Displayed here at NAS Virginia having been given to the Smithsonian Institute in 1953 for the National Aviation Museum. It remained for another couple of years before being barged to Pensacola on loan to the Naval Aviation Museum and is now preserved as shown in my photo here. In 1946 it had accomplished a record-breaking flight from Perth, Australia non-stop to Ohio, the crew being accompanied by a young kangaroo gifted to the National Zoo in Washington DC

The prototype of the Neptune, the XP2V-1, made its maiden flight in May 1945 and in Sept/Oct 1946, the early aircraft seen here made a record-breaking flight from Perth to the USA. Intended originally to reach Washington DC, the crew had to settle for Columbus, OH having covered some 11,236 miles over a period of 55h 17m. It then flew with the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River until 1953 when presented to the Smithsonian Institution, going on display at NAS Norfolk, VA where I got to photograph it in 1975. Loaned to the Pensacola museum in 1977 and delivered by barge

Among the aircraft that were restored in preparation of the completion of the Hangar Bay One building was P2V-1 89082. By October 2010 it was on display hanging in the northwest corner of the structure, where it still resides.

The National Naval Aviation Museum acquired this a/c from the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in 1977. This slide was taken shortly after it arrived in Pensacola. It is currently on display inside the Hangar Bay One building.