The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum invites you to a special ribbon cutting event on Saturday, August 19th, 10 AM-5 PM.
The Museum is proud to unveil our completely restored FM2 “Wildcat” aircraft. The aircraft was recovered from Lake Michigan in 1994, and was originally used to train pilots for aircraft operations such as landing and takeoff. These types of aircraft were flown off of USS Hornet CV8 during WWII in 1942. The Museum received this air plane in 2006, and this restoration project has taken over 5 years to complete.
This event will also be the inaugural opening of our six gallery exhibition “Sister Ship Row”. After months of preparation and design, “Sister Ship Row” exhibit recognizes and honors all 24 Essex-class carriers and tells each ship’s unique story and service to the country.
The Essex-class was a class of aircraft carrier of the United States Navy that constituted the 20th century’s most numerous class of capital ships. The class consisted of 24 vessels, which came in both “short-hull” and “long-hull” versions. Thirty-two ships were originally ordered; however as World War II wound down, six were canceled before construction, and two were canceled after construction had begun. No Essex-class ships were ever lost to enemy action, despite several vessels sustaining very heavy damage. The Essex-class carriers were the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s combat strength during World War II from mid-1943 on, and to be the heart of U.S. naval strength until the supercarriers began to come into the fleet in numbers during the 1950s and 1970s.
This daylong event includes a presentation by guest speaker Taras Lyssenko who recovered the Museum’s “Wildcat” from Lake Michigan on October 12, 1994.
The Museum is also hosting an Officers’ Tea on board that day. Our Museum staff invites visitors to enjoy a pot of tea plus a selection of tea sandwiches and delights in our Officer’s Wardroom on the second deck. Presale tickets for this event include admission to the Museum and are $30 for adults and $20 for youth. At door tickets may be available in limited quantities on day of.
Schedule of the Day
10:30 AM in Hangar Bay 3 – Wildcat unveiling and meet and greet with our Air Group Restoration Crew
11 AM – Captain’s Tea, Morning Seating
12:30 PM – Presentation by Taras Lyssenko in HB3
1:30 PM – Question and answer with Taras Lyssenko