National Naval Aviation Museum notes that the P2V-1 Neptune was the first plane to fly nonstop without refueling from Perth, Australia, to Columbus, Ohio, covering a distance of 11,235 miles, in 55 hours and 17 minutes in 1946. Referred to as the “Truculent Turtle”, the P2V-1 held this unrefueled distance record until it was bested by the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in 1962.
Known as a high-winged aircraft with a twin-engine, the P2V Neptune had incredible load-bearing capacity for its time. It has been documented to carry payloads nearly 300% times its own weight, including four wartime pilots and a baby kangaroo, during its record-breaking flight.
When it was first launched, the P2V Neptune combined radar, sonar, and magnetic anomaly detection sensors. Aside from this tech, it boasted anti-shipping and anti-submarine weapons. The U.S. Naval Institute notes that it was the first Navy plane that could transport an atomic bomb, but only as a temporary solution until the completion of the AJ Savage in 1950.
In its P2V-3C configuration, it was able to accommodate Mk1 atomic weapons with some modifications, such as reduced crewing, increased internal fuel, and compatibility with JATO (Jet Assisted Take-Off). In 1950, Air & Space Magazine reported that the P2V-3C was the largest aircraft ever deployed from an aircraft carrier.
In the same year, the P2V-5 Neptune was also one of the first operational aircraft fitted with both piston and jet engines.
