@ Chantilly, VA
August 2018
This vintage Naval trainer hangs proudly at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the Smithsonian’s annex at Washington Dulles International Airport. First flown in 1935, the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N was a primary trainer built by the Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) in Philadelphia, PA. Nicknamed the “Yellow Peril” by the naval cadets, 816 N3N-3’s were built and 148 are still registered today. The U.S. Navy primary flight training schools used N3Ns extensively throughout World War II and a few of the seaplane version were retained for primary training at the U.S. Naval Academy. Retired in 1961, the N3N would be the last biplane in US military service. The N3N was unique in that it was an aircraft designed and manufactured by an aviation firm wholly owned and operated by the U.S. government (the Navy, in this case) as opposed to private industry. This example was restored and displayed at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum before being transferred to the Smithsonian.