ADF Serials - Neptune

ADF-SERIALS
Australian & New Zealand Military Aircraft Serials & History

RAAF A89 Lockheed Neptune
P2V-4 and P2V-5 (later P-2E)
P2V-7 (later SP-2H)

RAAF.Serial	c/n	Type	USN.Serial	Aircraft History
A89-225	5112	P-2E P2V-5	133650	Delivered 31/01/53. Re-Serialled A89-311
A89-228	5094	P-2E P2V-5	133647	Delivered 03/12/52. Re-Serialled A89-306
A89-236	5111	P-2E P2V-5	133649	Delivered 24/12/52. Re-Serialled A89-310
A89-270	7270	SP-2H P2V-7	149070	Delivered 03/62. Laverton Airshow 18/04/1971. Served with 10 Sqn. Broken up at Laverton 1977.
A89-271	7271	SP-2H P2V-7	149071	Delivered 03/62. Laverton Airshow 18/04/1971. Served with 10 Sqn. Broken up at Laverton 1977.
A89-272	7272	SP-2H P2V-7	149072	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Was the gate guard at RAAF Townsville QLD. Storm damaged during cyclone Yasi 03/2011. Removed from gate, Used as a source of spare parts in the restoration of the less damaged A89-280 which replaced it as gate guard 10/2012 26/08/2015 offered for disposal via Tender 02/2016 donated to HARS. To be displayed at their Parkes, NSW museum
A89-273	7273	SP-2H P2V-7	149073	Built at Lockheed’s Burbank plant in California, USA at a cost of $818,452.33. It arrived in Townsville on 10/03/62, Allocated to No. 10 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. 15/11/1977 Flew in support of the the location of HMS Pandora while with 10 SQN, Det B, Used its Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) equipment to locate and then mark with flares the predicted position of the vessel, SQNLDR Graham Harvey (Pilot), SQNLDR Graham Cox (Navigator), The vessels supporting the search were Reverie (Steven Domm) and Beva (Ben Cropp), The discovery of MS Pandora lead to numerous excavations by the Queensland Museum and the current display of artifacts at the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville. (Thanks to David Bell who made artifact recovery dives on HMS Pandora for this information). During its years of service, A89-273 logged a total of 5476 flying hours. Registered VH-IOY from 07/05/81. Currently airworthy with HARS based at Albion Park, NSW.
A89-274	7274	SP-2H P2V-7	149074	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Broken up at Laverton 1977.
A89-275	7275	SP-2H P2V-7	149075	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Static Display RAAF Museum Point Cook VIC.
A89-276	7276	SP-2H P2V-7	149076	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Sold to Confederate Air Force, USA. for spares. Broken up by Curtain Brothers at Townsville.
A89-277	7277	SP-2H P2V-7	149077	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Static Display Beck Collection, Mareeba QLD. Sold to Queensland Air Museum 30/09/2015. Dismantled and delivered to QAM 2016
A89-278	7278	SP-2H P2V-7	149078	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Broken up at Laverton 1978.
A89-279	7279	SP-2H P2V-7	149079	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Was on static display at Dubbo Military Museum NSW. Offered for sale 04/2012 24/07/2013 departed by road to new owner at Mudgee, NSW
A89-280	7280	SP-2H P2V-7	149080	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Located at RAAF Townsville. Storm damaged during cyclone Yasi 03/2011. Restored using A89-272 as a source of spare parts. Replaced -272 as gate guard 10/2012. Currently gate guard RAAF Townsville.
A89-281	7281	SP-2H P2V-7	149081	Delivered 03/62. Served with 10 Sqn. Flown Townsville to Amberley for disposal 6/12/77. 06/78 sold to Chewing Gum Field Museum, Tallebudgera, QLD 12/07/90 trucked to Archerfield Airport. Registration reserved VH-NEP. Sold to AeroCorp Australia Pty Ltd of Perth 07/2000. Donated to HARS 08/2003. Between 12/2003 and 06/2005 dismantled and trucked to Albion Park, NSW Currently on static display HARS Albion Park NSW. Not to be confused with A89-281 there is a second Neptune with the registration VH-NEP. It is also owned by AeroCorp Australia Pty Ltd It is not an ex-RAAF example but ex-USN Bu.No. 145921 imported in 11/1988 Converted to a tanker for fire fighting duties. Registered VH-NEP in 02/1999 Apart from a couple of test drops in 2003 it has been inactive, stored at Cunderdin, WA
A89-294	5093	P-2E P2V-5	133646	Delivered 12/52. Re-Serialled A89-303.
A89-301	5022	P-2E P2V-4	133641	Previously A89-592. All these were P2V5's except 301 and 302 which were P2V4's. Served with 11 Sqn. 09/59, To USA for Mod to Mk.4. 4/1966 allocated to Laverton and used as a training aid by 21 Squadron and the Radio School as Instructional No.1 Serial A89-A-TA applied to fusleage Stripped of many parts and engines removed by 18/05/73 Allocated to fire training 03/74 Burned at Laverton.
A89-302	5021	P-2E P2V-4	133640	Previously A89-595. 15/08/52 reserialled A89-302 All these were P2V5's except 301 and 302 which were P2V4's. Served with 11 Sqn. 12/10/51, belly landed when gear would not lower at Lake Muroc in the USA prior to coming to Australia. The chain that controls the undercarriage doors broke and it was unable to open and the undercarriage was unable to extend. Delivered to RAAF 11/51. Served with 11 Sqn RAAF. 25/06/59 to USA for incorporation of podded jet engines 03/67 Allocated to RSTT Wagga Wagga NSW as training aid. Repainted Light Gull Grey and white by 1978 Returned to Deep Sea Blue and white scheme by 1987 Transported to Point Cook VIC and was in storage for the RAAF Museum. 06/2018 gifted to HARS
