Customer Reviews

Lockheed P-2V Neptune: An Illustrated History

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Wayne Mutza has created a fully illustrated history of the venerable Lockheed P2 Neptune that is a MUST READ for any military aviation affectionado. I amassed over 2500 crew hours in the Neptune over a ten year period, including night combat operations in the only NP-2H, and could hardly put his coverage of the seven models of the P2 and their numerous variations down, I just had to finish it! The color illustrations and photographs are superbly annotated with accurate, detailed captions of the Neptune's 55-year history including perhaps the most famous Neptune, the "Truculent Turtle". Several P2V-7's are still flying today in their roll as a "fire-bomber"! If you want the complete story of the Neptune, this is the book for you!

Mr. Mutza deserves a standing ovation for his outstanding publication on the P2 Neptune aircraft family. As a former crewman on SP-2E/H aircraft I found his discussion of this aircraft most thorough, quite competent and absolutely entertaining. Well Done!

Wayne Mutza has written the definitive work on the airplane that defined land-based Long-Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) aircraft in the years following WWII.

The author begins with Lockheed's original proposal, and follows the Neptune through a comprehensive history of every major and minor variation through the Vietnam War. My memory is a little different in a few places - I recall the "big" tip tanks holding 350 gallons each and the "small" ones 275 - but that's all 35 years ago, and a P-2 wingtip is a lonely place...[and so much for memory - the P2V-5 pilot's handbook has the small tanks at 200 gal.]

I would have liked to see more on the Neptune in Reserve service, but that's only my personal perspective, and certainly doesn't change the story of the airplane itself.

Don't know what it is about Schiffer's books but like David Reade's P-3 Orion Book, Mutza's work also lacks an index - somewhat compensated for by the 11 Appendices.

~500 hr USNR Aircrewman (FCO) P2V-4, P2V-5FS, P2V-6 (1962-1966) + 2 flights OP-2E 1968.

Living in the Netherlands, nearby former naval air base Valkenburg, i grew up with the beautifull sights and sounds of the Neptunes that were based on Valkenburg. So this book was a must have for me. It is all i expected it to be, fine pictures, well written and very accurate. I highly recommend this to all Neptune enthousiasts

I looked at all the pictures on the internet site for this book. It showed pictures of LA-9 and pictures for VP-5. La-9 crashed in Iceland and all aboard were killed. It took Retired Navy shipmates 30 years to get the remains back to the US. None of the pictures of LA-9 were in the book. There were no pictures of VP-5 Mad Foxes in the book. The add was misleading. Because I was in VP-5 I really wanted to see the pictures of LA-9. I have seen pictures of the crew but not of the real plane. Was in hopes I would and have something to share with other VP-5 shipmates.

Good pictures of P2-V's

Arnold