Lockheed CP-140
| Lockheed CP-140 Aurora | |
|---|---|
 CP-140 "Aurora" at Cologne / Bonn Airport (2015) |
|
| Type: | Maritime reconnaissance and submarine fighter aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
March 22, 1979 |
| Commissioning: |
1980 |
| Number of pieces: |
21st |
The Lockheed CP-140 Aurora is a four-engine, propeller-driven submarine fighter aircraft derived from the American P-3 Orion for the Canadian Air Force . The variant CP-140A bears the name Arcturus instead of the nickname Aurora .
description
The development of the CP-140 can be traced back to the 1970s when the Canadian Air Force was looking for a replacement for the outdated CP-107 Argus . In particular, the increasing demands of NATO in the area of submarine hunting in the north-western Atlantic overwhelmed the CP-107. A suitable successor model seemed to be the Lockheed P-3C Orion , which also had the advantage that it was already tested and immediately available. AIRCOM decided to make a few adjustments: for example, other ESM pods were selected on the wing tips and the ASW systems were replaced by those of the S-3A Viking . By only using existing systems, the development risk and thus the development costs could be kept low. The first prototype, which now bore the Canadian type code CP-140, finally took off on March 22, 1979 for its maiden flight. Since no serious problems arose, the CP-140 could already be put into service in 1980.
A total of 21 CP-140s were built and delivered up to 1991, the last three machines being a specialty. These have been delivered without ASW equipment and are called CP-140A Arcturus. As a result, they cannot be used for submarine hunting, but only for maritime surveillance. Because they lack heavy ASW equipment, the Arcturus machines are lighter and have lower operating costs. That is why they are often used by AIRCOM for training and education assignments.
In 1998 AIRCOM initiated the “Aurora Incremental Modernization Project” (AIMP). This primarily comprised the modernization of the electronics of the Aurora fleet, whereby the Arcturus machines were not taken into account. After delays, AIMP was temporarily stopped by the Canadian parliament on September 20, 2007, as it was believed that replacing it with more modern machines would make more sense. The stop was lifted by the Ministry of Defense on December 18 of the same year . This justified the decision with the fact that the Aurora fleet would not have to be operated beyond 2020 without AIMP and that 10 of the 18 machines would have to be structurally reinforced immediately to counteract signs of wear and tear. To this end, the “Aurora Structural Life Extension Project” (ASLEP) was initiated to ensure that the airframes of the Auroras last at least 15,000 flight hours. Independently of this, the navigation systems and cockpit avionics in the AIMP program have been modernized. In 2014, work on replacing the sensors and mission computers was also completed on six aircraft.
Despite the AIMP and ASLEP programs, potential successor models for the CP-140 are being examined. These include a. the P-8 Poseidon by Boeing and Raytheon Sentinel that on the Global Express XRS from Bombardier is based.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data from the CP-140 Aurora |
|---|---|
| Type: | Maritime reconnaissance and submarine fighter aircraft |
| Crew: | at least 8, usually 12 to 15 |
| Length: | 35.61 m |
| Wingspan: | 30.38 m |
| Wing area: | 120.77 m² |
| Wing extension : | 7.64 |
| Wing loading : | 231 to 533 kg / m² |
| Height: | 10.49 m |
| Empty weight: | 27,892 kg |
| Maximum take-off weight: | 64,410 kg |
| Tank capacity: | 34,800 liters |
| Drive: | four Allison T-56-A-14-LFE turboprop with 4,910 hp each |
| Top speed: | 750 km / h |
| Service ceiling: | 10,700 m |
| Range: | 9,300 km |
Armament
- Payload of up to 9,072 kg, of which 3,290 kg can be carried internally and 5,782 kg at ten external suspension stations, consisting of:
- Mk 46 Mod V torpedoes
- Air-to-surface missiles
- conventional bombs
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ottawa holds $ 1.6B upgrade of patrol aircraft. CBC News, September 20, 2007, accessed April 25, 2011 .
- ^ CP-140 Aurora Modernization. Canadian Naval Review, archived from the original on January 13, 2009 ; Retrieved April 25, 2011 .
- ↑ Canada's modernized CP-140 Aurora has 'James Bond' properties , May 20, 2014
- ↑ Background - Aurora Alternatives - Boeing P-8A Poseidon Project. Canadian American Strategic Review, archived from the original on October 9, 2013 ; Retrieved April 25, 2011 .
- ↑ Background - Aurora Alternatives - Global Express / R1 Sentinel. Canadian American Strategic Review, archived from the original on Aug. 6, 2014 ; Retrieved April 25, 2011 .