HARS neptune test flight 14 04 19

Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Lockheed SP-2H (P2V-7) Neptune on a test flight from the HARS Museum on 14 April 2019 from the Illawarra Regional Airport, Albion Park , NSW Australia. Video captured of some pre flight checks, the start up, taxi and take off from the airport. The immaculately maintained ex RAAF maritime surveillance aircraft did a circuit over Wollongong . All three of HARS Lockheed Neptunes and a P3 Orion were on display that day.

[@jeffwilkens7824]

I spent three years maintaining these. In some ways I liked them better than the p3 if you could get past no heat or ac on the ramp. Flew in one back from Rota to the Midwest, took three days, Once had the opportunity to fly at night in the nose. What a view. Neptune, gone but not forgotten, Thanks for reminding of the dulcet tones of an r3350

[@daveaustin6676]

I’m really dating myself, as US Navy pilot I flew P-2V7s in 1969. My squadron VP-2 departed Vietnam Nam in September 1969 as the last P-2 VP squadron in country. What a fun airplane, I felt like a part of history in that old machine. However, not fun flying low and slow with no air conditioning during the summer of 69. Returned the next year in P-3s, much more pleasant flying. This does bring back a pitter pat.

[@chrisniehaus4766]

I think VP-9 relieved you in the P-3B ? Never dreamed I'd be flying SP-2H in 1973 with VP-94. Loved my P-2 time.

[@denislove9838]

Six years flying as flight engineer on Neptune's in the RCAF was the highlight of my flying days. I notice the guys pulling through the props which we never did as the clutch on the starter system did the work for us. Twelve blades ignition on and the 3350 was running. Got pretty used to the P2V7 after three or four thousand hours

[@coolhand1964]

I imagine replacement clutches would be hard to come by and rather expensive these days.

[@anthonycapanas2932]

When those propellers are turning, and the sound of those 3350s running , what a sight to appreciate that this Neptune is alive. Love the sound of the brakes squealing when applied. Keep her flying well.

[@roydenpowell8759]

Worked on this one (273) at 2AD Richmond just prior to the Orions replacing them. On test flights over the Blue Mountains I always managed to occupy the nose seat whilst we did stalls....thrilling experience!

[@andgate2000]

Stalls????????

[@roydenpowell8759]

@@andgate2000 Yeh....progressively reducing airspeed, nose goes up a bit, then the aircraft loses lift and down we go nose first to gain sufficient airspeed to level out and continue flying.

[@johnemerson1363]

Oh WOW! This brings back memories of my life in the US Navy in the Med in the late 1960's. I was aircrew in the SP2H. I remember the start up and taxi very well. The brakes squeal like they are supposed to. I loved to fly the nose position during MAD operations. Thank you for the memories.

[@curtgomes]

While in the Navy in the mid 1960s I was attached to a squadron that flew S2Fs. On one occasion I went on a ride with a VP squadron in a P2V Neptune. I spent most of that hop riding in the plexi glass nose position. It was very cool. I remember the seat was on a sliding rail that allowed a view from the very front of the nose. My one job was to make sure the nose landing gear was down and the linkage locked in place. There was a ladder from the top catwalk (?) down into the wheel well. I can still see the ground flying by. Quite a ride.

[@GTVAlfaMan]

I was a 19 year old AW fresh out of A-school in NAS Memphis, TN in 1975. I was slotted for my first US Navy training flight in a P2V Neptune, we all did preflight, but the plane caught fire and my flight was scrubbed. I never got to fly in the Neptune, I went to Sigonella Sicily and patrolled the Med in P3C Orion planes for the rest of my Navy service.

[@BaldurSveins]

Noted another Neptune and also a P-3 Orion. These are aviation treasures and I bow to HARS for doing this job for Aviation History.

[@martingrant6081]

Love those planes. My late dad was in one of the first two crews from the RAF who were sent to the USA to Lockheed’s to pick up the first aircraft. They hadn’t started to build the two RAF aircraft when he got there so the six week trip took six months ! I was about three years old when he went, I’m 71 now, and we would often stand underneath the example held by the RAF museum at Cosford to admire the photograph of WX505 on the details sign. . . . Dad often fly in her ! He has a great story about H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh in a Neptune. . . For another day maybe .

[@pungarehu]

And the story is? - come on you have to tell us now!!!

