Neptune needs a home

[jamesintucson]

Pima recently acquired a pair of P-2 Neptunes. One of these aircraft is now surplus to the museum's needs so we are making it available to go to a new home. The plane is missing some external and many internal parts. Most notably on the outside it is missing the jet pods, wing tip tanks, and the MAD tail. We do have the tanks and the tail but not the jet pods. We are willing to give the plane away, as is to anyone who wants it and can prove that they will be able to remove it from the museum grounds within 12 months. If nobody wants it or the person who agrees to take it doesn't remove it in that time it will be scrapped. There are no records or logs. Anyone who is interested should contact me directly at 520-618-4812 or by email at jstemm@pimaair.org.

DP-2H_1 by James, on Flickr

James Stemm
Director of Collections and Aircraft Restoration
Pima Air & Space Museum

Last edited by jamesintucson on Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mike furline]

This one? http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/ ... ies18.html

Lockheed P2V-7S Neptune, Redesignated P-2H in 1962.

148343 (MSN 726-7228) Accepted as P2V-7S at Burbank 31 Jan 61. NARF Alameda Feb 61; NAS Whidbey Island Feb 61-Jul 61;
VP-17 Whidbey Island Jul 61-Nov 62; NARF Alameda Nov 62-Feb 63; VP-4 Naha Feb 63-May 64; VP-4 Barbers Point May 64-Nov 65;
VP-1 Whidbey Island Nov 65-Sep 66; NARF Alameda Sep 66-Dec 66; VP-42 Whidbey Island Dec 66-Aug 69;
NAS Atlanta Aug 69-May 70; NARTU Washington May 70-Nov 70; VP-68 Washington Nov 70-Jul 71;
VP-92 South Weymouth Jul 71-Apr 72; DCASO Brownsville Apr 72-Jan 73; NARF Quonset Point Jan 73-Apr 73;
VP-92 South Weymouth Apr 73-Jan 75; VP-67 Memphis Jan 75-Feb 75; Aero Corp Lake City Feb 75-Mar 75;
VP-67 Memphis Mar 65-Aug 76; NARF Norfolk Aug 76-Nov 78; (listed as DP-2H drone director from Sep 77);
VC-8 Roosevelt Roads Nov 78-Jul 80; To MASDC at PA0010 Jul 6, 1980, SOC Jul 7, 1980. To N343RR.
To Neptune Aviation Services, Missoula, MT as N715AU. In storage at Tucson. Cancelled Aug 20, 2013.

[Chris Brame]

Are there any restrictions on whether it can be made to fly again?

[jamesintucson]

Are there any restrictions on whether it can be made to fly again?

There is no FAA chain of ownership and no records for the airframe, engines, or props. It would make a very nice static display but I don't think trying to register and fly it is practical.

[jamesintucson]

This one? http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/ ... ies18.html

Lockheed P2V-7S Neptune, Redesignated P-2H in 1962.

148343 (MSN 726-7228) Accepted as P2V-7S at Burbank 31 Jan 61. NARF Alameda Feb 61; NAS Whidbey Island Feb 61-Jul 61;
VP-17 Whidbey Island Jul 61-Nov 62; NARF Alameda Nov 62-Feb 63; VP-4 Naha Feb 63-May 64; VP-4 Barbers Point May 64-Nov 65;
VP-1 Whidbey Island Nov 65-Sep 66; NARF Alameda Sep 66-Dec 66; VP-42 Whidbey Island Dec 66-Aug 69;
NAS Atlanta Aug 69-May 70; NARTU Washington May 70-Nov 70; VP-68 Washington Nov 70-Jul 71;
VP-92 South Weymouth Jul 71-Apr 72; DCASO Brownsville Apr 72-Jan 73; NARF Quonset Point Jan 73-Apr 73;
VP-92 South Weymouth Apr 73-Jan 75; VP-67 Memphis Jan 75-Feb 75; Aero Corp Lake City Feb 75-Mar 75;
VP-67 Memphis Mar 65-Aug 76; NARF Norfolk Aug 76-Nov 78; (listed as DP-2H drone director from Sep 77);
VC-8 Roosevelt Roads Nov 78-Jul 80; To MASDC at PA0010 Jul 6, 1980, SOC Jul 7, 1980. To N343RR.
To Neptune Aviation Services, Missoula, MT as N715AU. In storage at Tucson. Cancelled Aug 20, 2013.

Mike,
Yes, that's the one.

[grimes]

If I had land large enough and a budget to transport it, I'd take it.

Hopefully someone takes it so it doesn't get scrapped.


Just a question, but does the museum still sell aircraft gauges and parts in the gift store?

I'm always on the search for interesting things to buy.

[JohnB]

Built in '61, a fairly late model. Love the color scheme.

You might post it over on the Key Publishing forum. I don't think there u d a Neptune in the UK. I believe there is still an ex-RAF one out there (in Tuscon?) they'd like but if this is nicer, it still might work for them.

[Invader26]

The RAF Museum collection at Cosford has an ex-Dutch Navy P-2H Neptune.

[martin_sam_2000]

try contacting the RCAF museum in Trenton. They don't have one and I think there is only 1 on display in Canada (Greenwood) so they may snag it.

Sean

[jamesintucson]

try contacting the RCAF museum in Trenton. They don't have one and I think there is only 1 on display in Canada (Greenwood) so they may snag it.

Sean

Thanks for the tip. We tried them first. Since it doesn't have Canadian history they aren't really interested.

James

[martin_sam_2000]

try contacting the RCAF museum in Trenton. They don't have one and I think there is only 1 on display in Canada (Greenwood) so they may snag it.

Sean

Thanks for the tip. We tried them first. Since it doesn't have Canadian history they aren't really interested.

James

Worth a shot..lol. I would like to see one close to home. Not too many of these around.

Sean

[Fouga23]

Shame. one without Canadian history is still better then none at all!

[rcaf_100]

try contacting the RCAF museum in Trenton. They don't have one and I think there is only 1 on display in Canada (Greenwood) so they may snag it.

Sean

Thanks for the tip. We tried them first. Since it doesn't have Canadian history they aren't really interested.

James

I suppose that they have forgotten or not even aware that there are ZERO ex-RCAF Neptunes left in existence, following the loss of N14447 (formerly RCAF 24110/BuNo135587) in 2012, so pretty much any P2V-7 airframe can stand in for the 25 Neptunes that were once on RCAF strength. Even the previously mentioned example in Greenwood is an ex-USN example on loan from the USN due the the lack of genuine Canadian aircraft.

Heck, even transporting her from Davis-Monthan to Trenton (home to most of our Hercs and all of our Globemaster III's) would make a great joint RCAF-USAF airlift training exercise.

Oh well....

[Dan K]

try contacting the RCAF museum in Trenton. They don't have one and I think there is only 1 on display in Canada (Greenwood) so they may snag it.

Sean

Thanks for the tip. We tried them first. Since it doesn't have Canadian history they aren't really interested.

James

Pure speculation, but because 2017 is the last year Neptunes will be offered tanker contracts in the US, perhaps the museum's answer was a polite way of saying something is already in the works?

http://fireaviation.com/2017/01/10/this ... r-tankers/

[JohnB]

That makes some sense because it would be cheaper/easier to have an aircraft fly to you as it's retired, but a tanker would require a lot of work to bring back to stock military configuration, whereas this one would not.