Lockheed delivers upgraded P-3

UPI ^ | 7/14/2010 | UPI

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has received from Lockheed Martin its first mid-life upgrade P-3 Orion patrol aircraft, the company announced.

The upgrade replaced the patrol craft's outer wings, center wing lower surface and horizontal stabilizer with new production components.

"We are excited about our partnership with Customs and Border Protection," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin P-3 Programs vice president, "and we are committed to providing them with modernization enhancements to sustain the P-3 for decades to come. The MLU integrates well with our 10-year site and depot P-3 Fleet Maintenance Program, now under way with CBP."

Lockheed Martin said the upgrade replaces all fatigue-life limiting structure with enhanced-design components and incorporates a new metal alloy that is five times more corrosion resistant, greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators.

[Fresh Wind]

P-3C ping!

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Ping

[knarf]

1959 P3 Orion

[PLMerite]

“1959 P3 Orion”

That new? I thought they were originally converted Ford Tri-Motors. :)

[ProtectOurFreedom]

For 20 years, we had squadrons of P3’s flying over our house at 1,000 feet on their way to the Pacific (out of Moffet Field) to look for Russian subs. The vibration levels were so high I’m surprised our house is still standing. It was sad to see the Navy leave Moffet, but I sure don’t miss that noise. I wonder if the engine vibrations contribute significantly to metal fatigue cycles.

[magslinger]

SONOBUOY PING!

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[FreedomPoster]

One heckuva maritime patrol craft. It is not at all clear to me that we have a real plan to replace them . . . .

[19th LA Inf]

The vibration levels were so high I’m surprised our house is still standing

In 1961 we lived in an older house a little out of the Love Field traffic pattern. American and Braniff both flew Electras, and every time one took off, there was one window pane in our kitchen that would set up a vibration. More irritating was the experience of being seated right over the main spar and trying to eat a meal off the airline tray. Coffee would nearly splash out of the cup. I guess it should have been relaxing though, like the motel vibrator beds back then.

[lentulusgracchus]

The Electra had three bad crashes due to midair breakup in the late 50's and early 60's that led to a significant reduction in airspeed (per CAB/FAA order). Think the a/c had been designed to operate at something like 510 kt in order to compete with pure jet service on medium-distance routes. The FAA limited it to 380 kt or so. The problem was engine support struts cracking during hard landings and then failing in flight. Or so I read. The article was specific that it wasn't fatigue cracking but actual structural damage from landings.

[shorty_harris]

I worked out there during the Navy days (still work there). It seemed like there was always a P-3 sitting on the taxiway near our building, engines running, for what seemed like hours. The vibration and noise would set up secondary vibrations in the metal of the building, the walls, my desk, my brain...it used to drive me crazy.

Nowadays its like a graveyard, and if an aircraft is heard, it sends everyone outside to have a look.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I live a couple miles away from there and those engine maintenance tests that went on for hours drove us crazy. We had to sleep with the windows closed and, in the evening, bottle up the house to keep the noise out. It was a remote place in the 30’s, but since the 50’s it’s been overrun by housing (as you know). It’s a lot more peaceful now (as peaceful as a huge megalopolis can be).