131391_1966-04-16_MUC_1290_KH

 

Photo taken by Klaus Held, scan kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.

 

 

Thanks a lot to Ralph M. Petterson and Peter Marson for helping me ascertain the identity of this aircraft.

 

Here’s the answer to my inquiry:

www.conniesurvivors.com/1-QandA.htm

 

 

München-Riem

1966-04-16 (16 April 1966)

 

131391 / 13

Lockheed WV-2Q / EC-121M Warning Star

1049A-4311

United States Navy,

Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron VQ-2, Rota, Spain

 

A lucky shot: This EC-121M came in unexpectedly, stayed only for a few minutes and took off again. It’s the only Warning Star I have a record of at Riem (but maybe there were more).

 

131391’s sister ship 131390 (c/n 1049A-4310) also from VQ-2 crashed on 22 May 1962 about 20 km from Riem, near Markt Schwaben, Germany, returning from a mission along the Czech border; rear cargo door failure caused in-flight tail separation, resulting in crash, explosion and fire; all 26 aboard were killed. (Source: vw1assoc.org)

 

The Lockheed WV-2Q Warning Star was a WV-2 (aka as Willie Victor) modified for the communications intelligence/electronics intelligence (ELINT)/signals intelligence role (source: vpnavy.com). The WV-2Q was redesignated EC-121M in 1962 (source: joebaugher.com).

 

Information from airhistory.net - thanks to Tim Martin:

Entered service in 1954 and retired to MASDC Davis Monthan in 1972. Scrapped in 1976.

 

131391 / 13 with US Navy at PIK in 1959:

www.airhistory.net/photo/458200/131391

 

131391 / 13 with US Navy at Dakar in 1961:

aflyinghistory.com/photos/lockheed/wv-2/131391/7679--1961...

 

131391 / 13 with US Navy at RAF Mildenhall in March 1969 (revised colours):

www.flickr.com/photos/147668976@N06/43521201124/

 

 

Scan from black-and-white print.

Done