A Brief History of Heavy Photoron Squadron 62

Written by Harold L. (Hap) Murphy, PHCS USN (RET)

Before there was a Heavy Photographic Squadron 62, (VAP-62), there was a Photographic Squadron 62, (VJ-62 - established on 10 April 1952). In May 1953 I was a PH3 and was transferred from the Aeronautical Photographic Experimental Laboratory (APEL), in Philadelphia, to Photographic Squadron 62 (VJ-62), then based at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Sanford, Florida, after having moved from NAS Jacksonville, Florida. At that time the was operating several types of aircraft, which included P4Y-1P (B-24, to those of you not familiar with earlier Naval aircraft), SNB-2P, F7F-5P, and the predecessor of the A3D, the North American AJ-2P Savage. The AJ-2P was powered by two R2800 radial engines swinging 15 foot 4 blade propellers, and one J33 jet engine in the tail. "Two turning, and one burning" was the way we refered to them in flight. The cockpit seating arrangement was very similar to the A3D-2P, having a pilot, a photo navagitor, and a photo-tech. Unlike the A3D-2P which has the camera compartment immediately behind and easily accessible from the cockpit area, the camera compartment of the AJ-2P was aft of the bomb bay; and to reach it the photo tech had to walk across the bomb bay doors (hoping they didn't open when he was half way across); or if the auxiliary fuel tank was installed in the bomb bay, he had to lie on his back and slide through a tunnel in the center of the fuel tank. The camera compartment could carry 6 cameras, and there was a nose camera compartment which carried one camera, firing forward. The most common configuration we used for most of our cartogtraphic mapping assignments was a tri-met fan of 6 in. focal length, a prime vertical in the A-28 gyro stab- ilized mount, using a 6 in. K-17, and split verticals using a pair of 12 in. K-17's. Around July of 1955 the squadron departed NAS Sanford (no longer NAAS Sanford), and mover to NAS Norfolk, Virginia. In the fall of 1956 I was transferred to the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland where I would later meet the next generation of heavy photo planes, the A3D-2P. I thought some of you might enjoy a little early history of the squadron in the "good old days" when it was VJ-62. If any old VJ types should happen across this, drop me a line. Particularly anyone from Detatchment Charlie in 1954 or Detatchment Fox in 1956.

Here are some other details of the squadron that might be of interest to you. VJ-62 was redesignated VAP-62 on 02 July 1956. From that time, until the early to mid-60s, it served on board various carriers. The squadron, VAP-62, was officially decommissioned on 15 October 1969.

Some early VJ-62 stuff.

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