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 Photo: Robert Deering 6/28/2010 USS Midway Museum San Diego, California |
| The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a jet aircraft originally used by the United States Navy to identify, track, and destroy enemy submarines. In the late 1990's, the S-3B's mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial refueling. After the retirement of the A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair II, the Viking was the only airborne refueling platform organic to the Carrier Air Wing(s) until the fielding of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It also provides electronic warfare and surface surveillance capabilities to the carrier battle group. A carrier-based, subsonic, all-weather, multi-mission aircraft with long range, it operates primarily with carrier battle groups in anti-submarine warfare roles. It carries automated weapon systems, and is capable of extended missions with in-flight refueling. Because of the engines’ high-pitched sound, it is nicknamed the "Hoover" after the brand of vacuum cleaner.
The S-3 is a conventional monoplane with a high-mounted cantilever wing, swept 15°. It is powered by two TF-34 turbofan engines mounted in nacelles under the wings. The aircraft can seat four crew members with the pilot and the copilot/tactical coordinator (COTAC) in the front of the cockpit and the tactical coordinator (TACCO) and sensor operator (SENSO) in the back. All crew members sit on upward-firing Douglas Escapac zero-zero ejection seats. At the end of the 1990's the sonar operators were removed from the crew. In the tanking crew configuration, the S-3B typically flies with only a crew of two (pilot and COTAC). The wing is fitted with leading edge and Fowler flaps. Spoilers are fitted to both the upper and the lower surfaces of the wings. All control surfaces are actuated by dual hydraulically boosted irreversible systems. The aircraft has two underwing hardpoints that can be used to carry fuel tanks, general purpose and cluster bombs, missiles, rockets, and storage pods. It also has four internal bomb bay stations that can be used to carry general purpose bombs, torpedoes, and special stores (B57 and B61). Fifty-nine sonobuoy chutes are fitted, as well as a dedicated Search and Rescue (SAR) chute. The S-3 is fitted with the ALE-39 countermeasure system and can carry up to ninety rounds of chaff, flares, and expendable jammers (or a combination of all) in three dispensers. A retractable magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) boom is fitted in the tail. SPECIFICATIONS: Crew: 4 Length: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m) Wingspan: Unfolded: 68 ft 8 in (20.93 m) Folded: 29 ft 6 in (9.00 m) Height: 22 ft 9 in (6.93 m) Wing area: 598 ft² (55.56 m²) Empty weight: 26,581 lb (12,057 kg) Loaded weight: 38,192 lb (17,324 kg) Max takeoff weight: 52,539 lb (23,831 kg) Powerplant: 2× General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans, 9,275 lbf (41.26 kN) each Internal fuel capacity: 1,933 US gal (7,320 L) of JP-5 fuel External fuel capacity: 2x 300 US gal (1,136 L) tanks PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 429 knots (493 mph, 795 km/h) at sea level Mach 0.73, 447 knots (514 mph, 828 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m) Cruise speed: 350 knots (405 mph, 650 km/h) Stall speed: 97 knots (112 mph, 180 km/h) Combat radius: 2,765 nm (3,182 mi, 5,121 km) Service ceiling: 40,900 ft (12,465 m) Rate of climb: 5,120 ft/min (26.0 m/s) Wing loading: 68.5 lb/ft² (334 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: 0.353 |
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