Lockheed |
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P-2 / P2V
Neptune
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P2V-7
Photo: Robert Deering 1986
National Museum of Naval Aviation
NAS Pensacola (NPA)
Pensacola, Florida |
The Lockheed
P-2 Neptune (designated P2V by
the United
States Navy prior
to September 1962) is a maritime
patrol and anti-submarine
warfare (ASW)
aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy
by Lockheed to
replace the Lockheed
PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon,
and was replaced in turn by the Lockheed
P-3 Orion.
Designed as a land-based aircraft, the
Neptune never made a carrier landing, but a
small number were converted and deployed as
carrier-launched (using JATO assist),
stop-gap nuclear bombers that would have to
land on shore or ditch. The type was
successful in export, and saw service with
several armed forces. |
Variants
Lockheed produced seven main
variants of the P2V. In addition,
Kawasaki built the turboprop-powered
P-2J in Japan.
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XP2V-1
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Prototype, two built. Powered by
two 2,300 horsepower (1,700 kW) Wright
R-3350-8 engines
with four-bladed propellers,
with armament of two .50 in
machine guns in nose, tail and
dorsal turrets, and 8,000 pounds
(3,600 kg) of stores in an
internal bomb bay.
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P2V-1
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First production model with
R-3350-8A engine. Provision for
16 5-inch (127 mm) HVAR or
4 11.75
-inch
(300 mm) Tiny Tim rockets
underwing; 14 built.|
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P2V-2
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Second production model, powered
by two 2,800 horsepower
(2,100 kW) R-3350-24W engines
driving three-bladed propellers.
Nose turret replaced by "attack"
nose fitted with six fixed 20 mm
cannon. First eight aircraft
retained Bell tail turret fitted
with twin .50 (12.7 mm) machine
guns, with remaining aircraft
using Emerson tail turret with
twin 20 mm cannon. 80 built.
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P2V-3
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Improved patrol bomber with
3,200 horsepower (2,400 kW)
R-3350-26W engines with jet
stack engine exhausts. 53 built.
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P2V-4
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Improved anti-submarine
aircraft. Fitted with AN/APS-20
search radar and provision for
dropping sonobuoys with
additional dedicated sonobuoy
operator. Underwing tip-tanks
added, with searchlight in nose
of starboard tip tank. Gun
Turrets in tail and dorsal
position. First 25 aircraft
powered by 3,200 horsepower
(2,400 kW) R-3350-26WA engines,
with remaining 27 powered by
3,250 horsepower (2,420 kW)
Wright R-3350-30W turbo-compound
engines. 52 built in total.
Surviving aircraft redesignated P-2D in
1962.
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P2V-5
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Fitted with Emerson nose turret
with two 20 mm cannon replacing
solid nose of earlier versions,
while retaining dorsal and tail
turrets. New, larger,
jettisonable tip tanks, with
traversable searchlight slaved
to nose turret in front of
starboard tip-tank and AN/APS-8
radar in nose of port tip-tank.
AN/APS-20 search radar under
fuselage. Later aircraft
featured glazed observation nose
and MAD gear
in place of nose and tail
turrets, and revised crew
accommodation, with many earlier
aircraft refitted. Dorsal turret
often removed. 424 built.
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P2V-6
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Multi-role version with
lengthened weapons bay and
provision for aerial minelaying
and photo-reconnaissance.
Smaller AN/APS-70 radar instead
of AN/APS-20. Initially fitted
with gun turrets as P2V-5,
though retaining the ability to
be refitted with glazed nose. A
total of 67 were built for the
US Navy and France. Redesignated P-2F in
1962.
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P2V-7
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Last Neptune variant produced by
Lockheed, powered by R-3350-32W
and J-34 engines. Fitted with
lower drag wingtip tanks,
AN/APS-20 search radar in a
revised radome and a bulged
cockpit canopy. Early aircraft
were fitted with defensive gun
turrets but these were removed
as for the P2V-5. 287 were
built, including 48 assembled by
Kawasaki in Japan. Redesignated P-2H in
1962.
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P2V-1
"Truculent Turttle"
Photo: Robert Deering 1986
National Museum of Naval Aviation
Pensacola,
Florida |
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P2V-7 Photo:
Robert Deering 1971
Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
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Design
and Development
Development of a new land-based patrol
bomber began early in World War II, with
design work starting at Lockheed's Vega subsidiary
as a private venture on 6 December 1941. At
first, the new design was considered a low
priority compared to other aircraft in
development at the time, with Vega also
developing and producing the PV-2
Harpoon patrol bomber. On 19
February 1943, the U.S. Navy signed a letter
of intent for two prototype
XP2Vs, which was confirmed by a formal
contract on 4 April 1944 with a further 15
aircraft being ordered 10 days later. It was
not until 1944 that the program went into
full swing. A major factor in the design was
ease of manufacture and maintenance, and
this may have been a major factor in the
type's long life and worldwide success. The
first aircraft flew in May 1945. Production
began in 1946, and the aircraft was accepted
into service in 1947. Potential use as a
bomber led to successful launches from
aircraft carriers.
Beginning with the P2V-5F model, the Neptune
became one of the first operational aircraft
fitted with both piston and jet engines. The Convair
B-36, several Boeing C-97
Stratofreighter, Fairchild
C-123 Provider, North American
AJ Savage, and Avro Shackleton aircraft
were also so equipped. To save weight and
complexity of two separate fuel systems, the Westinghouse
J34 jet engines on P2Vs burned
the 115–145 Avgas fuel of the piston
engines, instead of jet fuel. The jet pods
were fitted with intake doors that remained
closed when the J-34s were not running. This
prevented windmilling, allowing for
economical piston-engine-only long-endurance
search and patrol operations. In normal US
Navy operations, the jet engines were run at
full power (97%) to assure takeoff, then
shut down upon reaching a safe altitude. The
jets were also started and kept running at
flight idle during low-altitude (500-foot
(150 m) during the day and 1,000-foot
(300 m) at night) anti-submarine and/or
anti-shipping operations as a safety measure
should one of the radials develop problems.
Normal crew access was via a ladder on the
aft bulkhead of the nosewheel well to a
hatch on the left side of the wheel well,
then forward to the observer nose, or up
through another hatch to the main deck.
There was also a hatch in the floor of the
aft fuselage, near the sonobuoy chutes.
SOURCE: Wikipedia
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SPECIFICATIONS:
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PERFORMANCE: |
Span:
103 ft., 10 in. |
Maximum speed:
345 M.P.H. at 10,000 ft |
Length:
91 ft., 4 in. |
Cruising
speed:
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Height:
29 ft., 4 in.| |
Range:
2,200
miles |
Empty
Weight:
47,456lb |
Service
ceiling:
22,000
ft |
Gross
Weight:
75,500 lb. |
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Crew:
9-10 |
Engines:
Two 3,500 horsepower R-3350-32W engines and two 3,400 lb. J34-WE-34 turbojets |
Armament:
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SOURCE:
National Museum of Naval Aviation |
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1959 DOD Aircraft
Recognition
Manual Page |
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