lockheed Martin X-35C None Carrier-based contender in the JSF competition, which beat the X-32 in 2001, and was developed into the F-35.
Lockheed S-3B Viking 159770 770 US Navy
McDonnell F-4J Phantom II 153071 SD-100 Marked "Naval Air Test Center".
McDonnell F/A-18A Hornet 161353 SD-120 This flew with the Blue Angels 1990-91.
North American RA-5C Vigilante 156643 "NATC"
North American T-2C Buckeye 158320 The last T-2 operated by the Navy - 3 flew as chase planes here until September 2015.
North American T-39D Sabreliner 150987 Used by McDonnell for F-18 radar development, hence the weird nose, and used as a systems demonstrator in the Naval Test Pilot School here.
Northrop Grumman RQ-8A Fire Scout 166414 VTOL UAV based on a Schweizer 330SP. Led to the MQ-8 which made its first flight at Pax River.
Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus contractor's model None Full-scale model of the Pegasus Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) which first flew in 2003.
Northrop T-38A Talon 623625 09 Marked "USNTPS US Naval Test Pilot School".
Raytheon AGM-88E AARGM   Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile - the latest version of the HARM.
Sikorsky NCH-53A Sea Stallion 151686 US Navy
Sikorsky RH-3A Sea King 148038 N421S Ex N421S. Beautiful new restoration as a UH-3A.
Vought A-7A Corsair 152658 Marked "Naval Air Test Center".
Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III model   Five of these mighty fighters were built, and all were scrapped.

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