ChesshireCat Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 way back in the stone age (think 1967/1968) they flew a specially modified airframe built off the P2v Neptune out of Thailand, and mostly flew up the Ho Chi Mein Trail dropping sensors. Three were lost to radar guided 57mm AA (I know some claim 37mm). The airframes were heavily armored, and had some secretive radar on them, plus electronic sensors to listen in on what was happening below them. They normally flew at 500 ft and lower. Appears to be a most interesting Navy plane. Now wouldn't it be nice if we had a conversion to build one. Hasegawa has a kit, and now we need all the add on parts. I know it had somekind of an added radar blister, plus added armor protection (one reason I said 57mm). Plus we really need a new toll Neptune in 1/48th scale! gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cubs2jets Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 We have had TWO conversions for the OP-2E... https://www.scalemates.com/kits/blackbird-models-bma72032-lockheed-op-2e-neptune--1267279 https://www.scalemates.com/kits/c-scale-ac32-lockheed-op-2e-neptune-igloo-white-conversion--578465 Plus decals https://www.scalemates.com/kits/wolfpak-decals-72-012-trail-interdictors--544005 C2j Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 11 hours ago, Cubs2jets said: We have had TWO conversions for the OP-2E... https://www.scalemates.com/kits/blackbird-models-bma72032-lockheed-op-2e-neptune--1267279 https://www.scalemates.com/kits/c-scale-ac32-lockheed-op-2e-neptune-igloo-white-conversion--578465 Plus decals https://www.scalemates.com/kits/wolfpak-decals-72-012-trail-interdictors--544005 C2j The Igloo White is not right for the OP-2e. The real OP-2e's were unarmed. The first conversion looks like the descriptions I have read. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gmat Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 (edited) How about this one? NP-2H 135582. All black. http://www.gonavy.jp/indexsub03.html https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/9157151/project-muddy-hill-thai-aviation-history https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/9157482/article-in-wings-of-gold-thai-aviation-history Grant Edited January 14, 2021 by gmat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Da SWO Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 On 1/12/2021 at 3:43 PM, ChesshireCat said: The Igloo White is not right for the OP-2e. The real OP-2e's were unarmed. The first conversion looks like the descriptions I have read. gary I thought igloo white was a sensor system and not armament? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hajo L. Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 (edited) My impression was that they carried SUU-11s on angled pylons on the wing and sometimes M60s in the aft fuselage windows... I did my own scratch-built conversion of the OP-2E a couple of years ago: HAJO Edited January 15, 2021 by Hajo L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 23 hours ago, Da SWO said: I thought igloo white was a sensor system and not armament? from what I read on the subject, they are two different operations. Both dropped sensors and homing beacons. I kinda gather that Igloo White was a bigger operation. Also think that the operation I'm thinking of happened in an area that would probably start near the south end of the Ashau Valley (but over the fence) and go north to the Mu Gai Pass. I do know there was a similar operation going on in the Plain Of Jars area of the Ho Che Mein Trail. On the otherhand, I never heard of an Op2e till earlier in the week when reading a daily KIA report. I do remember coming across the name Igloo White about a month ago, and I'll have to back track to see what little data is listed. Anyway this whole thing is interesting, and takes in several different airframes. From the EC47 and C123b to who only knows what. Did finally run across a Black Spot mission awhile back, and had began to wonder if they ever really used them. A guy named Roy Spencer seems to know as much as anybody on downed aircraft over there (if he's still alive). Some of his reports are very detailed, and others seem glossed over. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 7 hours ago, Hajo L. said: My impression was that they carried SUU-11s on angled pylons on the wing and sometimes M60s in the aft fuselage windows... I did my own scratch-built conversion of the OP-2E a couple of years ago: HAJO your going to be surprised as to what they Navy used (and didn't tell you). One that seriously interests me is the EC47. Both the Navy and Airforce used them. There was a similar C130, and probably a couple others as well. When I came thru Cam Rahn Bay, there was a row of Neptunes that had to be 24 airframes or more. Right across from them were B26 (K) bombers. Road right past them, but never gave them much thought. I'd been in country about thirty minutes. