CP-140 Aurora
From Free net encyclopedia
The CP-140 Aurora is a long range patrol aircraft of the Canadian Air Force. It is based on the Lockheed P-3 Orion airframe, but mounts the (then) more advanced electronics suite of the S-3 Viking. Aurora is the Greek goddess who restored Orion's eyesight. The aircraft are primarily used in coastal surveillance, but, have also aided in operations such as Operation Assistance and Operation Apollo.
In 1991 the last three airframes to roll off the Lockheed's production lines before it was shut down were also purchased by Air Command, but delivered without the anti-submarine fit. These three are known as the CP-140A Arcturus, and are used primarily for pilot training and coastal surface patrol missions.
[edit]
Technical data
- Length: 35.61 m
- Wingspan: 30.38 m
- Height: 10.49 m
- Weight: 27,892 kg
- Power: 4 Alison T-56-A-14-LFE turboprop engines
- Speed: 750 km/h (405 kt)
- Ceiling: 10,700 m
- Range: 9,300 km (5,000 NM)
- Surveillance equipment:
- Sonobuoys, Radar, Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) suite, Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), fixed 70 mm camera, hand-held digital camera, gyrostabilized binoculars.
- Armament:
- Mk 46 Mod V torpedoes, signal chargers, smoke markers, illumination flares, and may be fitted with air-to-surface missiles or conventional bombs if necessary.
- Crew: Minimum mission crew 10, typically 12 to 15
- Year procured: 1980
- Quantity in CF: 18 CP-140 / 3 CP-140A
- Locations:
- 5 at 19 Wing Comox (19 Wing), British Columbia
- 13 at 14 Wing Greenwood (14 Wing), Nova Scotia
- 3 CP-140A at 14 Wing Greenwood (14 Wing), Nova Scotia
[edit]