[@Mark13091961]

Ha who did Phil insult this time?

[@jamesroets800]

Never get tired of seeing those.

[@Flying4Film]

I had the chance to stand next to one years ago and I was shocked at how big it was. Such an awesome looking plane.

[@windwizard100]

In 1966 and 1967 I was stationed at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico with VC-8. I was crew on one of beautiful birds. My favorite spot was in the nose. When we went through clouds and came out into the clear, if you were looking down it was a major rush. We used to drop ryan drones from them so the jet jocks could practice their aim. Great days. Great duty station.

[@hughcallery7540]

Great video! Brought back good memories. Was stationed at the Brunswick NAS (AT rating) in Maine during the sixties for three years. As I recall, we had five VP squadrons. Started my tour of duty in '65 with P-2 Neptunes and ended with the P-3 Orions. Also enjoyed the Millington NAS references since that is where I went to "A" school. Thanks.

[@johnemerson1363]

Good memories! I was in Brunswick with VP-23 from 1967 to 1970. I was with crew 7. Got over 300 hours in the P-2, then went to VP-11 and flew in P3-A's. Yes, five squadrons. VP-10, VP-11, VP-21, VP-23, and VP-26.

[@tracyedwards5400]

Dad was in VP-21 at Brunswick in the 60's. I was a 3 to 4 year old Navy Brat there in 64 to 65. Dad (Ralph Edwards) was known as" Pappy" To everyone that knew him in the Navy.

[@Chris_at_Home]

My older brother was an AO in VP-10 in the mid 60s. He was in an accident from flares that put him in the hospital. I was in VP-23 as an AX 72-75

[@Chris_at_Home]

@@tracyedwards5400 I used to go to Brunswick to see my older bother about then. I was about 11-12. I was stationed there in the early 70s. I went back about 15 years ago and it was different.

[@CV-ee3tk]

Have over 1000 hrs in these beautiful birds. AW1 Acoustic seat (JEZ) South Weymouth, Brunswick, RESASWTAC East, Willow Grove PA as instructor and NATOPS evaluator.. moving into the P3's in '72. These were tough aircraft and extremely fun to fly in. Really miss those days. Hats off to HARS for keeping some of these flying.

[@johnbishop6045]

I've lost count of all the times I've seen a beautiful looking plane like this for the first time only to discover it was built by Lockheed, and almost always designed by Kelly Johnson and his team.

[@ronmeidlinger249]

Lockheed sure knew how to build beautiful round engine airplanes

[@debbiedragon6677]

I had just finished Army Redeye Missile Gunner training at Fort Bliss Texas around March 1969. I don't remember how I found the the 'hop' at El Paso Texas but I landed up on a Neptune that went to New Orleans naval air station. We took off without the support of the 'jets.' I sat in the back after crawling over what I think was the fuel tank. I sat in a 'high chair' below a small skylight above and a small window to my side. From New Orleans I caught another hop to Pensacola on a DC (3, 5?) navy passenger type plane. It had just dropped off naval reservists at New Orleans and my Army buddy and I were the only one's (beside a navy medic) on the return trip to Pensacola. One of the engines (4 engine) was feathered. The pilot I was told was a WW2 fighter pilot. He came back at talked with us as the the controls and door to the cockpit shook back and forth. The medic told us he could fly a plane with out an engine. My buddy and I spent the night in a Navy barracks. At first we were refused but we were told by the pilot of the DC that if there was any problem to contact him. We gave his name to the navy guys and as they called all we could hear was 'yes sir' Blankets and bedding came out and we slept in a navy barracks. Next day we were what you would call 'oddities' for the Navy personel. Also, next morning we were to fly with this pilot to DC as he was flying some VIP's; but on the way to the runway we were in a car with another pilot who was flying to Flatbush New York.. Much closer to my home in NJ and my buddy in Newport RI. We accepted and when we arrived at the airfield low and behold was another Neptune; reservists on their way to Flatbush NY. My BIGGEST REGRET EVER was not accepting the offer to fly in the 'greenhouse.' I was just happy to arrive home on leave alive. Thank you Neptunes! My buddy and I may have been the only Army guy's to have flown on not one but two of these. A few years ago I climbed aboard a Neptune at an air show in Pennyslvania. You paid a buck and got onboard. I finally went into the 'greenhouse' and once again kicked myself for not doing it back when. Great plane and I want to thank Naval Air for their help in returning me home.

