Legends AD1001: Blue Angels F/A-18A Hornet

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Legends AD1001: Blue Angels F/A-18A Hornet

We are thrilled to partner with the Moffett Field Museum at NASA Ames Research Center for this release. The Museum preserves and shares the remarkable military and NASA history of Moffett Field, and this partnership will result in several releases that directly benefit their mission.

AD1001 features a remarkable piece of United States Navy, Blue Angel, and NASA history: a Lot 6 F/A-18A outer wing section. BuNo 161973 was a Lot 6 Hornet that flew with the Blue Angels as Blue Angel No. 1. On January 23, 1990, this aircraft was involved in a midair collision with Blue Angel No. 2 during formation practice near NAF El Centro, California. No. 2's pilot (flying BuNo 161524) ejected safely, and 161973 was flown back to El Centro despite major damage to its right outer wing. The aircraft's right outer wing was removed and replaced and the aircraft returned to service.

The outer wing eventually became NASA Ames property and survived years of outdoor storage, complete with investigation grease-pencil markings and physical evidence of the impact on the underside of the wing. By the time the Moffett Field Museum acquired it, the assembly had been stripped of nearly all serviceable components. The Museum is home to other notable NASA F/A-18 hardware and an entire Blue Angel Hornet airframe formerly used for wind tunnel testing. In their collection was another component we released last year: Air Drops cut from a panel removed from BuNo 161703.

Provenance. By the time it arrived at the Museum, removal paperwork for the outer wing was long gone. In this case, BuNo attribution was done using oral history and the known data about the mishap and the outer wing. 161973 is the only F/A-18A Blue Angel Hornet to be involved in a midair collision and to have its right outer wing removed as a result.

Sheet

TOPAS Data Plate TOPAS Multicolor TOPAS Rivet Hole TOPAS Solid (Blue or Yellow) Sheet 2 (Standard)

Product variants

Regular price: $82.50
Sale price: $82.50
Regular price

SPECIFICATIONS

AD1001 is cut from a right outer wing removed from BuNo 161973: a Lot 6 Hornet that flew with the Blue Angels as Blue Angel No. 1 and was retired as No. 5.

On January 23, 1990, this aircraft was involved in a midair collision with Blue Angel No. 2 during formation practice near NAF El Centro, California. No. 2's pilot (flying BuNo 161524) ejected safely, and 161973 was flown back to El Centro despite major damage to its right outer wing. The aircraft's right outer wing was removed and replaced and the aircraft returned to service.

The outer wing was acquired directly from the Moffett Field Museum located on NASA Ames Research Center.

AD1001 features art by James Martin.

Sheets:

TOPAS (Sheet 1): TOPAS (The Original Production Archive Sheet) Air Drops are the first made cards and come sealed in a magnetic case with a metallic security sticker. Located inside the magnetic case is an NFC tag that is embedded with a locator sheet that will show you exactly where your Air Drop was cut from.

Each TOPAS Air Drop ships in a tin featuring the card art, a serialized TOPAS COA, a sticker.

AD1001 TOPAS Air Drops are offered in Rivet Hole (Air Drops that feature a rivet hole, printed on a matte silver card), Multicolor (Blue and Yellow), Data Plate (on a shiny silver card), and Solid (white card). Color fulfillment (Blue or Yellow) for the Rivet Hole and Solid Air Drops is random.

NOTE: TOPAS Multicolor, Rivet Hole, and Solid Air Drops are pictured prior to be sealed in their magnetic housing. They will ship sealed with a tin (as pictured in the TOPAS Data Plate image).

Sheet 2+: Our Standard Issue Air Drops are identical to TOPAS Air Drops in construction, but ship in a custom bag and do not come with the case, NFC, or registry card. AD1001 Standard Air Drops are randomly fulfilled. Most are Blue or Yellow. Additionally, 4 Data Plate Air Drops, 5 Rivet Hole Air Drops, and 5 Opal holographic Air Drops are mixed into Sheet 2 and will be randomly fulfilled amongst Sheet 2 orders.