THE TRUCULENT TURTLE CREW - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH CO-SIGNED BY: COMMANDER E. P. RANKIN, COMMANDER THOMAS D. DAVIES - HFSID 257175
Sale Price $396.00
Reg. $440.00
FLIGHT OF THE TRUCULENT TURTLE: THOMAS D. DAVIES and E. P.
RANKIN. Photograph signed: "Tom Davies" and "E. P.
Rankin". B/w, 7¾x9¾ overall, image 5x7 (one surface). In 1946, the US
Navy's first P2V-1 Neptune, an anti-submarine and sea surveillance
aircraft, set a long-lasting record for the longest nonstop, non-refueled
flight. On September 29, the aircraft, laden with extra fuel tanks
and stripped of combat gear and other nonessentials (such as cabin heaters),
took off from Perth, Australia, bound for Washington, D.C. It carried
five passengers, Commander THOMAS DAVIES (the pilot), Commander E. P. RANKIN
(the co-pilot), Cdr. W. S. Reid and Lt. Cdr R. A. Tubeling (for navigation,
radio, and pilot relief), and a nine-month old gray kangaroo (a gift from
Australia to Washington's zoo). Forced by winter weather to consume extra fuel,
the Turtle landed on October 1 at Columbus, Ohio, short of its intended
destination. Nevertheless, it had set an impressive distance record of
11,236.6 miles in 55 hours, 18 minutes. This feat bested the previous
non-refueled, nonstop distance mark by nearly 4,000 miles. This record
stood for 16 years, until broken by a B-52 bomber of the Strategic Air
Command in 1962. It remains the record for a piston engine aircraft.
The Truculent Turtle can be seen today at the Naval Aviation Museum in
Pensacola, Florida. Light corner creases. Fine condition.
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