[@afterburner2869]

I once built a model of the Lockheed Neptune when I was a kid. I hung it from my ceiling with about 30 other models!

[@martinglaze796]

Great video, I was a plane captain (engineer) in VP-46 NAS North Island, San Diego Calif. in 1961,62. We had P2V5F's and P2V-7S. My aircraft was P2V-7 Buno # 143178 . We flew 8 to 20 hr patrols out of North Island and Barbers Point Hawaii . The squadron moved to NAS Moffett Field Sunnyvale Calif. in early 1963 and were 1st squadron on the west cost to get P3V,s. This was a great time in my life.

[@n6mz]

The P2V "Truculent Turtle" made one of the most incredible flights in history from Perth, Western Australia, to Columbus, Ohio USA. Look it up, you'll love this beautiful aircraft even more.

[@terryboehler5752]

I remember that

[@albertjones1386]

I grew up in the 1950s in a small town south of Boston, Massachusetts and was near the South Weymouth Navel Air Station. I would see a P2V Neptune almost every day among the other planes that were being sent out to the Atlantic Ocean on sub patrol. Thanks for posting

[@markhayes100]

Hey Albert, I’m a little behind you but my parents first home 62-76 was roughly a mile from the end of the one of the runways at NAS S Weymouth. I spent a lot of time admiring Neptune’s, A4 Skyhawks and later P3 Orion’s passing over us. We must have been lined up with the runway, they would pass right over us at roughly 500 feet taking off or landing depending on the wind direction. Love the sound of a big radial!

[@albertjones1386]

@@markhayes100 Well I moved to Hanover in 1949 and left in 1968 and moved to Marshfield. Yes. I saw all those planes as well as the Lockhead Super Connies EC 121s. That plane was always a favorite of mine. Also the blimps that would fly over all the time. Wonder if you ever got into the big hanger (I remember when there were 2). I did several time. One time I was with the Boy Scouts and we were allowed into the cockpit of a blimp that was inside. Saw many an airshow especially when the Blue Angels were there. If you are interested, there is a fellow from Hanover by the name of Marc J Frattasio who has written a 700 page book called "The Defenders of Freedom" He served as a crewman aboard a P-3. He has written a lot of other books and also is an avid model railroader and railroad historian.

[@larrymcgill5508]

My first flight in a US Navy aircraft was in a P2J Neptune at NAS Memphis when I was going through operator school. Half way through the flight we blew a jug on the port engine and had to return with the J60 jet engines running. Still a great experience. The wing spar runs all the way through the aircraft and to get to the rear of the aircraft you had to climb over the “hump”. The long “stinger” on the tail is the Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) boom. It was used to detect magnetic variations in the earth magnetic field, i.e. a submarine. The MAD operator sits in that blister in the nose. Best seat in the house. In my career I also flew as an operator in the S2G Tracker (“stoof”), SH3 Sea King, S3A Viking, and finally the P3C Orion. It was a great adventure I wouldn’t have traded for anything.

[@larrywiggin3489]

Flew with VP 915 based at NAS South Weymouth Mass in the mid 60’s, nice bird lots good memories flew all over the place, off the coast of Maine, Mass, Florida, Bermuda, great crew lots of air time hard work and fun!

[@williamc.1198]

Neat! In the early 70's when I was stationed at NAS Key West, I flew several missions with VP-94 SP-2H acft. Ours were painted light grey and white. During launches and recoveries us back-end guys sat on the deck in the radio compartment. I was told this was done because if the acft had an accident, the tail usually broke off aft of the radio compartment! BTW, sitting in the forward observer's seat in the nose was a real trip! I usually flew as the aft port observer and we normally chained the side window open as the acft had no airconditioning and we flew pretty low on ASW missions. Great old plane. I also crewed EC-121Ms, US-2Bs and C-1As.

[@mikewalsdorf8744]

I worked on these babies with VP-94 NAS New Orleans as a Reservist (AT) 1972-1978.

[@NavyCWO]

@@mikewalsdorf8744 You may have been deployed when I flew with VP=94 our of NAS Boca Chica (Key West).

[@mikewalsdorf8744]

@@NavyCWO Yes, we flew to Key West in the mid-seventies and then we flew to Bermuda. We made several trips to NAS Jacksonville also in the 70's. I was an AT-3 and took the AT-2 test when I left in 1978.

