P-3's on a carrier????

[bigmouth]

Someone once told me that P-3's used to land on carriers during WWII. Have P-3's ever really landed on a carrier, and if so, why?

 

[TurnandBurn55]

During WWII? Ermm... P-3s have only been around since about 1960 or so dawg.

I've heard stories... rumors about P-3s which have made emergency landings on a carrier... but this is gonna open up a new thread similar to the F-16 on the carrier landing kind of thing...

Suffice it to say the P-3 was designed to be land based. The S-3 (and the S-2 prior to that) was supposed to be the carrier-based fixed-wing ASW asset.

 

[kmac]

Yes! It's true. The PBY Catalina just didn't have the range compared to a carrier-based P-3. Back in late 1943, the National Naval Aerospace Council (NNAC) approved carrier suitability testing on the P-3. Although early tests with a 15 foot tailhook failed (see the Sep '43 incident), it was proven that by reversing all engines roughly 25 feet off the deck, the P-3 could succesfully complete a deck landing. Unfortunately, in Feb of 1944 a single P-3 tried to land on the USS Saratoga with it's left inboard engine out. Going into reverse on the remaining 3 engines, the aircraft yawed to the right and clipped the island. This damaged the right wing beyond repair. Because the Saratoga was steaming for the Marshall Islands, ADM Fletcher decided to push the aircraft over the side rather than heading for Brisbane, Australia for repairs. That pretty much ended the P-3's career as a ship-based patrol craft.

 

[VarmintShooter]

Not true ... unless there was another type of P-3 (or my facts are just wrong :icon_mi_1 ). The following info I got about the P-3 Orion ...

The P-3V Orion entered the inventory in July 1962, and over 30 years later it remains the Navy's sole land-based antisubmarine warfare aircraft. It has gone through one designation change (P-3V to P-3) and three major models: P-3A, P-3B, and P-3C, the latter being the only one now in active service. The last Navy P-3 came off the production line at the Lockheed plant in April 1990.

Since its introduction in 1969, the P-3C...

BUT ... (I made this ... it obviously isn't real)

 

[kmac]

Are you saying my information is not true? Have you never read the OPBSINST 9021.0? It clearly outlines the origins of the P-3 to the early 1940's. If you read section 18 it also talks about the early testing of nuclear reactors (before the bomb!). If I had known about this when I was an aviator wannabe, I would have definitely read up on it!

 

[A4sForever]

I would like to see a link to your "OPBSINST 9021.0", because it doesn't exist on Google. Google, of course, is not the end-all, be-all of any discussion.........but here are the facts on the Lockheed Electra/P-3 Orion:

The Lockheed L-188 Electra was developed to meet a 1954 American Airlines requirement for a domestic short to medium range 75 to 100 seat airliner. In June 1955 American awarded Lockheed an order for 35 such aircraft.

Many other airlines shared American's interest in the L-188, and the first prototype flew on December 6 1957. Service entry was with Eastern Airlines (due to a pilot's strike at American) on January 12 1959.

The Electra also formed the basis for the successful P-3 Orion long range maritime surveillance aircraft of which more than 600 have been built. In February 1959, the Navy awarded Lockheed a contract to develop a replacement for the aging P2V Neptune. The P3V Orion, derived from Lockheed's successful L188 Electra airliner, entered the inventory in July 1962. :icon_wink

Also.....USS Saratoga (CV-3) was providing CAP and support for the landings at Eniwetok Atoll in late January-middle February 1944---she was already in the Marshalls.

Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher became Commandant, Thirteenth Naval District, Seattle, Washington, and Commander Northwestern Sea Frontier in November 1942. He was relieved as Commandant in October 1943, and later became Commander, Alaskan Sea Frontier, with additional duty as Commander North Pacific Force and North Pacific Ocean Area. A task force under his overall command on 4 February 1944 made the first sea bombardment of the Kurile Islands.......

ADM Fletcher (center) at NAS Adak, Alaska, January 29, 1944

Or were you just pulling our leg with your P-3 story ????

 

[kmac]

A stupid question deserves a stupid answer.

 

[zab1001]

A stupid question deserves a stupid answer.

touche.

funny.

 

[A4sForever]

A stupid question deserves a stupid answer.

ooooooooooo----you got me, then.

 

[ip568]

P-2 and C-130

Both the P-2 and C-130 were test-landed aboard a carrier. However, no suitable launching system could be devised (too heavy for the catapult) and they took up too much space on the flight deck and could not be brought down to the hangar deck (wings did not fold). They were test-launched using JATO bottles, but that was impractical. To the best of my knowledge, the
P-3 was never landed aboard a carrier.

Ken

 

[bigmouth]

Hehe,

I got an interesting discussion going here. It's all been clarified, though...or has it?

I was also told that they'd made some landings during Vietnam, but I'll believe ip568 when he says that they never landed on a carrier.

Thanks

 

[zab1001]

yeah, bottom line is, it never, ever happened.

 

[Schnugg]

Nope, never happened with a P-3C Orion.

 

[Flash]

Both the P-2 and C-130 were test-landed aboard a carrier. However, no suitable launching system could be devised (too heavy for the catapult) and they took up too much space on the flight deck and could not be brought down to the hangar deck (wings did not fold). They were test-launched using JATO bottles, but that was impractical. To the best of my knowledge, the
P-3 was never landed aboard a carrier.

Ken

P-2's were launched from carriers shortly after WWII as a ploy to ensure that carriers were still viable strike platforms after the war. Specifically, the Navy needed a plane to carry nukes. Back in the early days of nukes, they were very big and now carrier plane could carry them and the solution was to launch P-2's from carriers, the problem was that they could not land on the boat. This was the temporary solution until the A2J Savage came into service.

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/northam/a2j-1.htm

http://www.airwar.ru/enc_e/attack/a2.html

 

[Schnugg]

Good info on the P-2. It sort of looks like a whale crossed with an S-3. A big plane for a carrier ops.

I think this may get confused with the Grumman S-2 Tracker, pre-cursor to the S-3.