USN ATU-206, NAS Pensacola, FL, 1956 1:48 Scale Length 9.75" Width 9.5"
In 1825 the US Government realized the importance of Pensacola's location and the vast timber supply available in the region. The President ordered a Navy yard be built on the spot where NAS Pensacola is located today. Over the years the base was destroyed and rebuilt only to be destroyed again or abandoned. These things came about during the American Civil War, a hurricane and tidal wave and an outbreak of yellow fever. In 1911 with the first successful landing of an airplane on a ship and the later development of a mechanism to catapult launch an airplane the US Navy realized the potential of the airplane and in 1914 ordered the creation of the first Naval Air Station at Pensacola. Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, known as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation" has been responsible for training thousands of aviators for WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. It was through these training units located at Pensacola and elsewhere that pilots learned more about aircraft and the weapons available to them. The Gulf of Mexico provided a large area for weapons testing. Most of the aircraft used here were outdated as far as front line service was concerned but still provided valuable training.