Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>S-3 Viking>HA4907

General Background

In 1974 the Lockheed S-3 Viking entered service with the USN as a twin-engine jet aircraft used for enemy submarine warfare. By the late 1990’s the role shifted to surface warfare providing the carrier battle group with long range surveillance capabilities and aerial refueling. The S-3 was in production from 1974 until 1978 with 186 (187) aircraft completed. Most airframes saw upgrades to the S-3B and sixteen became ES-3A “Shadow” electronic intelligence collection aircraft. The low pitch sound of the engines earned the S-3 the nickname “Hoover” after the vacuum cleaner.

The Aircraft

VS-29 “Dragonfires” was formed in 1960 and served from 1966 through 1972 in the Gulf of Tonkin. In 1975 VS-29 transitioned from the S-2 Tracker to the new S-3A Viking while stationed on the USS Enterprise. In 1977 the “Dragonfires” deployed on the USS Ranger and later spent repeated times onboard the USS Kitty Hawk, Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln. S-3A 15930 MSN 349A-3026 was converted to an S-3B. VS-29 was decommissioned in 2004 and S-3B 15930 transferred to VS-30 “Diamondcutters” before going to AMARC in 2005.

Specifications :

Crew :	4 / 1 x Pilot, 1 x Co-Pilot, 1 x TACCO, 1 x Sensor Operator (TFO)
Number of Aircraft :	91 new built, converted aircraft 43 A-5A and the first 6 A-5B = 140
Performance:
Engines :	2 x General Electric TF34-GE-2 turbofans producing 9,275 lb (41.26 kN) of thrust per engine
Fuel Capacity (JP-5) :	Internal – 1,933 US gal (7,320 L)
	External – 2 x 300 US gal (1,136 L) tanks
Maximum speed :	@ Sea Level - 493 mph (795 km/h)
	@ 20,000 ft (6,100 m) - 514 mph (828 km/h)
Cruise :	405 mph (650 km/h)
Range :	2,050 miles (3,300 km)
Ferry :	3,875 miles (6,237 km)
Service Ceiling :	40,900 ft (12,465 m)
Rate of Climb :	5,120 ft/min (26 m/sec)
Dimensions :
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)
Weights :
Empty:	26,581 lb (12,057 kg)
Loaded:	38,193 lb (17,324 kg)
Maximum Take-off:	52,539 lb (23,831 kg)
Armament:	4 x internal and 2 external Hardpoints capable of carrying an assortment of ordnance weighing a maximum of 4,900 lb (2,220 kg)
	Assortment of Ordnance
	10 x 500 lb (227 kg) Mark 82 bombs
	2 x 1,000 lb 454 kg) Mark 83 bombs
	2 x 2,000 lb (908 kg) Mark 84 bombs
	6 x CBU-100 cluster bombs
	2 x Mark 50 torpedoes
	4 x Mark 46 torpedoes
	6 x mines or depth charges
	2 x B57 nuclear bombs
	2 x AGM-65E/F Maverick missiles
	2 x AGM-84 Harpoon missiles
	1 x AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile
	The 2 under-wing hardpoints can hold unguided missile pods or the 300 US gal fuel tanks.
Avionics:	AN/APS-116 sea search radar, maximum range 173 miles (278 km)
	S-3B upgraded to AN/APS-137 Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR)
	OR-89 FLIR camera with 3 X zoom
	AN/ARS-2 sonobuoy receiver with 13 blade antennae on the airframe for precise buoy location
	Up to 60 sonobuoys (59 tactical, 1 Search and Rescue (SAR)
	AN/ASQ-81 magnetic anomaly detector (MAD)
	AN/ASN-92 INS with Doppler radar navigation and TACAN