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 (edited) On 1/12/2021 at 5:02 AM, Cubs2jets said: We have had TWO conversions for the OP-2E... https://www.scalemates.com/kits/blackbird-models-bma72032-lockheed-op-2e-neptune--1267279 https://www.scalemates.com/kits/c-scale-ac32-lockheed-op-2e-neptune-igloo-white-conversion--578465 Plus decals https://www.scalemates.com/kits/wolfpak-decals-72-012-trail-interdictors--544005 C2j Let's not forget the recently released Caracal CD72057. with OP-2E markings. Edited January 16, 2021 by Dutch Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 19 hours ago, Dutch said: Let's not forget the recently released Caracal CD72057. with OP-2E markings. I saw that, and looks like the one to do gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Mignard Posted January 17, 2021 Share Posted January 17, 2021 On 1/15/2021 at 2:58 PM, ChesshireCat said: your going to be surprised as to what they Navy used (and didn't tell you). One that seriously interests me is the EC47. Both the Navy and Airforce used them. There was a similar C130, and probably a couple others as well. When I came thru Cam Rahn Bay, there was a row of Neptunes that had to be 24 airframes or more. Right across from them were B26 (K) bombers. Road right past them, but never gave them much thought. I'd been in country about thirty minutes. gary Those P-2’s at Cam Rahn were ARMY AP-2E’s belonging to the 1st Radio Research Group; the Crazy Cats. Mig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 2 hours ago, Rob Mignard said: Those P-2’s at Cam Rahn were ARMY AP-2E’s belonging to the 1st Radio Research Group; the Crazy Cats. Mig that's interesting. I know they didn't stay there long as I had to fly back down there six weeks later (forgot to sign the little green pay card). The B26's were still there, but the others were gone. Were they part of the radio relay teams that flew thru the slot? gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Mignard Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 They flew Army Security Agency missions. Not sure what that entailed. They’d take off from Cam Rahn and disappear. They were normally on the ramp during the day. There are lots of articles online, but they don’t say much about the mission. Mig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 18 hours ago, Rob Mignard said: They flew Army Security Agency missions. Not sure what that entailed. They’d take off from Cam Rahn and disappear. They were normally on the ramp during the day. There are lots of articles online, but they don’t say much about the mission. Mig sounds a lot like radio relay missions, or simply reading sensors during a flyover. I know they used EC47's to do that as well. There were radio relay sites up and down the fence, but doubt they had the range to reach the coast gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Mignard Posted January 18, 2021 Share Posted January 18, 2021 They may have been predecessors of Guardrail. The Army had RU-8's and RU-21's doing that mission in South Vietnam; my guess is the Neptunes were doing that mission in Laos and the Gulf of Tonkin. The AP-2E's were the heaviest Neptunes in service and flew with a crew of 15! They were slow (like all P-2's) and vulnerable. I doubt they flew directly into North Vietnam. Mig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 10 hours ago, Rob Mignard said: They may have been predecessors of Guardrail. The Army had RU-8's and RU-21's doing that mission in South Vietnam; my guess is the Neptunes were doing that mission in Laos and the Gulf of Tonkin. The AP-2E's were the heaviest Neptunes in service and flew with a crew of 15! They were slow (like all P-2's) and vulnerable. I doubt they flew directly into North Vietnam. Mig I used to know the flight path, but seems like it went across near Vinn with a refuel in DaNang. Deeper penetration was often done with EB-66 and probably some others. I have heard that they flew some big four engine stuff near the coast. Then there was Apache that pretty much flew a figure eight pattern along the fence, but never violating air space. It did everything from one airframe. They did fly EC-130's up the trail, and even a reworked Locheed Electra (can't remember the number). At least one was shot down north of Tcephone (sp). Just read the casualty reports over the last week. And lest we not forget about U2 and SR71 flights that went diagonally across the north and down the trail. I've seen the ZZYflash photos in the flesh that were less than a day old. Abrams killed most of that data when he took over (what an idiot) gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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