ASW PATROL AIRCRAFT

Designed with extreme range and endurance in mind, the P2V can trace its origins to work carried out by Lockheed subsidiary Vega (and designer Mac Short in particular) into an aircraft combining a high aspect ratio wing with two then new R-3350 Radial engines. With Lockheed focusing its efforts on other high-priority designs like the P-38 and Ventura, it was not until the last months of the WWII that the prototype XP2V-1 Neptune finally flew. Aside from the previously mentioned features, the aircraft also had large Fowler for good short-field performance, a large weapons bay and two defensive turrets. It made its first flight on May 17th 1945. As if to prove the point about its range, the third production P2V-1 set a world distance record of 11,235 miles (18,077 km) in October 1946. The first of 838 Neptunes was delivered to the US Navy in March 1947, and the aircraft went on to serve as the standard ASW platform for many Western countries well into the 1960s such as France, the USA, the UK, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina and Canada. Built over seven distinct sub-types, the Neptune evolved into a superb maritime patrol aircraft, which was also produced in piston-engined from by Kawasaki in Japan. Aside from its use with the navies of the world, modified OP-2E Elint and AP-2H 'gunship' versions were also employed to great effect by the USAF and Army in Vietnam. Now fully retired from military service, near on 40 SP-2/Hs are gainfully employed as firebombers in North America.

The Aéronautique Navale Française received thirty-one P2V-6 Neptunes (twin-engined/ two Wright turbo-cyclone compound R-3350 of 3,500 hp) in the context of the MDAP (Mutual Defence Aid Pact) which operated between 1953 and 1969 within the 21F (1953-1966), 22F, 23F et 8S squadrons.

The first P2V-6 Neptune arriving at Orly on June 19th 1953. (ECPA)

The first example (BuAer 134638) landed at Orly on January 19th 1953, then was delivered to the 11F squadron (future 25F and 21F). Twenty-six were delivered in 1953 ; then they took delivery of five additionnal examples in early 1955. They were used over Algeria with an APS-33 radar as a minelayer/ recce/ ASW aircraft. Their nose and tail 20 mm turrets were removed and replaced by a glazed nose in 1957 and a MAD from 1955.

The dorsal one was kept but finally removed in 1962. 100,000 had been accumulated since 1953.

Variant	Number in the French Navy	BuAer	Status
P2V-6	6037	134640	returned to the USA
P2V-6	6054	134657	returned to the USA

The French Naval Aviation also operated thirty-four P2V-7s (then designated P-2H/ SP-2Hs in 1962) between June 1958 and August 1984 motorized with two Wright R-3350-32W Compound engines of 3,700 hp and two J34-WE-36 turbo jets added for extra thrust (3,196 lbs). They flew within the 23F, 24F, 25F (until 1983), 9S and 12S (until 1984 in the Pacific Ocean) squadrons. The first example (BuAer 144683) was convoyed by LV Bardon in April 1958. The P2V-7 Neptune BuAer 147569 'Yankee Echo' a.k.a. "Goldorak" operated by the 25F squadron, had been fitted with electronic warfare antennas and various equipement (ECM jammers, Exocet radar unit) in order to train French Navy warships and fighters. The French P2V-7 Neptune's fleet was composed by four subvariants which corresponded to their delivery batch and their BuAer : there were 16 Neptunes batch 144 000 and 146 000, 10 Neptunes batch 147 000 and finally 8 examples batch 148 000.

