HONOLULU (KHON2) — On a quiet corner of Ford Island, a moment in history is turning heads. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum is home to all three types of Japanese aircraft used in the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Housed in the museum are the Zero, the Kate and the Val.
Their stories are complex. Their presence is powerful. Visitors can walk amongst the machines that changed the world in one morning and learn what made them so deadly, and so rare.
The Val dive bomber was moved to the museum after a three-month journey. where it is safely housed Historic Hangar 79 in Pearl Harbor. The museum’s restoration team worked hard to bring the trio of Japanese aircraft used in the surprise attack together in one exhibit.
The Val, officially the Aichi D3A, is a two-person dive bomber used for precision strikes. It was designed to hit targets directly and with accuracy. It had a pilot and a gunner. Of the 1,495 Vals that were built, only a few survived the war and the passage of time.
The Val at the museum was assembled from parts of at least two aircraft found near a heavily bombed airstrip.
The Zero was a fighter plane with a single seat. It was fast, light and designed for aerial combat. Zeros flew ahead of the main attack to take out United States fighter resistance. They also protected the bombers as they returned to their carriers.
The Kate had a crew of three. It could carry one torpedo or one armor-piercing bomb. Kates were the first wave. Their torpedoes were aimed at Battleship Row. A later wave of Kates carried high-altitude bombs.
But this isn’t about showing off old machines. The Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum uses artifacts like the Val to teach, to preserve and to remember.
You can click here to learn more about the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in world history. Each aircraft helps tell a part of that story. Together, they form a larger picture.