|
 |
|
The Northrop PS-1, B-35 Maritime
Patrol Variant |
|
by Joe Poutre
In 1949 the first PBT-1 entered Navy service. A variant of the
B-35, it traded bombs for depth charges and ASW and maritime
patrol equipment. By 1954 some 87 PBT-1s were flying over the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. One admiral, watching the big plane
fly over head, remarked how its shape resembled a giant bow. Thus
came the name "Artemis", after the Greek goddess of war and
wisdom, proficient in archery. In 1955 the Navy evaluated the
B-49. The sole PB2T flew several missions over the Atlantic, but
in the end the Navy preferred the slower speed and longer range
and patrol time of the prop-driven PBT-1. By 1958, an upgraded
variant, now redesignated PS-1A, began to come on line. (A
bureaucratic mix-up resulting in many documents continuing to
refer to the aircraft as the PBT-1A into the 1970s.) All defensive
armament was removed save a tail-mounted 20mm cannon, while depth
charges and mines were joined by homing torpedoes, and surface
search radar was added. In the mid-1960s, the aircraft began to
carry a Coast Guard liaison officer aboard, along with search and
rescue equipment, to take advantage of the big aircraft's spare
capacity and ocean-spanning area of operations. Her new
designation led to her unofficial nickname, "Postscript". Navy
PS-1 aircrews took the name as their own; anyone else who dared
use the name found themselves in a brawl. Only Air Force B-49
crews were allowed the privilege, and then only if they smiled
when they said it. During the Vietnam War PS-1s flying out of Guam
and the Philippines patrolled the waters off Vietnam, directing
Navy ships to interceptions of potential enemy vessels. Their
radar proved very effective in tracking even the smallest craft
and the sight of the giant plane flying low and slows over their
heads sent more than one NVA crew into the water. One such
low-flying PS-1 came under small arms fire from a sampan,
responding with a shallow-set depth charge next to the small
vessel, blowing it out of the water. They also joined Air Force
B-49s in mining North Vietnamese harbors. 1969 saw the
introduction of the PS-1B. They now carried ELINT equipment and
antennae as well as new signal processing computers for acoustic
and electronic data. The crew grew to 10, including the Coast
Guard officer and an electronics warfare officer. One bomb bay was
now half-filled with the new equipment, the other half being given
over to a load of 80 sonobuoys. The tail stinger was replaced by a
MAD boom, leading to her third nickname, the "Manta". An incident
in 1975 involving a near-collision with an aggressive Soviet "Wingski"
over the mid-Atlantic lead the Navy to reintroduce defensive
armament. The latest version designated PS-1C, gained underwing
hardpoints, allowing for up to 8 Sidewinder AAMs, plus pylons for
Harpoon, SLAM and Maverick missiles. Reduction in the size of
electronic equipment freed half of the second bomb bay, which was
modified to carry a further 4 Harpoon/SLAM and 8 Maverick
missiles. They now carried a crew of 12, though most no longer
included a Guardsman. They continue cross-training exercises, to
keep Artemis crews proficient in search-and-rescue techniques.
Today the 99 PS-1Cs are undergoing Update III, introducing
improved avionics, electronics and navigational equipment. The
Navy's new focus on littoral warfare is causing them to consider a
PS-1D version, adding conformal AEW radar and upgrading the
surface search radar.
Foreign Service:
The only countries to operate the PS-1 are the RN, RCN, and RAN,
other navies preferring ASW versions of the smaller P-3 Orion used
by the US Customs service and Coast Guard. Japan expressed
interest in the 1970s, but domestic opposition to buying what was
basically a long-range bomber caused them also to go with the P-3.
Markings and Camouflage:
Over the years USN Artemises have carried three paint schemes,
with variations. The first scheme was overall Navy Blue with white
markings. Individual aircraft sometimes carried small personal
logos on the outer wings or on the upper wing near the cockpit.
Aircraft designation and squadron numbers were marked in white on
the upper and lower wingtips. Most aircraft sported some kind of
decoration on the upper wing around the cockpit. During the early
1960s a gray upper and white lower was introduced. Crews soon took
advantage of the lighter background to personalize their aircraft.
Since they had no tails to emblazon, wingtips were the location of
choice for a wide variety of squadron-specific images, while the
large relatively flat surfaces of both upper and lower wings
became giant canvases for a short while, culminating in no less
than three aircraft sporting a depiction of a "Batman" shape
covering the entire underside of the aircraft, and one aircraft
had, for a very short time, a far-beyond life-size nude portrait
of Marilyn Monroe. Navy brass immediately halted the practice,
ostensibly because they made the aircraft especially visible. In
the 1990s an all-gray scheme was adopted, along with low-viz
markings. Air crews sadly painted out their vibrant colors, though
some replicated their treasured personalization's in shades of
grey. Propellers have always been black with various combinations
of red and yellow at the tips.
© 2002 by Joseph Poutre
|
|
|