Fly Past

LOCKHEED NEPTUNE 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

PATROLLERS AND AIRLIFTERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 61

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The type eventually flew with
three other RAF units (36, 303 and
210 Squadrons) at RAF Topcliffe,
Yorkshire, conducting medium-range
maritime reconnaissance alongside
Coastal Command’s Shackletons.
Four Neptunes (WX499-WX501
and WX542) were also operated by
1453 Flight at RAF Topcliffe (and
later at RAF Kinloss) in the airborne
early warning (AEW) role between
November 1952 and June 1956.
Later in the type’s service life the
RAF modified several Neptunes by
removing the Emerson nose turrets
and replacing them with a glazed
observation nose, and magnetic
anomaly detector gear in place of the
tail turret.
But by 1956 the Neptune’s
usefulness had come to an end
and with ever growing numbers
of Shackletons entering service,
the decision was made to return
the type to the USA. The first unit
to disband was 203 Squadron in
August 1956 and the last airframes

had returned to America by

March 1957.

The aircraft were subsequently

refurbished and sold to other

air arms including, ironically,

the Argentine Navy... which

subsequently used them during the

1982 Falklands Conflict.

Yorkshire, conducting medium-range

later at RAF Kinloss) in the airborne

anomaly detector gear in place of the

“A total of 424 P2V-5s were constructed,

52of which were delivered to the RAF.”

Top

Neptune MR.1 WX522

was originally built

as 51-15941 but

joined the RAF on

April 13, 1953. After

operational service

it was returned to

Lockheed in 1957

and refurbished

before being sold

to Argentina. The

machine fl ew with the

country’s Comando

de Aviación Naval as

0414 but was written-

off on November 7,

1965 when it failed

to return from a

training sortie. The

burnt wreckage was

discovered near

Terra de Areia two

days later. All eleven

crew members were

killed. ANDY HAY/WWW.

FLYINGART.CO.UK

Above

Neptune MR.1 WX494

was the fi rst example

delivered to the RAF.

It entered service

with 217 Squadron

at St Eval in January

1952 and later moved

to RAF Kinloss. KEY