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The Lockheed WP-3D Orion is a highly modified
AOC description of the WP-3D
Military Officer magazine article on the WP-3D
1970s United States special-purpose aircraft P-003, W Four-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Four-engined turboprop aircraft National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration WP-3
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner by Lockheed; it is e ...
used by the Aircraft Operations Center }
The Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) is the main aircraft base for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government, under the operation of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps. AOC houses 10 NOAA aircra ...
division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
(NOAA). The aircraft are operated by officers of the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (informally the NOAA Corps) is one of eight federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( ...
. Only two of these aircraft exist, each incorporating numerous features for the role of collecting weather information. During the Atlantic hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season is the period in a year, from June 1 through November 30, when Tropical cyclone, tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean. These dates, adopted by convention ...
, the WP-3Ds are deployed for duty as hurricane hunters
Hurricane hunters, typhoon hunters, or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather ...
. The aircraft also support research on other topics, such as Arctic ice coverage, air chemistry studies, and ocean water temperature and current analysis.
Design
The WP-3Ds are equipped with three weatherradar
Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
s, C band radar in the nose and on the lower fuselage, and an X-band radar
The X band is the designation for a band of frequencies in the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of the X band is set at approximately 7.0–11.2 ...
in the aircraft's tail. They are also equipped with the ability to deploy dropsonde
A dropsonde is an expendable weather reconnaissance device created by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), designed to be dropped from an aircraft at altitude over water to measure (and therefore track) storm conditions as the dev ...
s into storm systems, and have onboard temperature sensors, and other meteorological equipment. While the aircraft are not specially strengthened for flying into hurricanes, their decks were reinforced to withstand the additional equipment load.
It has a ''barber's pole
A barber's pole is a type of Signage, sign used by barbers to signify the place or shop where they perform their craft. The trade sign is, by a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, a staff or :wikt:pole, pole with a helix of colored Strip ...
sampler'' (named for its red and white stripes) that protrude from the aircraft's front, a tail Doppler weather radar
A weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar (WSR) and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type (rain, snow, hail etc.). Modern weather radars are mostly pu ...
, and other unique-looking instruments hanging from the wing.
Operational history
NOAA currently operates two WP-3Ds nicknamed ''Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy is a The Muppets, Muppet character known for her Breakthrough role, breakout role in the sketch comedy television series ''The Muppet Show''. She is notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, her tendency to use French l ...
'' and '' Kermit'', and their logos feature the characters created by Jim Henson Productions
The Jim Henson Company, Inc., formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (commonly referred to as Henson), is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is kn ...
. NOAA's other hurricane hunting aircraft, the Gulfstream IV-SP
The Gulfstream IV (or G-IV or GIV) and derivatives are a family of twinjet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. They were designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United States, ...
, is named ''Gonzo
Gonzo may refer to:
People
* Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname
* Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo
* Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose stage ...
''; they complement the fleet of WC-130
The Lockheed WC-130 is a high-wing, medium-range aircraft used for weather reconnaissance missions by the United States Air Force. The aircraft is a modified version of the C-130 Hercules transport configured with specialized weather instrumenta ...
aircraft operated by the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known by its nickname, Hurricane Hunters, is a flying unit of the United States Air Force, and "the only United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense organization still flying into t ...
. As of 2014, the two Orions had each flown more than 10,000 hours and flown into more than 80 hurricanes. In 2024, NOAA announced plans to replace these two aircraft with modified C-130Js, and they are scheduled to be retired by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2017, the aircraft received major overhauls, costing a total of $35 million. This work was performed by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
's Fleet Readiness Center Southeast
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast is a U.S. Navy maintenance, repair and overhaul depot-level facility located onboard Naval Air Station Jacksonville with intermediate-level detachments at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport and ...
in Jacksonville
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. The work included new wings and engines and upgraded radars and avionics. NOAA anticipates that these changes will allow the aircraft to fly until between 2032 and 2037.
Specifications (WP-3D Orion)
See also
Notes
* *External links
{{Commons category, WP-3 OrionAOC description of the WP-3D
Military Officer magazine article on the WP-3D
1970s United States special-purpose aircraft P-003, W Four-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Four-engined turboprop aircraft National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration WP-3