P-8A Poseidon on Display at WOHA 2023-FB
An all Houston and Texas based crew of “Pelicans” will be bringing in this unique Naval aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 out of NAS Jacksonville
We have a great display aircraft coming to this year’s Wings Over Houston Airshow, October 14th and 15th – the U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon! The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).
The P-8A Poseidon will be on display and available for viewing all weekend long. And on top of that, it will have an all Texas based crew. Make sure to thank them for their service and welcome them all back home to Texas!
You won’t believe what this aircraft can do! The P-8 operates in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles. It is armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons, can drop and monitor sonobuoys, and can operate in conjunction with other assets, including the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
About the P-8A Poseidon
- The P-8 is a militarized version of the 737-800ERX, a 737-800 with 737-900-based wings.
- The P-8 has a strengthened fuselage for low-altitude operations and raked wingtips similar to those fitted to the Boeing 767-400ER, instead of the blended winglets available on 737NG variants.
- In order to power additional onboard electronics, the P-8 has a 180 kVA electric generator on each engine, replacing the 90 kVA generator of civilian 737s; this required the redesigning of the nacelles and their wing mountings.
- The P-8 has a smoother flight experience, subjecting crews to less turbulence and fumes than the preceding P-3, allowing them to concentrate better on missions.
- Various sensor data are combined via data fusion software to track targets.
- The five operator stations (two naval flight officers plus three enlisted Aviation Warfare Operators/naval aircrewman) are mounted in a sideways row, along the port side of the cabin.
- Other than one large window on each side of the forward cabin for two observers, none of the other crew stations have windows.
- A short bomb bay for torpedoes and other stores opens behind the wing.
- In U.S. service, the P-8A is complemented by the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which provides continuous surveillance.
- Other countries operating the P-8A Poseidon are India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea, and Germany.
About Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 – The “Pelicans”
Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) is a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy. The squadron was established on 1 November 1942 and is based at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Since 2014, VP-45 is equipped with the Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft.
VP-45 was established as Patrol Squadron 205 (VP-205) on 1 November 1942, re-designated Patrol Bombing Squadron 205 (VPB-205) on 1 October 1944, re-designated Patrol Squadron 205 (VP-205) on 15 May 1946, re-designated Medium Patrol Squadron (Seaplane) 5 (VP-MS-5) on 15 November 1946, and re-designated Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) on 1 September 1948. It is the third squadron to be designated VP-45. The first VP-45 was re-designated VP-14 on 1 December 1939 and the second VP-45 was re-designated VPB-45 on 1 October 1944.
The brave men and women of the (VP) 45 are often deployed across the globe, working with allies to keep the seas safe. Above is a photo of a homecoming for the “Pelicans” found on their Facebook page. We thank them all for their service and cannot wait to see this impressive plane at the 2023 Wings Over Houston Airshow. Is it October yet!?
Info Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_P-8_Poseidon
- https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/Organization/COMPATRECONGRU/COMPATRECONWING-11/Patrol-Squadron-VP-45/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VP-45
- https://www.facebook.com/VP45Pelicans
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