A89-303	5093	P-2E P2V-5	133646	Previously A89-294. Served with 11 Sqn. 08/54 to USA for mod to Mk.4. 1/10/54 the tail turret was ripped from the aircraft by a hit and run incident involving RAAF truck s/n 214007 Used for strip clearance trials in 1970-71. It was lifted by the big crane. The undercarriage was folded and the aircraft was lowered again and dragged by two paymovers, one on each end of the barrier net. One blade of each prop was cut off using an oxy torch. Used for parts and disposed of by Marrickville Salvage 07/76.
A89-304	5092	P-2E P2V-5	133645	Previously A89-545. Served with 11 Sqn. 07/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Named "Carpetbaggers" Broken up at Bankstown in 1969.
A89-305	5086	P-2E P2V-5	133642	Previously A89-983. Served with 11 Sqn. One of 3 Neptunes that took part in Operation Westbound, the first round-the-world flight by the RAAF 20/02/57 to 4/04/57 08/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Used for parts and scrapped
A89-306	5094	P-2E P2V-5	133647	Previously A89-228. Served with 11 Sqn. 07/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Named 'A Hard Days Night'. Broken up at Bankstown.
A89-307	5088	P-2E P2V-5	133644	Previously A89-589. Served with 11 Sqn. 07/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Named 'Thunderballs' 11/68, Broken up at Bankstown.
A89-308	5087	P-2E P2V-5	133643	Previously A89-736. Served with 11 Sqn. Damaged after performing a wheels up landing on 18/10/55. The aircraft hung a practice bomb and on landing at Richmond the practice bomb came loose and put a hole in the runway, date unknown. LAC L. Chapman walked into the prop of this aircraft at RAAF base Richmond on the 27th of March 1958 at 2215 and was killed. Crashed 04/02/59 onto the banks of the Hawkesbury River at Cornwallis, Richmond. A fire in the port engine nacelle, caused by the disintegration of the power recovery turbine wheel (PRT) for the engine. The disintegration of the PRT caused the severing of fuel lines inside the wheel well, which then ignited the fuel spewing out of the lines. The ensuing fire burned fiercely and before the aircraft could enter into an emergency landing pattern the fire burned through to the wing subsequently causing the wing to fail in-flight a short time later. All Crew died. SQNLDR Geoffrey Ronald Cullen O5830 (Pilot), SQNLDR Joseph Kevin McDonald O11350 AFC (Signaller), FLTLT Robert Alfred De-Russett-Kydd O23853 (Nav), FLGOFF Frederick John Wood O2483 (Signaller), PLTOFF George Ivan Holmes O14395 (Co-Pilot), PLTOFF Terence Patrick O'Sullivan O23340 (Signaller), WOFF Vincent Joseph McCarthy A24672 (Signaller), FSGT John Michael Rock A213190 (Nav). This occurred on the last flight prior to it going away for fitting of J34 jet engines. It was the only RAAF Neptune not to receive the jets.
A89-309	5110	P-2E P2V-5	133648	Previously A89-694. Served with 11 Sqn. 08/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Named 'Pussy Galore'. 06/69, Broken up at Bankstown.
A89-310	5111	P-2E P2V-5	133649	Previously A89-236. Served with 11 Sqn. 06/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. 1974-77 Fire Practice at Wagga Wagga, NSW. Written off 29/06/77
A89-311	5112	P-2E P2V-5	133650	Previously A89-225. Served with 11 Sqn One of 3 Neptunes that took part in Operation Westbound, the first round-the-world flight by the RAAF 20/02/57 to 4/04/57 09/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Named "La Dolce Vita" 10/69 Broken up at Bankstown.
A89-312	5122	P-2E P2V-5	133651	Previously A89-405. Served with 11 Sqn. 06/59 to USA for mod to Mk.4. Named "The Longest Day" 11/69 Broken up at Bankstown.
A89-405	5122	P-2E P2V-5	133651	Delivered 30/01/53. Re-Serialled A89-312.
A89-545	5092	P-2E P2V-5	133645	Delivered 12/52. Re-Serialled A89-304.
A89-589	5088	P-2E P2V-5	133644	Delivered 30/01/53. Re-Serialled A89-307.
A89-592	5022	P-2E P2V-4	133641	Delivered 09/11/51. Re-Serialled A89-301.
A89-595	5021	P-2E P2V-4	133640	Delivered 02/11/51. Re-Serialled A89-302.
A89-694	5110	P-2E P2V-5	133648	Delivered 06/02/53. Re-Serialled A89-309.
A89-736	5087	P-2E P2V-5	133643	Delivered 03/12/52. Re-Serialled A89-308.
A89-983	5086	P-2E P2V-5	133642	Delivered 24/12/52. Re-Serialled A89-305.

The Authors of this page are Darren Crick, Martin Edwards and Brendan Cowan

Source: The Lockheed Files by Ron Cuskelly, CASA Aircraft Records, RAAF News (Vol 19, No 11, dated Dec 1977), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Pandora_(1779)

Emails: Martin Kaye, Dean Norman, Clive Lynch, David Jones, Col Tigwell, Grahame Higgs, Ron Cuskelly, Graham Mison, Rod Farquhar, John Bennett, Mick Burke, David Bell, Gordon Birkett.

Updated 09th April 2020

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