Looking for Harpoon info

[GARY HILTON]

I am looking to gain any info on other countries who operated the PV-2 Harpoon....I know Portugal used a number of them, and some info is available on these PV's....Japan seemed to have a couple of Squadrons of them, and from what I've been able to determine, is that Japan only used the D model...Not knowing the size or number in their sqds...I would say that of the 35 PV-2D's built, that almost all the surviving D's more than likely were at one time operated by the Japanese....all answers accepted here!
Italy operated a few, there is reported to be one on disply somewhere in Italy, but I believe it has made it's way back to the US already...
France used more than a few Harpoons as well as the Dutch...
Any help with these elusive birds is appreciated...

Gary

[mike furline]

Taken from Lockheed Aircraft since 1913, Rene J Francillon.

Last edited by mike furline on Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Michel C-GNCJ]

Interresting post. I was about to say that at the air museum and various airports I have visited so far in Portugal, I had seen no Harpoon !

This answers that...

Tks !

[jdvoss]

The RNZAF received four PV-2 Harpoons (s/n NZ4701 thru NZ4704) to supplement their 139 PV-1's. IIRC, the PV-2's didn't last too long in the inventory and were returned to the USN after fairly short service usage.

[hercrat]

Believe it or not when I was flying Red Cross relief into the center of Angola back in 1988 to 1991, I saw a wrecked PV-2 at the airport in Huambo. Couldn't get anywhere near the aircraft (mines, guards, toilets) and you weren't allowed cameras. Don't know which PAF aircraft it was.

[jdvoss]

Just out of curiosity what is you interest in the foreign PV-2 usage?

[GARY HILTON]

Thanks to all the replys....I am interested in ALL PV-2 Harpoons...Relitively short production run....total of 535 PV-2's built in all variants...Initially, I was just interested in the surviving Harpoons after buying a derilict PV two years ago...but digging into their historys, I became a tad more involved....Have you ever read a book dedicated to the PV-2? (excluding maint. manuals) If so, please tell me where I can find a copy! The Signal publications has the PV-1, with a few paragraphs on the -2... My main reason for researching on the foreign
uses of the Harpoon, was to find out what happened to them after the country flying them disposed of them....were they scrapped? Sold off to another country....wrecked...abandoned...returned to the States?

I am chasing a story that has been passed to me, about two PV-2's being used in Laos and S.E. Asia by our friendly spooks at the CIA...Anybody care to bite on that one?

I know that Portugal had used the PV's in Angola, but didn't know they'd left any behind....I have a list of most of the PV's by s/n that were used by other countries....but other than the crashed Japanese PV-2...no closure as to their status.....so here we are....

By the way, I find the post war history of the PV's use as air tankers and spray planes very interesting as well as the people that piloted them, and turned the wrenches on them too. I have found that the histories of these PV's stateside have become pretty elusive as well!!! Just look in the registry section here at WIX, and you'll see a number of the Harpoons have a question mark behind it! I've been trying for almost two years to straighten them out into exclamation marks!

So, I'll keep on pluggin' away....I'll turn up a few pieces here and there...then I'll get a few more tidbits of info to jerk me back another direction.....But it's FUN!!!

[GARY HILTON]

I forgot to mention that the PV-2 in the picture above, Is s/n 15-1199..Mine is 15-1200!

[B29Gunner]

I am chasing a story that has been passed to me, about two PV-2's being used in Laos and S.E. Asia by our friendly spooks at the CIA...Anybody care to bite on that one?

Bird and Son's (later BirdAir) operated two PV-2's in Laos that were modified for airdrops, and one was further modified for photo recon work. Of the two, one crashed at LS-16 in 1961, while the other was shot down in 1963.

Is Pooner telling stories again?? You know the info is good since he got it from me, ha!

[GARY HILTON]

Trevor,
Hey man, thanks for the info! Can you lead me to the water now? Where can I get "the rest of the story"?...Do you happen to know the s/n or registration that were on the aircraft?
Believe it or not, it wasn't Pooner that led me to this one! As a matter of fact, he'd probably tell you that I have led him astray with a few of my yarns....At least I can keep an eye on my billfold while metting out punishment!............Don't ask........

Gary

[B29Gunner]

Trevor,
Hey man, thanks for the info! Can you lead me to the water now? Where can I get "the rest of the story"?...Do you happen to know the s/n or registration that were on the aircraft?

Yes indeedy! They were N7455C, c/n 15-1597 and N7456C, c/n 15-1595. I have tried to find some pictures of them while with Bird, but to no avail unfortunately!

Watch out for thee Pooner, he'll have ya looking like the Geico Caveman in no time! ha ha!

[GARY HILTON]

Trevor....You Da Man!! Thank you!!! I'll check my records and see if I may have pics of these Harpoons...Sorry, Pooner's already got me to the caveman stage...

[Obergrafeter]

How many did Dee Howard get and rebuild?

[YAF340]

Gary, I have an article on a fire company that has 10 on them. I'll send it to you if you would like. Not much detail, but several pictures. JOE

[rwdfresno]

Some interesting pictures of PV-2 and some other interesting aircraft in a bone yard in Portugal.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rreis/2947 ... 087338334/

Ryan