[@humbertocarreira175]

P-15 is in my heart long time.I LOVE A LOT THAT AIRCRAFT.

[@Zany4God]

The beautiful P2V. Used to see them mostly flying low over my submarine off the coast of California. The was also a pair of Hunter / Killer Skyraiders who would interrogate us by a low pass, and then there was also the S2Fs. What an awesome time in my life.

[@jameszoerb2892]

I flew the Jez seat on a -5 out of sand Point NAS Seattle 1962-65. One trip the copilot was scheduled to feather and he picked the starboard engine. Soon they realized the feather button was stuck in the down position. afraid to try to restart the pilot tried to start the starboard jet but it was no go so he tried the port jet and it was also a no go. Luckily we had the altitude to make it to NAS Whidbey. The pilot was really mad and ground crew found the spark plugs on both jets fouled badly. We R5D'd it to Sand Point and got home late and met a worried wife.

[@balvinabennett8710]

How old is this Beauty.

[@balvinabennett8710]

How old? It's this beautiful Airplane?

[@curtgomes]

I was at NAS Alameda and flew as a crew member on an S2F. I remember flying over and a submarine once or twice about 20 miles out. In those Cold War days the Russians were known to have approx. 600 diesel subs. A wonderful book about sub operations in the mid 60s titled "Blind Man's Bluff".

[@KB2WDO]

NADC Johnsville PA. 4 P-2s and 2 EC-121Ks. ATN3 Radioman's dream !! Great flying. Thanks for the memories.

[@kevinmassey2467]

My father was the Aviation Electrician Chief on board VP-21's, LH-3 flying out of Brunswick, Maine in the early 1960s. I never get tired of hearing his stories about some of their harrowing flights. One story, they were flying out of Thule, Greenland and had been assigned iceberg spotting and tracking. The pilot tried to talk the Squadron CO out of it due to decreasing low ceiling. No good. Go do your job. Due to increasing clouds they were flying about 100' off of the ocean. My Dad was in the plexiglass nose cone looking ahead. Suddenly they broke out of a cloud bank and were racing right at a gigantic iceberg! My father screamed, "PULL UP!" into his mic! The Pilot didn't hesitate he jerked the yoke back into his gut and firewalled the throttles. My father said they were so close that he almost could have reached out and touched it as the plane went vertical. Had they hit it? They would just have been listed as Missing On Patrol. My Dad is 91 and still going. They were a different breed!

[@robbrown5702]

I grew up on a small island off the mid coast area of Maine. These guys would fly low over my Dads house on their way to or from Brunswick Naval Air Station. I remember one day being able to see the crew in the cockpit as they banked over the nearby Grange hall. There still is a gate guardian at the now civilian retired base. It seemed as though the air was full of military aircraft as Dow Air Force base was also within 50 miles.

[@raymondcote6669]

Thanks for the great video. I flew in the P2V aircraft out if Alameda NAS in the 1961-62!time frame. I was a 2nd class petty officer, electronics and deployed sonobuoys outside San Francisco. I also Manned the forward observation station in the nose. Great memories

[@sleggett41]

Ah, the Neptune! My father was airframes (hydraulics) with VP-64 at Willow Grove. He was with them with the P-2s and then as they transitioned to the P-3. I remember my brother and me sneaking up into the cockpits of a P-2s sitting in hangars awaiting maintenance. My father would often tell the tales of flying to Rota Spain for drills and coming home with the plane full of shrimp. We ate well when he flew to Spain!

[@georgebrady1060]

WOW, what a beauty. Brought back memories of when I was a P2V-5F plane captain/flight engineer. Lots of hours bring holes in the sky over the Atlantic in the early '60's. Caught a Soviet diesel sub with our Sniffer gear that had just submerged. He was way out in the shipping lanes and "legal".

[@bobmacdonald9883]

O

[@stevepaul9192]

OMG SNIFFER only a sub hunter would know,, Right Julie ?

[@CITAP1]

Very neat unique aircraft. I liked the take off when you could see the air doors on the front of the jets open and exhaust heat thrusting out the back. My brother flew these in the 50's, then went on to the P5M and P3 Orion. After the Navy, he flew DC8 707 and lastly 747SP

[@737cfm56]

I saw the air doors open on take-off but I never saw any smoke coming from the jets. It looks like all the smoke is coming from the R3350's. I would expect those older jets to make a lot of smoke. Would the air doors still open if the jets were not running?

