Just for the Record - P3 Departure MHZ today

[BOLLO]

Nice one Chris.

[MarkG]

Cheers for the info Chris
Nice shots under crap conditions Dave, good catch there mate

[RichC]

You can tell it is a P-3C due to the Mad Boom. EP-3 ARIES don't have MAD Booms.
Plus the pod underneath looks like an upgraded ALQ-78 to me. Perhaps part of the OASIS upgrade that Stig mentioned.

The lumps and bumps other than that look rather normal for a MARPAT aircraft. Look at the now defunct Nimrod MRA4 exterior, masses of lumps and bumps.

No reason to assume a P-3C is a more exotic type just because it has a few more antennas on the top or bottom. MARPAT aircraft have extensive Satcom, VHF, UHF and HF antenna fits.
New pods and bumps here and there would just signify upgraded equipment usually.

Might be wrong though but to me, a normal P-3C.

[DeltaCharlieKilo]

I shot a RNZAF Orion with a similar pod arrangement last October. The aircraft was doing an ILS approach and overshoot into my local. Turret was located in front of the nosewheel bay on that one. Shots here:

http://fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 16&t=20216" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[stigorige]

P3C III AIP is the latest spec for a P3C, I don't recall suggesting it was a special fit.
The OASIS pod is the one above the cockpit used to give a beyond the horizon capbility against surface and land targets.
She's just a line bird going on deployment.
Stig.

[Kier]

According a friend who know everything about P-3's worldwide, here what it really is;

According the antenna configuration it has to be for 100% a very secret P-3 from VPU-1, so the last three digits on the nose are false. So the only one who can say what number it is , is the one who read it inside

This particular aircraft was heading to Bagram AB on 17 and 18 july 2010 with a stop on Lajes. It was last seen on Bagram at february 14th 2011.
So probaply heading back to the US , this time stopping at the Hall.

That's why EP-3E's are (almost) not seen last year at the Hall. They go via Lajes.



Rgds,


Kier

[Thunder]

Stigorige is correct it's a normal updated P-3C.

The large Antenna hanging from below the Port side Wing root was seen by myself on US Navy P3's as far back as 2001 at Kinloss.

Also not all EP-3's have shortened MAD booms and the only place to get the correct Bureau number is from inside the Nose Gear doors, it's been years since I've seen USN P3C's displaying the BuNo externally(some probably do)

[FAlcons]

What KIER says is right: this P-3C is not a regular Orion, but secret VPU-1 machine. You can trust his source: the P-3 Orion Research Group. Read all about normal and special P-3s on http://www.p3orion.nl/

If anyone is still in doubt. This is a EP-3E:


Rob

[Thunder]

According a friend who know everything about P-3's worldwide, here what it really is;

According the antenna configuration it has to be for 100% a very secret P-3 from VPU-1, so the last three digits on the nose are false. So the only one who can say what number it is , is the one who read it inside

This particular aircraft was heading to Bagram AB on 17 and 18 july 2010 with a stop on Lajes. It was last seen on Bagram at february 14th 2011.
So probaply heading back to the US , this time stopping at the Hall.

That's why EP-3E's are (almost) not seen last year at the Hall. They go via Lajes.



Rgds,


Kier

How does he know it was this a/c

"This particular aircraft was heading to Bagram AB on 17 and 18 july 2010"

if the last three on the nose are false??????

[ehvb01orions]

Since 2005 at least a VPU Special project Orion has been based at Bagram AB in Afghanistan.
The aircraft is changed every 9 months. I can send you a picture of 764 taken at Lajes in July 2010, while enroute to Bagram, where it again was spotted in February 2011. It is 100% the same aircraft with a false code.
This is not the real 161764 which was grounded because wing fatigue problems in 2008 and was reassigned to VP-46 after repair. You should compare both pictures to see they both show the same aircraft.

Jaap Dubbeldam
P-3 Orion Reasearch Group

[ehvb01orions]

does anybody know where the P-3 came from and also its destination ?

[Snoop28]

Italy-UK-Canada

[ehvb01orions]

Thanks,
so that would be Sigonella - Mildenhall - Greenwood or St Johns NFD