P-3, CP-140, Electra

[PR19_Kit]

I like the thought of the Orion replacing the UK's nimrod fleet but updated like the P7.......

Which Nimrod fleet would that be then.................?

[jcf]

Which Nimrod fleet would that be then.................?

This fleet? 

[Captain Canada]

That looks awesome Damian ! Did a double take thought it was an Airbus for a second......

Nice looking Electra Robert ! Love that aeroplane.

Great to see the Nimrod pics as well. What a beautiful biplane...arguably the best looking ever ! And those shots are spectacular !

[PR19_Kit]

Which Nimrod fleet would that be then.................?

This fleet? 

There's certainly more of them flying around than there are of the Nimrods we SHOULD have, and have already paid for I should add.......

[DarrenP]

yes we'd paid for the aircraft. But weren't going to fork out more to sort out the poor engineering of the basic airframe. And that was before Avionics integration or weapons integration. There is allot of mythology that the nimrods were fully operation aircraft when the plug was pulled the truth is they were basic airframes with no mission fit. In theory the mission fit would be the best in the world today. But it wasn't fitted or integrated. Nimrods could not have lifted out of BaE and gone on patrol on the day that the Govt pulled the plug.

[rickshaw]

I've often wondered why they haven't pushed Hercules as MPA.  It has the range and the fuselage is roomy enough to hang all sorts of sensors off and you can fit oodles of computing power inside one to handle it.   Put some phased array cheeks on the side, a FLIR in the nose and a MAD bird on a wire at the back.  Sonar dispensers on the tail ramp, weapons on external racks on the wings.

I've never understood why the UK Government decided to try and upgrade the Nimrods.  It was always going to be an extremely expensive proposition.  They'd have been better off purchasing either P-3s and refurbishing them, themselves or Posedons or even the aforementioned Hercules MPA.  It would have saved a lot of money.

[pyro-manic]

Or anything else, for that matter. I think the Nimrod 4 was sold as an upgrade to existing aircraft, rather than an entirely new one as it basically was. Basically a way to make a very expensive project sound cheap. Plus it was a contract to a British company, rather than another import.

Hercules MPA sounds good, if a bit slow. I expect there will be an order for Poseidons at some point in the future, though that may depend on whether the Trident boats are replaced...

[PR19_Kit]

I've never understood why the UK Government decided to try and upgrade the Nimrods.  It was always going to be an extremely expensive proposition. 

Because the were BRITISH!

[Captain Canada]

For fans of the P-3 family, they are doing a lot of Electra flying on the tv show 'Ice Pilots'. Lots of maintenance as well ! The episode where Chuck and the boys show the RCAF how to do an engine change is priceless !

[DarrenP]

the bulk of flying electras are now in Canada Air Atlantique's went to buffalo and were the last 2 in Europe apart from the Christmas trees at coventry

[kitnut617]

Before Joe (Buffalo owner) went to the UK to get those two Electras, one of the ones he already had suffered a mishap which was the reason he headed to the UK.  One of the main gear wouldn't come down so the crew had to do a 'two-leg' landing with the result of two written off engines and props.  I think I've read somewhere it's now back in the air ---  Joe didn't just take the Electras, he also just about cleaned out all the spares Atlanique had.

[Captain Canada]

He tried to get some of the firebombers from California as well, but after a few days of negotiating some big American conglomerate stepped in and walked off with the whole lot....somat like 17 airframes......

[McColm]

The classic C-130's are extremely noisy. I haven't been up in one of the C-130Js yet, but an Atlas with a maritime suite on board would be a better alternative. (might save my pennies up and build a 1/72 Revell based Atlas AEW!) The French are updating some of their Atlantiques.
The Nimrod 2000 was promoted as a maritime update to be fitted to the P-3 Orions and Atlantics.

[jcf]

He tried to get some of the firebombers from California as well, but after a few days of negotiating some big American conglomerate stepped in and walked off with the whole lot....somat like 17 airframes......

If you mean the eight Aero-Union P-3s, they were purchased by UAC (United Aeronautical Corporation), a spares specialist but hardly a big conglomerate, from the bank holding Aero-Union's debt, and as they were all ex-military airframes all Buffalo could have used them for was spares.

[Spey_Phantom]

i have a question regarding the L-188,

i just bought a 1/72 P-3 orion, but im planning to demilitarise it into an updated, shortened version of the Electra, but i cant seem to find information on the dimensions and spacing of the windows along the fuselage. any help?