Maybe this one might tickle your fancy

[leon]

Hi Guys, maybe this shot may be of interest, :shrug: taken as it fly low over where we are camped at the moment close to Darwin. :)

Not sure what it is however. ??:question:

Leon :thumbsup:

[mithrandir]

Leon, that looks like an Orion. The RAAF uses them for coastal surveillance, etc. http://www.airforce.gov.au/aircraft/orion.aspx

[Poita]

Yup, it's a Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orion, I haven't seen one for a while, they used to do practice runs over my house when I was a lad.

[jjjnettie]

Nice shot Leon. The props are frozen in time.

Your tax dollars at work . :)

[leon]

Thanks JJJ, I quite like it as well, a few of them have come over, over the past week.

Leon

[dj gravelrash]

Leon do b52,s still fly down to Darwin?

[leon]

No Dino, I don't think so, they have one in a museum here and that is about it i think :shrug:

Leon :thumbsup:

[astroron]

Leon, P38 Orion Anti submarine and surveillance aircraft, usually based in SA I think.
Nice pic.
The Air Museum in Darwin is worth a look :D
Cheers :thumbsup:

[Sirius1066]

As others have already said it is a AP-3C Orion. An apt name for an aircraft being shown on an astronomy forum. It is from No 92 Wing, out of Edinburgh RAAF Base, near Adelaide. Great aircraft! They spend most of there time these days searching for people smugglers and illegal fishing boats. The official term for this is "protecting Australia's Economic Zone"

I can't see the registration from the pic, so can't tell you anything about that individual aircraft. I was based at Edinburgh for 8 years, so if I haven't been on that particular aircraft, it's almost a safe bet that it woke me up in the mornings more than once :P

BTW great pic!

[Sirius1066]

I should add... From memory there is one at the RAAF museum at Point Cook just outside of Melbourne if you'd like to see it up close.

[FlashDrive]

Nice photo Leon .. I worked on the engines of these type of Aircraft in my time in the RAAF. They have the T56 Allision Jet Engine ... coupled to a Propeller via a torque shaft and planetary gearing.

At the ' torque shaft ' there is 14,000 horsepower ... per engine.

Many a time I did ' turn arounds ' and refueled these babies ... and went up in them for MAD Com tests....( Magnetic Anomaly Detection. )

I was stationed at RAAF Base Edinburgh ... South Australia between 1975 - 1978.... with 11Sqn ( P3B Orions ) which later became 492Sqn.

That ' tail ' you see at the back of the aircraft .... can ' electronically ' smell the diesel fumes of a Russian Submarine.... they would also ' drop ' sonar boys ' .... generally 3 of them to help get a ' fix ' on Subs.

Thanks Leon ... brings back some fond memories.

Flash :hi:

[Sirius1066]

I was stationed at RAAF Base Edinburgh 1998 - 2006. I was a GRDEFO with 1AFDS. It was a good base.

Correct me if I am wrong, but 11sqn still exists currently flying AP-3C Orions. The the former maintenance & support detachments of 10 & 11Sqn became 492sqn.

Not being able to see the registration it is impossible to say for certain which squadron that particular aircraft belongs to. However, given that the pic was taken in Darwin, I would speculate that it may be an Orion from 10sqn, which has a detachment at RMAF Base Butterworth in Malaysia. Although it is really anyone's guess.

Sorry I'm completely off topic and harping on... Having spent most of my adult life in the RAAF it is something that still takes my interest.

[FlashDrive]

Correct me if I am wrong, but 11sqn still exists currently flying AP-3C Orions. The the former maintenance & support detachments of 10 & 11Sqn became 492sqn.
[/QUOTE]

You are indeed correct. :thumbsup:

Sorry Leon ... don't mean to take over your thread ..... keep those great photos coming. :thumbsup:

Flash :hi:

[leon]

It is very interesting how one photo can bring on some great discussion,
Thanks guys.

Leon

[Sirius1066]

My pleasure... Thank you for the photos. Would love to see more.