[@CITAP1]

@737cfm56 I'm not the expert, but the doors should be closed when jets are not running. Big radials did make smoke, it could have masked jet smoke as a guess.

[@chipps1066]

When I was at A/P school in South Georgia in 1982,the school aquired 2 of these aircraft out of mothballs at Davis- Montaham AFB,our instructors flew out there and picked out 2 from a lot of 80.They one time flighted both a/c back to our school which was an old WW2 pilot training field.They were of course to be used for training.They also came with 4 canned 3350's.I never got to work on them ,just was in on the first engine run test which was awesome.I graduated shortly after that.

[@stevehomer7741]

When the crew starts turning props you really appreciate the size of the aircraft. Them some big blades!

[@n6mz]

The nose case gear ratio in the 3350 turbo-compound is 0.4375:1 so when they "prop" the engines before starting, the guys are trying to turn the crankshaft 2.3 times faster than the prop. This is what makes it really difficult.

[@plnmech]

I flew as a radio man on P2V 2, 3 &4s in 1957 out of Hutchinson Kansas on navigator training missions.

[@billvargo9112]

I also flew as Navy Radioman in 1960-61 on the P2V 7 Neptune.. stationed at Alameda Naval Air Station, as home base.. Patrol Squadron VP 19 ... Actually used the Morse Code for communication as the radioman. Patrolled the coastline confirming no bad guys out there on the high seas. Was 19 years old. Learned Morse Code in Boy Scouts :) loved it all !!

[@johnknapp952]

When going thru Navy Aviation school at NAS Millington in '76 they still had P-2 Neptune's in the Reserve squadron there. One of the first aircraft I got to walk around and watch fly.

[@MargaretLeber]

NAS Millington....Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time...a long time.

[@bz-storm8055]

I was at NAS Memphis (Millington, TN) in '77, trained as a Tweet (AT rating, aircrewman). My favorite was the Mitsubishi P-2J stationed at Atsugi, Japan. My squadron had a det there. I walked over to the P-2Js (turbojet engines) often just to see how shiny the JDF kept their planes. They must have worn white gloves when they flew them!

[@MargaretLeber]

@@bz-storm8055 kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6Oyp3SpZtuFiMU

[@ricklange1567]

Hi John, What school/rate were you training for at NAS Millington? I was there during that time in the AFTA (Advanced First Term Avionics) program, and went on to be an Inflight-Technician on the P3, VP-26 based in Brunswick ME.

[@HootOwl513]

I went thru MATSG90 there in '74

[@craigpennington1251]

Guys, turn on the pwr, then it will spark. Very cool aircraft though. Don't see them anymore. Very nice. Thanks for sharing and not having music.

[@orgcoast5990]

Craig: The cranking is to circulate oil. Due to the configuration of a radial engine, oil drains to the lowest point. Since liquid cannot be compressed, the cranking helps distribute that oil. Otherwise bad things happen to the pistons and cylinders.

[@craigpennington1251]

@@orgcoast5990 Yep, know all about it. Just giving you a raz.

[@orgcoast5990]

@@craigpennington1251 No problem. What a great job the Aussies have done on that Neptune.

[@craigpennington1251]

@@orgcoast5990 I'd fly it any day and be safe in doing so.

[@jsunit5354]

@@orgcoast5990 safer to just let the starter stall against a hydraulic lock, or force it by hand?

[@bearbon2]

So this is an historical society with a squadron of ASW aircraft! Impressive.

[@frogsgottalent1106]

Beautiful. As a kid, l loved seeing these in Townsville, when passing through with TAA and ANSETT.

[@turkey0165]

I as a young boy in the early to mid 60s remember seeing those gray U.S. Navy P2 Neptunes fly over our house occasionally. I lived south of Westport Washington and our property went out to the high tide water mark and I remember walking the beach and finding a “grey sonobuoy” with plastic or glass! It had washed up on the beach! I wish I would’ve kept it now instead of leaving it on the beach! Didn’t even really know then, what it was though. I do now! Memories

[@rf8gcrusader]

I remember when I was 18 on the flight line at NAS Glenview. Standing by with a CO2 bottle when starting the engines, those props looked as big as Dutch windmills.

