| As part of the constant cycle of renewal and change of the Arizona Aerospace Foundation and its collections. there is an average of five simultaneous aircraft restorat ion projects in progress. The most recently completed restoration project is the Lockheed AP-2H Neptune, BuNo 135620, the last remaining example of its type. Manufactured at Lockheed. Burbank construction number 7052, this aircraft was accepted by the USN as a P2V-7 on September 26. 1955. It served with various units until November 30, 1962 when it was modified into an SP-2H. Again, serving with various units, it was modified into its final, gunship configuration of an AP-2H on May 11, 1967. Tested throughout the rest of 1967 and early 1968 at Naval Air Test Center (NATC) Patuxent River, Maryland, this aircraft was assigned to the TRIM (Trails Roads Interdiction Multisensor) Project on March 15, 1968. Heavily modified from SP-2H's, only four AP-2Hs were constructed. PASM's example, 135620, became aircraft #1 and had no nickname. The other AP-2H's, which were scrapped at MASDC in 1975, were:
The major reason for the modifications was the AP-2Hs participation in the TRIM Project whose mission was to develop and test airborne, real-time, multisensor weapons delivery and reconnaissance systems for night counter-insurgency operations. The need to test these systems in combat initiated the establishment of VAH-2 on September 1, 1968. From its home port of Sangley Point. P.I. and its Detachment at NAF Cam Ranh Bay. this squadron conducted the US Navy's first night interdiction mission. Flying over the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Laos and Cambodia, the AP-2Hs intercepted both road and river traffic. Owing to its primarily night missions, these aircraft carried a splinter pattern three-tone gray scheme and had exhaust shields/flame suppressors on both the recip and jet engines. Heavily armed, the aircraft could and did carry a variety of armament with a typical load as follows: two forward—firing SUU 11A/1A minigun pods, two Mk 82 500lb general purpose bombs, two Mk 77 incendiary bombs, two 20mm tail cannons, XM—149 40mm grenade launchers in the forward bomb bay (a three second burst would cover a football field) and after February 9, 1969, two 7.62mm waist guns. With the addition of the waist guns, the crew complement increased from seven to nine. The mission of the AP-2Hs ended on June 16, 1969 with the disestablishment of the squadron. Factors leading to this decision included the fact that the technology was by now well-tested and that these aircraft presented large, slow targets which were receiving an increasing amount of hostile fire. Much of the equipment was transferred to A-6C's which were faster and more maneuverable. On June 22, 1969, the aircraft arrived at MASDC and stayed there until June 25, 1975 when it was put on loan to PASM from the USN. Repainted for the first time since its return from Vietnam, 135620 proudly wears its livery (including battle ribbons) from the period February - June, 1969. Several TRIM Project and VAH - 21 members have been located including then Cdr. A.E. Forsman, the first squadron commander, whose aircraft this was until he left the unit in January 1969. Thanks to TRIM and/or VAH - 21 members Capt. Forsman, Richard Miller, Rick Cameron. OP. Burch. Tommy Thompson, Al Vinson: Lockheed Tech. Rep. Dennis Davis and Harry Errington of the USN Test & Evaluation Museum for their contributions of information and photos related to this aircraft and its mission. Hopefully, most of these men will meet again in September 1998 at PASM during the planned reunion commemorating the 30th anniversary of the squadron s establishment. ** WebMaster Note: Aircraft #1 BuNo 135620 was assigned to TRIM on 3/15/67 instead of 3/15/68. Information received from Cdr. Ed Forsman** |