Old radar and searchlight ID

[Sigurjon]

I've been going through some old document regarding a modification that was done on a C54 flying for the Icelandic Coast Guard in the 60's. Of interest is the fact that it was equipped with a radar and a searchlight, and I'm interested to know to what other aircraft these might have been fitted - they were undoubtedly second hand and had been removed from something else.
The Radar was AN/APS 33 and the searchlight was AN/AVQ - 2
Can anyone help with aircraft types these would have been fitted to?

Regards,
Sigurjon

[shrike]

I've been going through some old document regarding a modification that was done on a C54 flying for the Icelandic Coast Guard in the 60's. Of interest is the fact that it was equipped with a radar and a searchlight, and I'm interested to know to what other aircraft these might have been fitted - they were undoubtedly second hand and had been removed from something else.
The Radar was AN/APS 33 and the searchlight was AN/AVQ - 2
Can anyone help with aircraft types these would have been fitted to?

Regards,
Sigurjon

The AN/AVQ-2 searchlight was fitted to the wingtips of Neptunes, the AN/APS-33 was a belly mounted X-band radar set that was also fitted to at least on Neptune variant.

[Sigurjon]

Thanks a lot for that Shrike.

Do you know if the searchlight could be run off the aircraft generators, or if a separate APU was installed in the Neptunes to power it?? Reason I´m asking, is that an APU was installed in the C54 at the same time as the searchlight and I´m wondering if there was a connection.

Regards,
Sigurjon

[shrike]

The APU might have been necessary. Doing the little bit of research to find those components also brought to light a problem with Neptunes and power management that could lead to sudden overloads and electrical fires

[ANewNormalcy]

I operated the AVQ-2 in the SP-2H Neptune. Pulling the trigger on the control handle (either at the co-pilot's station or the bow operator's position) altered the entire DC electrical system of the aircraft. Both DC generators were placed in series, along with both batteries to develop the 96 VDC needed to strike the arc. The MINIMUM operation time was 20 seconds, and the maximum was either 40 or 60 seconds (that was a long time ago, I'm a bit hazy). In the P-3As, the searchlight was removed from my squadron's (VP-65) aircraft circa 1975, as they were essentially superfluous, and the removal provided an additional 1-2% in fuel economy. I suspect that the removal reduced maintenance manpower, and fewer people injured themselves on the searchlight, to boot.
You now know all that I know.
...Lorenzo