[@Jon-t3r]

Good aircraft, I worked on the 566 as an engineer in the 1980s French naval aviation.

[@guillaumeroncin5870]

Last flight in 1987 ?

[@leneanderthalien]

@@guillaumeroncin5870 in French Marine 1984 (12S Tahiti), but the F.N. Neptune 566 is still preserved in flying condition in Hars Museum Australia

[@woodeye6699]

When I was a kid in early ‘50’s my dad would take us to Port Columbus (Ohio) airport and the adjacent Naval Air Station to watch the planes. I saw a number of P2Vs there but didn’t appreciate what I saw until much later when I read about Truculent Turtle. My uncle got discharged at Port Columbus in mid 1945 he was a Pearl Harbor Survivor. I left for Boot Camp at Great Lakes in 1962 from Port Columbus on a TWA Super Connie. I got to watch a Vigilante take off nearly vertically there once. The company I worked for after the Navy built the machines that built the B1B at the North American plant there. It was an important part of my life and from the late 1920’s on when it was the first stop on the transcontinental route across the US, Port Columbus was an important part of aviation. The fact that the Turtle flew from Perth to Port Columbus only adds to that story.

[@peterkirgan6850]

My son& I both there it was a tarmac day @ hars we both enjoyed it !!! Great collection of planes will make a day for wings over Illawarra!!!!

[@Tirana44]

I’ve always liked the Neptune. I think the RAF also operated a small number of these many years ago.

[@stevecrossman7293]

My Father was a Navigator on Neptune’s flying out of RAF Kinloss in the mid 50’s.

[@ninjascotland1]

My Father was a pilot on Neptunes in the 50's, flying from Topcliffe in Yorkshire. He absolutely loved the plane.

[@leneanderthalien]

I remember the Neptune P2V7-S from the french navy (25F Squadron) , was in service up to 1984 , last based on Tahiti FAAA airport (in the 12S Squadron), one of this Neptune (n°566) is now preserved in flying condition by the Australian Hars Museum

[@billjames3148]

1960's Dad flew out of Los Alimos NAS,Calif. Mad boom era. Dependence Day walk around and inside aircraft still smell the smells, Dad was enroute to Alaska for 2week drills and flew around Anchorage,AK during the Easter Quake, I have 8mm film of that and the fuel farm fires at the airport. Cold war was on full blast, Air raid sirens around LA during the Cuban missile crisis and Dad out flying around. Kinda miss that stuff, always on alert.

[@timmotel5804]

Excellent. I had a model of one when I was a kid. Beautiful plane. Thanks for posting this.

[@longriflem1a1]

My Late Dad was a Commander in the Navy at Norfolk NAS and had several Neptunes and PBYs in his squadron . Those were the days.

[@giljeep]

belle machine!!!souvenir de l'aéronautique navale française des années 60-70 merçi pour la vidéo

[@SteamCrane]

I remember watching the P3's at Moffett in the 70's. Awesome planes. Thanks for this!

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Wauw. Neptune is a beauty!

[@jeanjacquesjolivet5971]

Bonjour, merci pour cette magnifique vidéo, elle me rappelle de bons souvenirs :j'ai travaillé et j'ai fait de nombreux vols d'essais sur ce Neptune p2 v7. Voir la mise en route des moteurs, j'en ai les larmes aux yeux, parce que à cette époque, en 1955,j'avais 20 ans, votre vidéo m'a fait chaud au cœur parce qu'elle résume bien une sortie de révision pour un vol d'essais. Bien à vous cordialement. Jean jacques Jolivet

[@beaconmania]

Bonjour,tu dois parler du neptune gris/blanc qui avait ete ramené de tahiti alors,celui-ci a échappé de justesse au bûcher pour l'entrainement des pompiers de faaa !

[@rodrigodambolena369]

Beautiful plane, in Argentina I fight in Malvinas 1982. I detect the Shefield ship of the English Navy, then being sunk by the Superetendart. Saludos desde Argentina

[@peterkirgan6850]

Glad you guys lost the war you shouldn't brag about this stuff!!!!

