VPU P-3 Orions

Specially equipped P-3B Orions from VPU-1
operating out of Iceland. Updated June 21, 2012.
In most cases the large photos are now linked to my photos
of the relevant plane on Airliners.net.
Note that the comments on Airliners net are often complete than here.
Also the scans are larger and clearer that the old ones.

All the observations and conclusions published here are my own and have never
been endorsed by anyone officially connected with the United States Navy.

	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The first Special I saw was marked 154579, LK-8 of VP-26 on April 26, 1977. VPU-1 was at first a part of VP-26.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The second Special seen at Keflavik photographed by a friend in May 1977. 152732. Note the white outline to the national insignia. The paintwork around the last digits of the BuNo shows repainting.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The third to be noted on August 4, 1977 was shown as 154595. Note that the insignia is lacking the white outline as the first photo shows.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	24. June 1978 and 152724, marked as LJ-3 from VP-23 was seen in Keflavik some months after the real 152724 chrashed in the Azores.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo. 153450 arrived and was on hand for some days in August- September 1978. This was taken on September 5. This aircraft has the white outline to the insignia. It is also the first I saw to carry a nearly complete fake squadron paintjob in this case from VP-26.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo. 153450 taxying in from a flight on September 5. 1978. You can easily see the extra tubes sticking out of the lower rear fuselage and the extra antennas there too.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	153450 on August 29, 1978. It is easy to see in all these photos that the white outline to the insignia is not the one new P-3s had when delivered, but is a repaint, to make the aircraft look more like a C-model. Note the step in the line behind the insignia to make the outline possible.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The next aircraft seen, 153419 was marked as from VP-11 and was marked as LE-9 on March 26, 1979. Here it is easy to spot the repaint of the BuNo and the nose number.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	29. June 1979 and somebody slips up on BuNos once more. 153468 is an A-4 Skyhawk serial number. Probably wanted 153458.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The next bird showed up marked as a VP-8 aircraft on August 4. 1979. 153448. Note on all these photos the angular observation window in the cockpit escape hatch and the flat plate optical glass in the left forward observers station. One of the aircraft at some time at least also had the left rear window of the same type.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Another view of 153448 taken the same day.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	In a way the most interesting markings were on 160291 which was present in April 1980. This is taken on April 21. On the same date 153420, LD-7 was seen as per next photos. Here RC-9 has painted sonobuoy chutes under the rear fuselage and the two small windows on the rear right fuselage. However nobody thought to put an antenna on the fin top or a second aerial from the tail to the fuselage.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Probably the other special of VPU-1 marked as LD-7 on April 21, 1980, marked 153420. The different presentation of the nose number on this and the next photo is in fact the result of trying to make both "7"s lean forward. This aircraft also has the flat plate optical glass in the rear left observers station, like 153437 and 438 seen later.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Later the same day, LD-7 is parked. Both LD-7 and RC-9 were thus present at Keflavik on the same day. Note how the '7' on the nose slants forward.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	VP-11 markings show up again in 153438 on May 31, 1980.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo. 4. June 1980. Here you can see that on at least one of the planes, the rear left observation post also had a flat plate optical glass window.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	23. July 1980 and 153415 shows up. The real 153415 ended up with the Greek air force.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo. 23. July 1980. Another view of 153415.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo. 17. Sept. 1980 and here is 153417 among some VP-9 P-3Cs deployed from Moffet field, California.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Another VP-11 marked bird, 153437 on Sept 18, 1980, the day after 153417 was photographed.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo Sept. 24, 1980, and from the rear observation window you can see that this is most likely the same aircraft that was marked 153438 in June 1980.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The next are all VP-8 marked, 152719 on April 20, 1981.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Now we see 152759 on May 29, 1981
	Size 800 Return P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo 152719 again on August 13, 1981.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	152761 in VP-8 markings in April 1982
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo Another photo of LC-87, 152761 in April 1982.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The reserves show up in the markings of 152728 LT-3 of VP-62 in September 1982.
	Size 800 Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	No Airliners.net photo February 18, 1983. This is the second noted use of the markings of the reserves, 150606, LY-00, simulating an A model of VP-92. This photograph is a composite of two photographs.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	The reserves show up still again in 152168 of VP-92 in April 1983.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Then next evolution shows the P-3C emulation becoming better with 157312 as LR-3 of VP-24 on April 6, 1984. Here it is possible to see the two painted on windows on the rear fuselage, but hard to see the painted holes under the rear fuselage. Further, this aircraft now has the nose camera removed and an FLIR or IRDS pod installed instead. It also has the ESM pod installed under the left wing.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	Another shot of 157312 on April 6, 1984. As can be seen here it still lacks the fin antenna and the second aerial to make it look almost like a C model.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	In September 1984, 157311 was noted and now at last with the fin top antenna, but still no extra fuselage aerial. It should be possible to see in the enlarged photo how the sonobuoy chute openings were simulated by painting black circles under the rear fuselage, where they should be.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	September 1984 and here you can also see the fake black cirlces under the fuselage and on the rear fuselage.
	Return to P-3 page Return to main Index	June 5. 1985. 157311, LR-2. The last special that I noted in Keflavik, before they changed the markings and every P-3 became just another P-3.