Symphony of Piston and Jet Engines: Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune Test Flight

HARS Aviation Museum’s P2V-7 Neptune is the only airworthy example in the world and it’s all thanks to how the company immaculately stored the aircraft.

The Neptune was the first plane designed for long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare missions. Interestingly enough, it was also the first operational aircraft fitted with both piston and jet engines since the P2V-5F model.

With this peculiar setup, the two piston engines are started up first. Meanwhile, the two jet engines would only be started after they arrived at a threshold during takeoff. This allowed the Neptune to save on jet fuel in the long run.

You can see this happen at 6:09, just look at the engine inlets. The red cover at the inlet will fold inwards when the engine is running. These red covers are part of the engine structure and cannot be removed ordinarily!