[@bobmacdonald9883]

Used to see them at Richmond. Looked awesome stooging along a terrifying sight from a periscope

[@dennisbridges7625]

Not sure if I worked on 273 or 271 when a young airframe mech. at 2AD Richmond in the mid 60's. One of the most elegant aircraft and the sound at night over the base was fabulous.Three abreast is my permanent screen saver.Ah, the way we were!!

[@None-zc5vg]

Were the interiors soundproofed ? It seems that the noisy British Shackletons should have received soundproofing but never got any.

[@gawano64]

My dad was a squadron commander of VP9 in California and amongst his things that I found after he passed away was a pilots handbook for the P2V-4. I think he was supposed to leave it in the glove compartment when he got transferred to the Pentagon.

[@jeffball6108]

Only time I saw one of these flying was when I was an apprentice at Wagga around 1968.. great piece of kit

[@brex50]

In the early 70's I was stationed at NAS PT. Mugu California as a young Aviation Electrician and we had one P2V, I remember being able to stand straight up behind the engine fire wall while working on the generators and accessories...very big aircraft...

[@redbaroniii]

I flew on one of the last USN neptunes in VC 5. Big plane.

[@redr1150r]

I remember the VC squadrons well. We often worked with the outfit in Puerto Rico.

[@P61guy61]

Awesome. I really enjoyed seeing a Neptune in action.

[@thomashybiske5399]

My dad flew S2's in VS-931, then switched to P2's for VP-932 both out of Willow Grove in the 50's, 60's and early 70's. Lost his flight billet when he got promoted to Captain and rode a desk until he retired.

[@bobsurgranny]

Great footage of a mean machine. Thanks for post 👍

[@jockellis]

In 1958 a model airplane contest was being held at the old NAS Atlanta - now Peachtree DeKalb Airport - when a Neptune pilot radioed in that according to his instrument panel one main gear was not down. Everything stopped and the fire crews stationed themselves along the runway. But a flyover by the plane revealed no problems so the plane came around and landed. No muss, no fuss. I beat out hundreds of other Boy Scouts to win. It didn’t hurt that of all the contestants I had one of the few, if not the only Navy plane, an F6F Hellcat, for those WW II Navy pilots to judge. A Neptune held the long distance record for flying from Australia to California, IIRC.

[@lauriecroad3186]

Less than a minute of film/flying time...out of 13.30 with no commentary. Beautiful plane deserves more air time and some chat ? With the Avro Shackleton, this is an iconic aircraft that deserves more film time. As a kid I was fascinated with the long range and fabulous reach of these Airborne Surveillance craft - having had the odd Sunderland flyby the South Coast of England... What a lovely sight these planes are... more info would be nice.

[@billspear7702]

I remember these well from when I was a kid, 1960s to early 70s. We lived less than a mile from South Weymouth NAS (Weymouth Massachusetts, USA) They were operating on a daily basis.

[@parthurell3631]

Saw these fly at Pearce when i was a kid at an air show..did low level passes with both radials feathered just running on the jets ..Was Awesome..

[@thorpeboat]

I used to watch these take off from the RAAF base in Townsville as a kid, they used to take off at night and head out over Cleveland bay.

[@fredtedstedman]

She's looking beautiful , congratulations to groundcrew ! Old South Wales UK.

[@christiancadio9023]

Un superbe avion que j ai côtoyé depuis mon enfance à Lorient ,et que j ai retrouvé en venant en Polynésie.

[@asdrubale2]

Well done, guys, you are doing the right thing! I envy you in a good way!

[@atatexan]

Beautiful aircraft and excellent video.

[@spencerhauck690]

I never knew this aircraft existed. I always wanted to see the p 61 black widow in flight but this is close enough. Maybe that's the plane that these guys should work on next.

[@jellevanderveen4403]

Very Nice airplane ,in the Netherlands we also had them 👍💪🇱🇺

[@alpenglow1235]

Jolly good show!

[@gordongott127]

What a cool aircraft would l of loved to see this one in person thanks for the video

[@Chris_at_Home]

My older brother was an AO on them. He was loading flares and they started shooting at hit and put him in the hospital for about 10 months. That was with VP10. I served as an AX on Orions from 72-75 with VP-23. I went on Unitas 14 in 1973 and Argentine and Brazil had Neptunes

[@ianstewartaviation2634]

Excellent video thanks for sharing big shout out to all involved greetings from 🇬🇧

[@bondisteve3617]

Well done HARS I still have great hopes for you!

