The museum
The Essex-class aircraft carrier USS LEXINGTON (CV-16), nicknamed the Blue Ghost, survived combat in the Pacific and later served as a training carrier. Established as a museum in Corpus Christi in 1992, the ship presents naval aviation as a working part of carrier operations, not simply a row of static exhibits.
The Essex-class aircraft carrier USS LEXINGTON (CV-16), nicknamed the Blue Ghost, survived combat in the Pacific and later served as a training carrier. Established as a museum in Corpus Christi in 1992, the ship presents naval aviation as a working part of carrier operations, not simply a row of static exhibits.
Carrier operations, US naval aviation, World War II and Cold War-era aircraft; preserved Essex-class aircraft carrier and shipboard aviation spaces.
What defines the collection
Carrier operations, US naval aviation, World War II and Cold War-era aircraft; preserved Essex-class aircraft carrier and shipboard aviation spaces.
What to expect
The accessible flight deck carries aircraft from multiple generations of naval aviation; visitors can also examine arresting gear, the navigation bridge, anti-aircraft mounts and the hangar deck. The museum describes 20 aircraft on the flight deck. The listed types below are a selected inventory and should not be mistaken for a complete set of tail-number identities.
What the museum holds
20 aircraft aboard on the flight deck
The inventory below separates what the museum or its sources say the institution holds from the smaller set of aircraft histories already connected to the Air Archive.
- Douglas A4D SkyhawkOn Display
- Douglas A4D SkyhawkOn Display
- Grumman TBF/TBM AvengerOn Display
- Grumman A-6 IntruderOn Display
- Grumman F-14 TomcatOn Display
- Grumman F9F Panther / Cougar familyOn Display
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 HornetOn Display
- McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIOn Display
- McDonnell F2H BansheeOn Display
- LTV A-7 Corsair IIOn Display
- Beechcraft T-34B MentorOn Display
- Bell AH-1S CobraOn Display
- Douglas KA-3B SkywarriorOn Display
- Douglas SBD-3 DauntlessOn Display
Open full museum-listed inventory (19 entries)
| Aircraft | Status | Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft T-34B Mentor | On Display | — |
| Bell AH-1S Cobra | On Display | — |
| Douglas A4D Skyhawk Douglas A-4 Skyhawk (Blue Angels display) | On Display | — |
| Douglas A4D Skyhawk Douglas A-4B Skyhawk | On Display | — |
| Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior | On Display | — |
| Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless | On Display | — |
| Douglas TA-4 Skyhawk | On Display | — |
| Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger General Motors TBM-3E Avenger | On Display | — |
| Grumman A-6 Intruder Grumman A-6E Intruder | On Display | — |
| Grumman F-14 Tomcat Grumman F-14 Tomcat | On Display | — |
| Grumman F9F Panther / Cougar family Grumman F9F-8T Cougar | On Display | — |
| McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet | On Display | — |
| McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II McDonnell F-4A Phantom II | On Display | — |
| McDonnell F2H Banshee McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee | On Display | — |
| Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Yellow Peril | On Display | — |
| North American SNJ-5 Texan | On Display | — |
| North American T-28B Trojan | On Display | — |
| North American T-2C Buckeye | On Display | — |
| LTV A-7 Corsair II Vought A-7B Corsair II | On Display | — |
Aircraft histories connected to this museum
These links connect museum holdings to aircraft histories already in the Trackpads Air Archive. They are not intended to imply that every museum aircraft has a dedicated archive profile yet.