USS Intrepid

When visiting Manhattan, New York, be sure to stop by the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Located at Pier 86, World War II and Vietnam veteran carrier is home to a collection of over 30 aircraft displayed on the flight deck and inside the hangar. Latest addition to the exhibition is the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

The Intrepid museum opened in 1982 and closed in 2006 for a 1,5 year renovation. It is located on the west side of manhattan, Pier 86 at 46th street along the Hudson river in the Hell’s kitchen neighbourhood.

The museum has a nice variety of aircraft, all military except the British Airways Concorde. Some of the more interesting aircraft on display are described in details below. Some of the collection actually served on the Intrepid. Others are rare, like the A-12, F-14D, F-21 and A-6DSD. The UH-1A, is on of the few A models is believed to be one of two still in existence.

From 1966 the Intrepid made three Vietnam deployments, equipped with A-4 Skyhawks and A-1 Skyraiders. On of the A-1Hs from VA-176 shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-17 on 9 October 1966. After the Vietnam war Intrepid made several cruises on the Atlantic and Mediterranean. On 15 March 1974 it was decommissioned for the final time.

The carrier was moored in Philadelphia for several years and saved from being scrapped to become a museum ship in New York which opened in 1982. After the September 11 terrorist attacks it acted as FBI operations center.

F-21A

The only F-21 on display in the US is one on the deck of the Intrepid. 999734 is a former Israeli Defense Force IAI Kfir C.1 which was used by the US Marine Corps Fighter Training squadron 401 (VMFT-401). The Kfir was an improved IAI Nesher, an Israeli build Mirage 5, which first flew in 1973. Unlike other Kfirs in US service which featured a grey camouflage scheme this kept its original desert cammo, called the desert “Flogger”. This because it resembled MiG-23 characteristics, being fast (Mach 2+) and turns like a brick.

Between 1985 en 1989 the US Navy & Marine Corps leased 25 Israeli Kfirs. They were designated F-21 and operated by VF-43 and VMFT-401 as aggressors. After 1989 the F-21s were returned to Israel and replaced with F-5Es. In commercial use, ATAC also used 6 F-21s in the aggressor role.

F-14D Super Tomcat

Tomcat 157986 is one of the most special aircraft in the collection. The F-14A, was the 7th pre-production aircraft build. It first flew 9 September 1973. It was fitted with the P&W F401 engine which was proposed to replace the TF30 engines. It wasn’t a big success and the aircraft then designated F-14B (not the later F-14B production model) was put into storage.

Early 1981 the aircraft was modified and fitted with GE F101DFE engines. It was capable to catapult launch the F-14 without afterburner from a carrier. Despited the success the Navy didn’t follow up and the aircraft was put in storage again.

July 1984 the aircraft was modified once again, this time fitted with General Electric F110-GE-400. It was to be the engine of choice for the F-14A+, redesigned F-14B. Already called “Super Tomcat’ the aircraft was re-fitted once more. This time testbed for the F-14D new sensors and jammers were installed, an AN-APG-71 radar and a glass cockpit.

The aircraft owned by the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola is on loan to the Intrepid and is displayed in it’s original color scheme from the test era and with which the “Super Tomcat” was marketed.

A-6DSD

The A-6 162185 was one of the prototypes of the A-6F variant, which featured non-afterburning GE F404 turbofan engined used on the F/A-18, instead of the J52 turbojets fitted on the A-6E. Also new avionics and two additional pylons were fitted, bringing the total to 7. The first flight of the A-6F, which was marketed as “A-6DSD”, was on Aug. 2, 1987. The A-6F program got cancelled when the US Navy preferred the A-12 Avenger II, which in turn was cancelled.

Grumman proposed a cheaper alternative in the A-6G, which had most of the A-6F's advanced electronics, but retained the existing engines. This, too, was canceled.

Concorde

The BAe-101 Concorde, G-BOAD is placed on the pier adjacent to the Intrepid. This particular aircraft was nicknamed “Alpha Delta.” It first flew on August 25, 1976, and served with British Airways until November 2003. Alpha Delta set a world speed record for passenger airliners on February 7, 1996. It flew from New York to London in just 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. This record still stands today.

Space Shuttle

Inventory

(Noted during our visit April 2009.)

added since our visit.

To make room for the Space Shuttle Enterprise, 3 aircraft were transferred to the Empire State Aerosciences Museum near Schenectady, New York. These included the Douglas F3D, Royal Navy Scimitar and on of the MiG-15s.