The release of this edition of the 'In Action' series brings about a cheer and comments of "its about time" from a number of us. During my long military career, I was intimately involved with the P-3; first the EP-3B/E versions and later the 'normal' P-3A/B/C variants both as an organizational level and later as an intermediate maintenance avionics technician. USN types will know that of which I speak.

Without a doubt the most successful ASW/patrol aircraft probably ever built, though there will be those who think that the Catalina or the Viking might have a say about things. The P-3 has been one of those aircraft that everyone interested in aircraft has seen, but has also probably thought little about. The Orion holds (or at least held) the world's speed record for multi-engine propeller driven aircraft and this was done with a standard aircraft. It is also able to cruise with two of its four engines shut down, making for properly long patrols (which is why it has a galley and toilet). Its airframe is able to be utilized for different roles other than that of ASW/Patrol and older airframes have been so modified for use by Customs, Fire Bombing, and specialty roles by NOAA and NASA to name a few. In addition to broad use in the US, the Orion was license built in Japan by Kawasaki and has been sold to well over a dozen different countries.

I can tell you from experience that the P-3 is not a smooth-riding aircraft. Its short, stiff wings make for a bumpy ride unless handled with care and precision by its flight crew or when on autopilot. Rough weather has the crew firmly strapped in to prevent being tossed around in the cabin. However, this stiffness makes it quite agile for its size and it can quite easily be flown with aplomb should the need arise.

Thanks to its airliner beginnings, the Orion has an incredibly long airframe time, with even older P-3A airframes left with thousands of hours of operation in them. In fact, US P-3s have been retired not due to airframe fatigue, but more to having more modern versions available. Even older airframes have had their electronic suites updated several times to meet the changing needs of the mission.

Overall, I'd have to rate this as an outstanding reference on the type, though I may be a bit biased in that regard!

You can find this book and many others at

For those of you who can't get enough P-3 pics, here are a few I've taken from various postings over the years.

  YP-3A as operated by NASA, Keflavik 1988

EP-3B with VQ-1, Atsugi 1975

NP-3D from VXN-8 (El Coyote), Keflavik, 1988

P-3C with VP-26, Diego Garcia 1980

P-3C with VP-46, Diego Garcia 1986. This is during the time when tail markings were being removed from the fleet as you can see from the aircraft to the rear.

  TP-3 from VP-30, London, 1997

CP-140, Keflavik, 1987

  P-3C? from 333 Sq, Keflavik, 1988

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