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OP-2E Neptune
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Scale 1:66 Length 16.5" Wingspan 19"
Photography by Action Asia Photo |
In the mid-sixties the US Navy looked for a means to slow down North Vietnamese reinforcements from infiltrating during the night. At that time the USAF had converted Hercules aircraft to the gunship role with great effectiveness and that success led the US Navy to convert twelve standard SP-2E aircraft that were being relieved from their ASW roles by the new P-3 Orions coming on line. All twelve aircraft were first re-engined and brought up to SP-2H specifications. Then they were modified by the Naval Weapons Center into OP-2Es. All ASW equipment was removed, including the MAD boom on the tail. In the shortened tail, chaff dispensers were mounted and under the nose was mounted a large radome housing the search radar. The twelve OP-2Es were deployed to Southeast Asia where they were assigned to Observation Squadron 67 - flying out of Nakhon Phanom in Thailand. The squadron was operational from February 15th, 1967 to July 1st, 1968. During this time three aircraft were downed with the loss of twenty.
The main mission for the OP-2E crews was dropping small acoustic and seismic sensors along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The aircraft wings were fitted with multiple ejector racks just outboard of the reciprocating engines and additional sensors were carried within the bomb bay. The acoustic sensors - such as Spikebouy and Acoubouy - would remain in place and stay inactive until the noise of a passing truck or tank activated them. Seismic sensors - such as Adsid - were activated by ground vibrations from a vehicle moving near the sensor. Once activated, the sensors would transmit a signal to an airborne relay station such as a QU-22B drone or EC-121R aircraft who relayed the information to a ground readout facility where it was analyzed with an attack possibly being ordered on that sensor area. Nearby gunships - like the AC-130H Spectre - that carried beacon tracking radar, could attack directly. The whole operation was code-named "Igloo White" and continued long after the OP-2Es departed Southeast Asia, with the job of dropping the different sensors being carried on by F-4Ds. The surviving OP-2Es then suffered the same fate as their other converted cousins - the AP-2Hs - and awaited the cutting torch Stateside. Crew:
5 - 6, depending on mission
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