Lockheed Martin® P-3C Orion, VP-19 Big Red (159514), Mahogany, 1/78th (18")

Lockheed Martin® P-3C Orion, VP-19 Big Red (159514) A VP-19 Big Red P-3C made from solid wood and meticulously painted to mirror the actual paint scheme of that particular aircraft. Length - 18 inches Width -15 inches Made from Mahogany US Naval Aviator Owned Business Officially Licensed by Lockheed Martin The product is not intended to be used by children 12 years and younger. LOCKHEED MARTIN, associated emblems and logos, and body designs of vehicles are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation in the USA and/or other jurisdictions, used under license by Squadron Nostalgia LLC. May 1946: VP-907 was established at Naval Air Station Livermore, California. The squadron came under the operational control of FAW-4, Pacific Fleet, and administrative control by Naval Air Reserve Training (NARTU). The squadron was another of the 21 reserve squadrons established after the war to accommodate the large number of aircrews recently released from active duty and utilize the enormous stocks of aircraft in the inventory. The squadron flew the PV-2 Harpoon, and the amphibious PBY-5A and PBY-6A Catalina. 15 November 1946: All patrol squadrons were redesignated. Regular Navy squadron designation numbers began with 1 and reserve squadron numbers began with 5. VP-907 was redesignated VP-ML-57. The ML, medium patrol squadrons, included twin-engine medium amphibious seaplanes, as well as twin-engine land-based bombers. Regular Navy patrol squadrons with the ML designation were for twin-engine medium land-based bombers only. The amphibious medium seaplanes like the PBY-5A used the AM, amphibian designation for regular Navy patrol squadrons. February 1950: The personnel and assets of VP-ML-57 and VP-ML-72 were merged and redesignated VP-871 during the reorganization of Naval Aviation reserve units in 1949, the effective date for this action was February 1950. During this period the number of naval aviation reserve squadrons was reduced from the 1949 total of 24 to 9. The squadron transitioned to the P2V-2 Neptune during this period. 1 March 1951: VP-871 was recalled to active duty for service during the Korean War. The squadron relocated from its home base at Oakland, California, to NAS Alameda, California. Aircrews were given transition training for conversion to the P4Y-2/2S Privateer. The 2S version of this aircraft featured surface search radar. October 1951–July 1952: On its first deployment to NAS Atsugi, Japan in October VP-871 conducted shipping surveillance over the Sea of Japan. On 12 December 1952, the squadron formed a detachment that operated from Kimpo AFB, South Korea, to provide night interdiction missions in support of United States Marine Corps nightfighter squadrons in Korea. The squadron received its nickname, “Big Red,” for dropping red night illumination flares (150 Mk-6 flares per mission) for allied air and ground units. Upon its return from Japan in July 1952, the squadron began the transition to P2V-2 and-3 model Neptunes. January–July 1953: VP-871 deployed to Naval Air Station Agana, Guam. Toward the end of the Korean War the decision was made to establish all nine reserve patrol squadrons activated during the 1950 to 1951 time period as part of the regular Navy. On 4 February 1953, VP-871 was redesignated VP-19. The redesignations did not require changes in tail codes or home bases. After returning to NAS Alameda in July 1953, the squadron commenced transition to the P2V-5 Neptune. 4 September 1954: During the squadron’s deployment to NAS Atsugi, Japan, one of the squadron’s P2V-5 aircraft on a routine ECM and weather surveillance flight over the Sea of Japan, 40 miles (60 kilometers) off the coast of Siberia, was attacked and set on fire by two Soviet MiG-15 aircraft. The Neptune ditched successfully at sea, and all hands except for the navigator were able to exit the sinking aircraft and climb aboard a life raft. A USAF SA-16 amphibian picked the aircrew up the next day. Ensign R. H.