General Aviation

Lockheed Wp-3d

Manufacturer: LOCKHEED

The Lockheed WP‑3D Orion is a heavily modified version of the P‑3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, adapted for NOAA’s atmospheric research and hurricane‑hunting missions. Two aircraft, operated by NOAA’s Commissioned Officer Corps, fly worldwide to collect weather data, study Arctic ice, and monitor ocean temperatures, and serve as a platform for atmospheric research.

Aircraft Facts

Type Key
lockheed-wp-3d
Class
General Aviation
Registry Count
2
Example Registration
N42RF

Specifications

Wingspan
30.38 m / 99 ft
Length
35.61 m / 116 ft
Height
10.44 m / 34 ft
Cruise Speed
460 km/h / 290 mph
Range
7000 km / 3800 nmi
Ceiling
8200 m / 27000 ft
First Flight
1975
Total Built
2

Variants

  • WP-3D- 2 registrations - Example N42RF

Machine-Readable Resources

Sources