Variant	Number in the French Navy	BuAer	Status
P2V-7	7136	144685	museum Germany
P2V-7	7137	144686	scrapped
P2V-7	7138	144687	burned Tahiti
P2V-7	7139	144688	museum France
P2V-7	7140	144689	burned LaTontouta
P2V-7	7143	144692	display Netherlands
P2V-7	7145	146432	burned Tahiti
P2V-7	7152	146433	burned Tahiti
P2V-7	7154	146435	returned to US
P2V-7	7155	146436	returned to US
P2V-7	7156	146437	returned to US
P2V-7	7157	146438	museum Netherlands
P2V-7	7174	147562	storage Lorient
P2V-7	7177	147563	museum France
P2V-7	7183	147566	sold to Australian
P2V-7	7244	148331	burned Tahiti
P2V-7	7253	148333	stored Hoa
P2V-7	7262	148334	museum France
P2V-7	7264	148335	museum France
P2V-7	7266	148336	out of service Wallis Island

Specifications :

/	(US)	(FR)
LENGTH	91 ft 8 in	27. 94 m
WINGSPAN	103 ft 10 in	31. 65 m
HEIGHT	29 ft 4 in	8. 94 m
WEIGHTS	49 935 lb (empty)/ 79 895 lb (full)	22 650 kg (empty)/ 36 240 kg (full)
MAX SPEED	356 mph	573 km/ h
RANGE	2 500 nm	4 000 km
THRUST	7 000 (P2V-6)/ 7 400 + 7 800 (P2V-7) hp	7 000 (P2V-6)/ 7 400 + 7 800 (P2V-7) kW

1/ Electronic Equipment

P2V-6

Communications equipment -1 on board telephone. -1 HF transmitter linked to MF and HF receivers. -1 ten-frequency VHF. -1 UHF linked to a UHF radiogoniometer. -1 HF connection with ground troops (not permanently installed). Navigation -1 radio compass. -1 radiosonde . -1 beacon receiver. -1 GPI calculator. -1 PPI Tactical Display. -1 APS-33B radar linked to the GPI and the PPI, a bombardment calculator linked to a IFF transponder and a nondirectional interrogator. ESM counter-measures -1 receiver linked to the radiogoniometer. ASW Equipment -1 buoy receiver, for British T-45 and US SSQ-2B buoys. -1 magnetometer. -1 MAD. Misc. -Autopilot. -Sextant. -Oxygen equipment. -Searchlight (on the starboard wing).

  

P2V-7

Communications Equipment -1 on board telephone. -1 HF transmitter/receiver, later replaced with 2 HF transmitters/receivers linked to a teleprinter and encoding equipment. -1 ten-frequency VHF transmitter/receiver, later replaced by thirty-frequency gear. -1 UHF linked to the goniometer. Counter-Measures -They are linked to a radiogoniometer and an analyser. Navigation -1 astro-compass. -1 gyroscope. -1 magnetic compass. -1 bearing calculator. -1 doppler (only on batch 148 000). -1 radiosonde. -2 MH radio compasses. -1 Loran Charlie. -1 TACAN. -1 VOR/ILS. -1 radar-linked navigation calculator, and a tacical dispaly for the pilot and the navigator. -1 APS-20 radar linked to the directional IFF transponder. - IFF linked to the active/passive decoders. ASW equipment -1 four way buoy receiver linked to the gonio system. -1 passive Jezebel detector (only on batches 147 000 and 148 000). -1 active Julie detector (only on batches 147 000 and 148 000). -1 MAD. -1 smoke detector.

2/ Ordnance

P2V-6

• Three 20mm turrets (nose, tail, top) with a coordinated canon. In time, will be removed (see below).
• 2 x 8 rockets.
• 4 t of offensive weapons (mines, bombs, depth charges...) in the bom bay, on 16 racks.

P2V-7

• 2 x 8 rockets.
• 4 t of offensive weapons (mines, depth charges, bombs, Mk.43, Mk.44, L-4 torpedoes, SAR chains and recce sensors) in the bombe bay, on 16 racks.

More about

PHOTO GALLERY OF THE P2V-6/ -7 NEPTUNE. 3D P2V-6 NEPTUNE [ON "VIRTUAL FLYING CIRCUS" - PARTNER WEB SITE]. 3D P2V-7 NEPTUNE [ON "VIRTUAL FLYING CIRCUS" - PARTNER WEB SITE].