Own a piece of one of the most celebrated aircraft carriers in U.S. Naval history.
The USS Midway served for 47 years, longer than any aircraft carrier in the 20th century, supporting operations from the Cold War through Operation Desert Storm.
Today, through our partnership with the USS Midway Museum, authentic materials from the ship are being preserved and shared as PlaneTags. Each release highlights a different part of the ship’s story.
Shop the USS Midway Collection
More Than a Collectible
Each piece comes from components removed during ongoing preservation and exhibit updates aboard the USS Midway. Through our partnership with the museum, these materials are carefully repurposed to carry their story forward.
From propeller material to watertight doors below deck, each release represents a different part of the ship’s history.
A Piece of History, Beautifully Presented
Each USS Midway PlaneTag arrives in a premium collector’s box designed to make the experience feel as special as the piece inside. Along with an authentic piece of the USS Midway, the set includes a metal display card and an informational insert that shares the story and origin of the material.
Whether you display it, collect it, or give it as a gift, every detail is designed to preserve and celebrate a genuine piece of aviation history.
Stories Behind the USS Midway Collection
- by Dianna Lopez
The Rudders That Steered USS Midway
For nearly five decades, USS Midway traveled the world.
Midway crossed oceans, operated in the waters off Vietnam, became the first U.S. aircraft carrier permanently homeported overseas, helped evacuate thousands during Operation Frequent Wind, and served as flagship of naval air forces in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm.
Through all those miles, much of the machinery that kept the massive carrier moving remained hidden beneath the waterline. Among the most important were the rudders.
Today, USS Midway rests along Navy Pier in San Diego as one of America's most visited historic naval ships. But even at rest, preserving a nearly 1,000-foot aircraft carrier presents challenges few museums ever encounter.
In 2023, one of those challenges led to an extraordinary operation beneath the waters of San Diego Bay and, eventually, to the material behind the newest USS Midway PlaneTags.
- by Dianna Lopez
Life Aboard USS Midway: The Doors That Held It All Together
The newest Midway PlaneTags are made from authentic USS Midway watertight doors, including doors such as 2-75-6.
Located below deck, these doors connected the spaces where sailors lived and worked. Layers of paint and wear reflect years of daily use.
Open. Closed. Passed through thousands of times.
Through MotoArt’s partnership with the USS Midway Museum, this material has been preserved and given a second life.
- by Dianna Lopez
USS Midway History: Preserving the Materials of a Legendary Carrier
Working with a ship as historically significant as USS Midway carries a responsibility that goes beyond creation. Commissioned in 1945 and serving for nearly fifty years, Midway was not only a cornerstone of U.S. naval aviation, but a place shaped by daily work, movement, and life at sea.
This project, developed in partnership with the USS Midway Museum, is rooted in preservation first. The materials being used are not simply artifacts. They are elements that played essential roles in how the ship moved, operated, and sustained the people aboard her. Each piece tells a different part of Midway’s story, and together they offer a fuller picture of service aboard one of the most important aircraft carriers of the 20th century.
- by Dianna Lopez
USS Midway: A Legendary Aircraft Carrier and Its Lasting Legacy
Few ships in U.S. naval history have carried the weight, responsibility, and longevity of USS Midway.
More than an aircraft carrier, Midway is a symbol of American innovation, adaptability, and service. For nearly half a century, she sailed through some of the most defining moments of modern history, carrying generations of sailors and aviators who called her home.
At MotoArt, we believe stories like Midway’s deserve to be preserved with care. We are honored to be working on a special preservation project connected to USS Midway, and we look forward to sharing more as this story unfolds.