[@oldboilers]

Thanks for the memories. As a very young RAAF gound crew airman in the 1950`s at Richmond NSW. the Neptune was my favourite aircraft. Then it was a bomber A/c with nose, mid upper, and tail gunner installations. The bomb bay doors still exist today. They were then converted to maritime reconnaissance aircraft as depicted in this great restoration. The main visual changes being the rear stinger in lieu of the gunners pod and the radar bulb below. Also added were the J34 jet pods to assist in take off using the same 115/145 Avgas as the piston engines. So great to see this beautiful aircraft replete in the very original colours of it`s day still flying controlled by obviously very competant pilots as evidenced by the video .

[@orgcoast5990]

Great job Australia. Lots of cranking to get the oil up and out. Are those 3350's?

[@5695q]

They are.

[@jameszoerb2892]

I don't know of one that was not a 3350.

[@EldredTGlass]

We had the 5Fs, the 3350s had three PRTs exhaust driven turbines geared directly to the crankshaft these 3 added 450 HP at takeoff RPMs, same engine on the B29s

[@markomaticd4106]

Really nice to see that awesome plane in the air. What a ton of work and money to keep it in that condition. I was happy to be able to see the Truculent Turtle (record distance holder at the time) at Pensacola, Florida, USA. I really think these are incredible planes. Thanks for your video! I enjoyed all of it.

[@mikemullen5563]

Used to see the Turtle all the time as a kid, when it was parked at Norfolk as gate guard.

[@markomaticd4106]

Oh Oh! I just realized I don't have a Neptune Model Kit in my collection. I have to go on Ebay & get that fixed.I can't find a model w/ the Turtle decals, so I guess I'll have to improvise something.

[@g2macs]

Always thought they looked great, I would love to see one 'cleaned up' without the radar dome or mad boom.

[@Ries1948]

Beautiful build plane, nice sound.

[@mqbitsko25]

You had me at "Lockheed."

[@tonyromano6220]

Mickey Bitsko 😻😹

[@TheSirjohn2012]

The P-2 Neptune is a old bird and was built back in my birthyear of 1954 and yet we have a few flying examples of this old but still flying airplane and its got a rare pair of jet engines on the wings for extra power in short takeoff fields in any nation we come and visit at anytime at all.

[@flybyairplane3528]

The last one I ever saw flying, was about 1959. For USN. wonderful for the time, was replaced bY the P3 ORION, THEN THE B737 I believe, Cheers From NJ USA🇦🇺🇺🇸

[@tonybezanson9625]

I remember the Static Neptune they had for years behind the cadet camp parade square at CFB Greenwood, also and Argus and Lancaster

[@clevlandblock]

Dad was USN during WW2 and Korea. He hitched a ride on a P2V once out of NAS Pensacola. He said it was a live-firing target practice run and they fired rockets.

[@robertsullivan4773]

Made the model as a kid didn't appreciate how big it was until I saw it as an adult in assuming that they lit the jets for the takeoff. She sure hot up fast.

[@spurgear4]

We used to have them here in Canada for Maritime patrol, I have never seen one fly until now. Thanks.

[@USATA45auto]

My dads favorite aircraft, he was with Patrol Squadron Two, crew 2, Co pilot/navigator 58-59 Iwakuni Japan.

[@williamvbone5734]

Other than there intended use, they are amazing and one day there presence, will be reassuring to all.

[@alainpeulet1679]

Superb ! During my time in the French Merchand Marine , I saw many time those Neptune .... USN , French , Japanese .... But if I understand , this museum owned a French one ....? In FranceI know only 2 in museum .... others were "melted" !!! Bravo Autralia for restoring this in flying conditions !!!

[@glennpowell3444]

There's one of these at Cosford aerospace museum in the UK. Sadly it doesn't run its 3350,s up!!!! What a sound! Cheers.

[@SuperDad58458]

Very a similar cab configuration to a mitchell bomber.But epitomises a beautiful aeroplane, Come Piston. Awsome

[@Idahoguy10157]

In the 1960’s I grew up near Moffet Field NAS. P2 Neptunes would fly there occasionally.

[@scotabot7826]

You could clearly hear the jet engines during that takeoff, but the intakes were covered with the red inserts when they were taxing out??

[@swag_8884]

There’s one of these outside the RAAF base in Townsville, Australia.