Continuing the "What's wrong with this pic?" meme...

By The Armorer on October 25, 2007 | | Comments (10)

Here's a another shot of the Boeing 347 down at Rucker, this time from the flank. There's your turbine nacelles, NinjaFluff - though, as I noted in the comments other post, they're empty.

Boeing 347 at Fort Rucker Army Aviation Museum.

Larger version can be had here.

Now here's one that will turn a few heads around here - though I'm sure the Vulture Brothers are familiar with it.

An Army RP-2E Neptune at Fort Rucker.

Who knew the Army operated the RP-2E - a variant of the only purpose-built anti-submarine bomber the US fielded (The others were derived from transport aircraft...)? It is also the last piston-engined bomber to be delivered into US service, or so I understand.

These aircraft were flown by an Army electronic warfare unit in Vietnam - the 1st Radio Research Company , aka the- "Crazy Cats" - from 1967 to 1972. That was news to me... and you can see a larger version here.

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10 Comments

By NinjaFluff on October 25, 2007 8:46 AM
Woo, Nacelles! Thanks, Armorer for that side shot. I've got a question about the RP-2E you've got shown here... I'm not able to find anything about this one, but I did manage to find something about an AP-2E. Is this the same aircraft, or just a different variant? This one is also at Ft. Rucker in Alabama. Here's the link I've found: http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/lockheed/ap-2e.htm
 
By Pogue on October 25, 2007 9:02 AM
I believe the S-2 and S-3 were purpose bult ASW. I think the C-1 and E-1 are actually a devivative of the S-2, not the other way around. The S-2 had an internal bomb bay, although I'm not sure about the S-3 so maybe the devil in the details is whether you would actually call them a bomber or not. NinjaFluff, there's a nice little write up on the AP-2H here There were so many one off mods done on older airframes for Viet Nam I'm not sure if anyone can keep track of which ones went where...
 
By R Jewell on October 25, 2007 12:04 PM
Forward and Aft blades don't intermesh because of the increased height of the aft pylon. That would have increased Bill's "comfort level" Wings would have made great rocket pod mounts, ala Guns-A-Go-Go........ Throw in some Naphalm canisters on the wings, so you didn't have to roll drums of Phu-Gas with thermites wired to them off of the ramp....... I'm an old "Hooker", but didn't know this aircraft existed either. Perhaps the "wings" being present upset the Air Force?
 
By Justthisguy on October 25, 2007 7:48 PM
Wait a minute! Martin built a dedicated ASW piston-(and jet)powered airplane, too. I think that Steeljaw did a feature about it on his blog, with purty pictures! It was built when the unbelievably cranky Glenn Martin was still alive. (Y'all should look up the Glenn Martin chicken(duck?)-feed stories.)
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 25, 2007 7:58 PM
NinjaF - based on the tail number, your link is to the same aircraft. The site you link to is wrong, I believe. The RP-2E (I believe that's the correct Army designation) was used for electronic warfare purposes, not air support.
 
By ry on October 25, 2007 10:17 PM
Doesn't the R prefix usually mean some kind of recon mission for the aircraft? Like the RC-135 'Cobra Ball', etc.?
 
By jim b on October 25, 2007 10:34 PM
This aircraft is yet another Army attempt to build something to fly that has a fixed wing fighter capability that they can get away with without offending he Air Force's sensibilities. Yawn.
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 25, 2007 10:35 PM
Well, Ry, it does for the Air Force. The record on the web is contradictory - with AP-2E having the pre-ponderance that I've found. This site seems to have the most comprehensive listing with explanations, and supports the "RP" designation. The National Security Agency, which was the real tasker of the aircraft, on their website also refers to them as RP-2E's - as laid out in the link in the post: Finally, a truly special unit was formed and deployed to Vietnam using Army pilots, Army ASA mission operators on board a Navy P-2V Neptune four-engine aircraft. This Army project was a significant leap in both mission coverage and overall mission capability. As with most of the other platforms, these aircraft were redesignated specifically as RP-2E aircraft with an associated mission project name of CEFLIEN LION or CRAZY CAT.
 
By AW1 Tim on October 26, 2007 11:14 AM
Shipmates, Well, having flown aboard the P-2V, I can tell you one thing. It always smelled of JP and avgas. There was usually oil somewhere, and getting from the aft to the flight station was always interesting, having to use a crawl space over the wing. It was a tad noisy, but fun to be aboard. The P-3 Orion (where most of my 5K hours came) was derived from the Lockheed Electra airliner. The P-3 is a GREAT airframe, very strong, highly maneuverable, with a long range and good weapons load out. However, it is a beast in turbulence, it's wings not flexing like other large planes do. The S-3 Viking was designed purely as an ASW platform and was later expanded to multi-task as a bomber, recon, and tanker. respects,
 
By J.M. Heinrichs on October 26, 2007 12:11 PM
But for serious ASW flying, the Argus. Cheers