Lockheed AP-3C Orion
Lockheed · United States · first flew 1999 · reconnaissance aircraft
The AP-3C is the Royal Australian Air Force's heavily upgraded P-3 Orion variant, pairing a 1960s-designed airframe with modern maritime surveillance systems.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | long slender fuselage with a tail-mounted MAD boom |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- four turboprops on a low tapered wing
- long slender fuselage with a tail-mounted MAD boom
- bulged observation windows along the forward fuselage
Four turboprops on a low tapered wing, a long slender fuselage with a tail-mounted MAD boom, and bulged observation windows are shared across P-3 Orion variants.
Specifications
- The Lockheed AP-3C Orion has a length of 35.61 m (117 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 30.94 m (102 ft).
- Typical crew: multiple (mission crew).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Converted from earlier RAAF P-3C airframes with new mission systems fitted from the late 1990s, the AP-3C carried out long-range maritime patrol, anti-submarine and overland intelligence work for the RAAF for two decades.
Variants
One of several national P-3 upgrade programs worldwide; distinguished from baseline P-3Cs mainly by internal sensors rather than external shape.
Where you'll see it
Flew with the RAAF until retirement in 2019, replaced by the P-8A Poseidon; several airframes passed into museum preservation.
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