VP-57 (earlier VP-931)
NAME: Flying Eagles
TAIL CODES: BI
Established: 4 Feb 1953
Disestablished: 3 July 1956
First published: 18. July 1999.
Last updated: February 17, 2004
Changed format: April 8, 2002
Photo of 122931 added 2. August 1999.
Photo of 131482 added 22. September 1999
3 new photographs of 128374 added 14. December 1999.
Photo of 131499 added 26. June 2000.
Photo of 127757 added 8 November 2000.
Photo of  BI-7, 122931 and 127757 added 15 February 2004
Photo of 39364 added 17 February 2004.
Click on the Photo for a larger photo
Click on BuNo to get a separate window
with the history of that BuNo as known to me.
Known Neptunes of VP-57 as of April 8, 2002

P2V-3, BI-7 1000 pixels (New February 15, 2004) P2V-3 on the seaplane ramp in front of the VP-931 hanger at the Kodiak Alaska Naval Air Station. That is a hill known as Old Woman in the back ground. It was a lengthy taxi from here to the runway (circa 1952).Photo Danie E Jessup. New February 15, 2004
P2V-2, 39364 1000 pixels (New February 17, 2004) P2V-2 sitting on the belly after the landing gear gave way during a touch and go landing practice in 1952. Photo Danie E Jessup. New February 17, 2004
P2V-3, 122931 from VP-931 photographed on 7 March 1952. National Archives.	P2V-3, 122931 1000 pixels (New February 15, 2004) P2V-3 from VP-931 on the Kodiak Alaska Naval Air Station airfield with Mr. Barometer in the back ground (circa 1952). Photo Danie E Jessup. New February 15, 2004
P2V-5, 127757(or 67) from VP-57 photographed over the Formosa straits in 1954. Photo courtesy Maurice Dufore. The plane was one of four in the squadron configured with nose and tail turrets. BuNo is taken from the print with the aid of a magnifying glass. Confirmation desired.	P2V-5, 127757(or 67) 1000 pixels (New February 15, 2004)  Photo Danie E Jessup. New February 15, 2004	To the left are two of VP-57's twelve P2V-5's. I believe this was during our flight to Japan during the Korean war. Though not the clearest picture, it does show interesting details. Note the large search radome on the belly which allowed us to pick up minute targets at great distances. The huge tip tank on the port wing held a precision radar in its nose and fuel in the rest. The starboard tip tank had a brilliant flood light in its nose and fuel in the rest. We could illuminate ships and targets at an amazing distance with that search light. 20 millimeter cannons in the nose and tail and 50 caliber machine guns in the top turret. The huge exhaust opening in the starboard engine at the bottom of the picture is from one of the three exhaust driven power recovery turbines (PRT's) which were connected directly to the engines crank shaft gaving the Wright 3350 additional power and efficiency (circa 1953). Daniel E Jessup.
P2V-5, 128374. USN photographs taken on 12. July 1954 at Naha, Okinawa .  Courtesy Maurice Dufore, who was Plane Captain on it.	P2V-5, 128374. USN photographs taken on 12. July 1954 at Naha, Okinawa .  Courtesy Maurice Dufore, who was Plane Captain on it.	P2V-5, 128374. USN photographs taken on 12. July 1954 at Naha, Okinawa .  Courtesy Maurice Dufore, who was Plane Captain on it.
P2V-5, 131482 taken over Kodiak in 1956 by Wayne Bartz.
P2V-5F, 131499 of VAH-4 which used to be VP-57, taken 19. June 1957 by L.S. Smalley.
Send any comments to: Baldur@verslo.is	Back to the index

Known Neptunes of VP-57 as of April 8, 2002