Page 8 - Aerotech News and Review, February 4, 2022

High Desert Hangar Stories
The flight of the P2-V Neptune “Truculent Turtle”

by Bob Alvis This intended route would exceed the record
special to Aerotech News set by an Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress
by some 4,000 miles. The mission would also
When Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager com- demonstrate the P2-V Neptune’s ability to cover
pleted their historic Voyager flight here in the the transoceanic distances necessary to perform
Antelope Valley in December 1986, they broke its anti-submarine warfare and sea-surveillance
numerous aviation records. One in particular functions. The message would be unmistakable
that lends itself to a good story, was a record at home and abroad: the U.S. Navy could reach
held by a piston-powered aircraft which stood virtually any point on the globe, if it chose to
for 40 years. Thinking back to those history- do so.
making flights, it always makes me wonder how Cmdr. Thomas Davies would oversee the
a flight crew could endure long distance flights mission and all the details. The Navy approved
in such cramped conditions, when today’s long the flight and a crew was selected that included
distance air travel has many of us enjoying the Capt. Eugene Rankin, Cmdr. Walter S. Reid
comforts of wide-body jets, but still longing for and Lt. Cmdr. Roy Tabling. After all the details
the moment when the flight is over. were worked out, the crew traveled to Burbank
Back in the 1940s in Burbank, Lockheed’s to oversee the modifications of a special P2-V
new P2-V Neptune Navy patrol planes were Neptune for the task. With modifications that
rolling off the production line. Chief of Naval stripped all of the aircraft’s armament, added
Operations, Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, look- an extended nose and saw the installation of ad-
ing to extend the ranges of patrol aircraft, came ditional fuel tanks, the plane, after much flight
up with an idea for one of those P2-V’s that test, was sent on its way to Perth, Australia. Courtesy photographs
probably looked like a great opportunity for Just before the P2-V Neptune left, it had one Above and left: The U.S.
a crew to get some serious flight pay money. last task to be performed on it. The project, now Navy’s P2-V Neptune
“The Turtle.”
The memo he crafted in July 1946 read as fol- officially known as “Operation Turtle”, had a
lows: “For the purpose of investigating means visitor from Disney Studios and the insignia of
of extension of present patrol aircraft ranges, the “Truculent Turtle’’ was painted on the nose
physiological limitations on patrol plane crew of the aircraft. It depicted a determined turtle,
endurance and long-range navigation by pres- astride a bicycle sprocket turning a propeller.
sure pattern methods, it is proposed to make a He is smoking a pipe and carrying a rabbit’s
nonstop flight of a P2V-1 aircraft from Perth, foot on a keychain, as a symbol of his victory in
Australia, to Washington, D.C., with the pos- the race against the hare. (The turtle vs. the hare
sibility, weather permitting, of extending the symbolized the competition at the time between
flight to Bermuda.” the Navy and the Army air forces.) In September, a Navy R5D Skymaster left Airdrome at the Royal Australian Air Force
Burbank with four Lockheed technicians, crew- field north of Perth. Take off was scheduled for
men and support personnel, along with equip- 1800 hours, which would put the aircraft over
ment and spare parts needed to service the Turtle the west coast of the United States at about 9
while in Perth. Upon arriving, there was much p.m. two days later, and over Washington, D.C.,
buzz about Operation Turtle and the preparations at about noon on the third day.
had turned into a media circus. Press and local On Sept. 29, 1946, late in the afternoon, the
dignitaries all wanted to be around, and it was
determined that a couple of demonstration flights Truculent Turtle was poised on the runway and
would be added to appease the locals and remove ready to go.
all the distractions from around the airfield. In the next issue, we will fly along with the
Finally, there came the day the Turtle was Turtle and its crew as it sets a record for flight
declared ready for the flight. The aerologist ad- endurance not only for the plane, but for the
vised that the best day to depart weather-wise crew that probably could not make enough cof-
was approaching fast, so Sept. 29 was chosen. fee to keep up with the demand!
The P2-V Neptune was moved to the Pearce Until next time, Bob out ...

Courtesy photograph
Courtesy photograph The flight crew of The Turtle, from left; Cmdr. Eugene P. Rankin, Cmdr. Thomas D. Davies, Cmdr.
Truculent Turtle nose art, created by a Disney cartoonist. Walter S. Reid and Lt. Cmdr. Roy H. Tabeling, in Perth, Western Australia.

Aerotech News and Review
8 www.aerotechnews.com ........ facebook.com/aerotechnewsandreview February 4, 2022