// P-3K2 Orion Progress Report

RNZAF has had a P-3K (NZ 4204) at the prime contractor’s (L-3) facility in Texas for the last three and a half years undergoing a complete internal systems upgrade.

The flight deck now has ‘glass’ instrumentation and navigation computer automation. The Tactical Rail (Tacrail) has been completely refitted with modern sensors, communication and data management systems. Along with the work done on the aircraft, partial simulators have been built for both the front-end and back-end crew members. These can be linked together so a complete P-3K crew can fly an entire simulated mission.

In August 2008 the RNZAF P-3K2 upgrade team deployed to Texas to commence training and verification. After getting used to the Texan way of life the detachment soon settled into work which proved to be a busy four months.

From early August through to December both the maintenance crew and aircrew underwent trade specific formal training for the upgraded aircraft provided by L-3. Running concurrently with the classroom work and simulator training
we also verified and validated the new aircraft publications.

NZ 4204 is still haunting the hangar with plenty of work still going on inside. However, with all the new systems and components installed the aircraft interior looks very impressive. For the flight deck: the new navigation systems, large full colour instrument displays and excessive number of buttons and knobs will keep pilots occupied for hours.

For the tactical systems down the back: each Tacrail position has been simplified with most of the upgraded equipment now controlled online via PC workstations and LCD touch screens.  With an upgrade of this size there will always be teething problems to work through, but steady progress is being made by the project team still in Texas. In early December the aircraft was brought out of the hangar, fuelled up and engine runs carried out. The Auxiliary Power Units (APU) started first pop and the engines burst into life with no problems at all.

That is credit to our maintenance standards considering the time the aircraft has
been on the ground.

Just before Christmas 2008 most of the deployment returned home for a well earned holiday. This meant we conveniently managed to avoid the Texas snow and freezing-rain season. After the usual three week break it was back to work at Whenuapai to maintain personal, trade and flying currency in preparation for the return to Texas. With extensions in the project deadline, the ground and aircrew have kept themselves busy planning training and lessons for the transition courses that will happen once we bring the P-3K2 home.

In August 2009 the first of the newly upgraded P-3K2 Orion aircraft made its initial test flight at contractor L-3 Integrated Systems’ facility in Greenville, Texas. The next few years will be exciting and challenging as No.5 Squadron and the NZDF adapts to bring the impressive capabilities of the P-3K2 into service. Crew/trade duties and coordination will no doubt change, but the full extent will only be seen once we start operating the aircraft.

P-3K Orion Specifications

Manufacturer: Lockheed (USA)
Powered plant: Four Allison T56-A 14
engines, (4,600 shaft
horsepower).
Length: 36m (117ft)
Wingspan: 30.4m (99ft)
Height: 10.3m (34ft)
Basic weight: 30,450kgs (67,000lbs)
Gross weight: 54,950kgs (127,500lbs)
Max fuel: 27300kgs (60,000lbs)
Cruising speed: 630km/h (340kts)