"John Keeney" wrote:

It's how we learn, I guess. A lot of P2V-5s had the jets, too. I
have a P2V-5/P-2E Natops Manual kicking around here, and the jets are
definitely there. In fact, there are no takeoff distance charts for
recip-only operation - the jets were to be used on every takeoff, I
guess. (Although, being J34s, they really don't contribute all that
much - both jeta at 100 kts would give you about 1800 HP, or half an
engine's worth of thrust. Still, there's no power like Excess Power.

I had suspected there were retrofits, but couldn't produce any references
quickly. What I have did show the P2V-5s as starting life jetless.


Ok...I know for a fact that ours were P2V-7's and were jetless
for at least a year after we got them in about midsummer of 1955.

I believe they were retrofitted in late 1956 and I can confirm it
exactly if you need. One of my coffee buddies loves and flew them
for a few years after I left them, he even has experience with
the rockets that they used for awhile.
--

-Gord.