Last of the Gunfighters.  This F8U-1/F-8A, modex 412/BuNo. 143703, wears VF-154 colors from the late 1950s, and is painted for then-LTJG John "Crash" Miottel, the first Pacific Fleet naval aviator to carrier-qualify in the Crusader.

Although it was later capable of mounting Sidewinders, the F-8 was the last fighter designed to employ air-to-air guns as its primary weapon.  The Crusader mounted not one, not two, but four Colt Mk 12 20mm cannon, two on each side of the fuselage.  This is the business end of the starboard 20mms.  Over Southeast Asia, F-8s had the highest number of MiG kills per engagement of any American fighter in the war, which led to its unofficial nickname:  "MiG Master."

Last of the Scooters.  TA-4J, BuNo. 158137, wearing the classic two-tone blue adversary paint scheme of Fleet Composite Squadron Eight, "The World Famous Redtails."  Based at NS Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, VC-8 was the last Navy operator of the A-4 Skyhawk, using the "Scooter" to provide dissimilar air combat training to Atlantic Fleet air wings.  This particular TA-4J served with VC-8 as modex 00 until May 2003, when it was retired and acquired by the USS Hornet Museum (with assistance from the A-4 Skyhawk Association).  VC-8 itself is scheduled to disestablish in August 2003.

Last of the Grumman 'Cats.  F-14A, BuNo. 162689, in a colorful and somewhat unusual VF-101 "Grim Reapers" paint scheme, bearing the famous shark-mouth reminiscent of VF-111 (which disestablished some years ago).  At various points in its service life, this specific airframe served with several Atlantic Fleet fighter squadrons, including VF-41 "Black Aces" (as modex 101), VF-14 "Tophatters" (as modex 203), and VF-101 (as modex 265), before being retired on August 31, 2000.  The intake and engine nozzle covers appear to have been borrowed from VF-2.  The F-14 Tomcat, last in a storied line of Grumman naval fighters with feline names, will be leaving the fleet over the next few years as the F/A-18F Super Hornet enters service.

View aft from Elevator #2.  Hangar Bay 2 opens into one of Hornet's large deck-edge aircraft elevators, used to ferry planes between the hangar deck and the flight deck.  This is a view aft from the #2 elevator (obviously in the lowered position), down the port side of the ship.  The skyline of downtown San Francisco is visible in the background.