Exploring the Cradle of Aviation Museum

Displayed in the Hempstead Plains Gallery, this is a replica of the Herring-Curtiss No. 1 Golden Flyer built by museum volunteers. It was the first commercial aircraft sale in the US and made its successful maiden flight in July 1909 on Long Island by the aviator Glenn Curtiss.

This is a replica of the Wright EX "Vin Fiz" biplane. Sponsored by a company promoting a new grape soda named "Vin Fiz", Cal Rogers completed the first transcontinental flight across the mainland US in this biplane in September 1911.

This is an original Blériot XI monoplane (#153), one of the ten oldest surviving aircraft in the world. Designed by Louis Blériot, its groundbreaking design helped pioneer early aviation and became the first airplane imported into the United States.

This is an original Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny,” America’s most famous WWI trainer. Charles Lindbergh bought this aircraft in 1923, his first plane, and used it for barnstorming across the Midwest. After years of being lost and damaged, it was restored and authenticated by Lindbergh himself.

This is an original Grumman G-21 Goose used by Pan American Airways. Designed as an amphibious eight-seat private plane, it saw major military use during World War II, with over 200 acquired by the Navy. Built from 1937–1945 (345 total), many remain flying worldwide.

This is an original Curtiss Robin, which began production in 1928. It set an endurance record in 1929 by managing to stay airborne for 420 hours through mid-flight refueling.

This plane is a Ryan Brougham, one of only two surviving sister aircraft to the Spirit of St. Louis. Built in 1928 and once flown by Charles Lindbergh, it later appeared in the 1955 film The Spirit of St. Louis, honoring Lindbergh’s historic nonstop New York–Paris flight in 1927.

This is the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, displayed in the World War II gallery. As the heaviest single-seat fighter during the war, it was armed with eight .50-cal machine guns and could also carry a heavy bomb load for ground-attack missions. This was the last P-47 ever built.

With many men at war, women filled industrial jobs on the home front. Period posters line the walls, including the iconic Rosie the Riveter, promoting productivity and encouraging women to join the workforce.

This Grumman F9F-7 Cougar, a swept-wing jet developed from the F9F Panther, is featured in the Jet Age gallery. First flown in 1951, it gave the Navy higher speeds to counter the MiG-15 in Korea. Armed with four 20mm cannons and rockets, it had dive brakes for bombing and carrier landings. 1,988 were built.

Pictured here is a Republic P-84 Thunderjet, one of the first U.S. jet fighters after World War II. First flown in 1946, it set a 611 mph speed record and entered service in 1947. Armed with six .50-cal machine guns plus rockets and bombs, later models, especially the F-84G, saw extensive use in Korea.

This is an original F-14 Tomcat cockpit, built by Grumman in the 1970s to replace the F-4 Phantom. Known for its spacious layout and pilot comfort, it featured plush seats and ejection handles between the legs rather than overhead.

This is the replica Gemini space capsule in the Space Age Gallery; it was part of NASA’s two-man Gemini program (1961–1966). The program developed critical techniques such as spacewalks, rendezvous, and docking that paved the way for the Apollo Moon landings.

This is the Grumman Lunar Module Mission Simulator, used at Kennedy Space Center (1968–1972). Every Apollo astronaut trained on this system, which recreated lunar landings using projection screens, cameras, and onboard controls. It is a rare, surviving artifact of Apollo-era training.

The Grumman F-11A Tiger was a supersonic carrier-based fighter designed for reduced drag. First flown in 1954, it was armed with four 20mm cannons and four Sidewinder missiles. The Blue Angels flew it for over a decade; 201 were built.

The Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is displayed in Jet Hangar 2. Selected in 1973 for close air support, it was built to destroy tanks at low altitude. Heavily armed with a 30mm GAU-8/A cannon and strong armor, it proved highly effective in the 1991 Gulf War.

The Grumman F-14A Tomcat was a two-seat Navy fighter first flown in 1970. Built for air superiority and fleet defense, it used advanced radar to track targets over 100 miles away. This Tomcat was the third ever built, and the oldest surviving example.

The Grumman A-6 Intruder, a carrier-based, all-weather attack aircraft first flown in 1959. Using advanced radar and computers, it could deliver up to 18,000 lbs of weapons in any conditions and saw extensive use in Vietnam and the Gulf War.