best ASW aircraft of cold War

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by cheddar cheese

I dont know anything about Cold War ASW aircraft but because everyone else is saying it, Ill say the P-3 too so I look intelligent

That, or you'll look like a sheep. Whichever.

...Hmmm, not sure I wanna picture that.

[Glider]

Sorry folks but I feel that the Nimrod takes the biscuit. It had a range advantage over most if not all the equivalent planes in other airforces, The Nimrod also had the ability to get to a trouble spot faster than any other ASW plane and then linger on the spot, initially on two engines and later on, on one engine. This gave it a formidable endurance over the target, where it counts. Having a long endurance doesn't really help very much if you spend a large proportion of it getting to the danger spot.

People are correct in saying that its the electronic suite that makes a difference and whilst I don't know the details I would be suprised if we were behind the opposition in any significant detail. Anti Sub warfare is always a high priority

As for the bomb bay of a Nimrod, it would make a Lancaster jealous. As for missiles if anyone want to argue the point then I think its the only ASW aircraft to be fitted with air to air missiles. This bit I will need to check but it was cleared for a number of air to surface missiles, I just don't know the details re which ones.

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by Glider

Sorry folks but I feel that the Nimrod takes the biscuit. It had a range advantage over most if not all the equivalent planes in other airforces, The Nimrod also had the ability to get to a trouble spot faster than any other ASW plane and then linger on the spot, initially on two engines and later on, on one engine. This gave it a formidable endurance over the target, where it counts. Having a long endurance doesn't really help very much if you spend a large proportion of it getting to the danger spot.

People are correct in saying that its the electronic suite that makes a difference and whilst I don't know the details I would be suprised if we were behind the opposition in any significant detail. Anti Sub warfare is always a high priority

As for the bomb bay of a Nimrod, it would make a Lancaster jealous. As for missiles if anyone want to argue the point then I think its the only ASW aircraft to be fitted with air to air missiles. This bit I will need to check but it was cleared for a number of air to surface missiles, I just don't know the details re which ones.

The Nimrod takes 2nd - Although it advertises a longer over all range, it cannot loiter longer than the P-3 and it seems that it does not have as capable ASW performance as the P-3 which has dominated NATO ASW Exercises since the 1960s. Nimrods have won a few but its the P-3 that has always shown its the best ASW platform in the world....

Oh, in the 80s the P-3 got beat out a few times, by CP-140s.....

[Nonskimmer]

Originally Posted by FLYBOYJ

Oh, in the 80s the P-3 got beat out a few times, by CP-140s.....

Basically beaten by itself then. Ah yes...the Aurora.

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by Nonskimmer

Basically beaten by itself then. Ah yes...the Aurora.

YEP!!

[cheddar cheese]

Originally Posted by Nonskimmer

That, or you'll look like a sheep. Whichever.

...Hmmm, not sure I wanna picture that.

Me neither, you know what lanc's like...

[Nonskimmer]

No, but I'll take your word for it.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i don't care what you guys say, i'm taking the nimrod, i'm more than happy sitting round for a few hours on one engine, monitoring one of the most comprihensive electronics suites in the world, knowing i've got enough packed in my bomb bay to take out anything in the seas and if i've got my AA missiles, any other large aircraft i'd meet out there.........

[hole in the ground]

I would deffinately go for the nimrod aswell. Although i have not seen a cold war era fit nimrod i've been on a couple of modern ones and the electronics suite is well.... sweet. And yeah i'll second a pretty awsome weapons load too.
Although i could not tell you what its endurance is.

[FLYBOYJ]

There has been numerous mining derby's and ASW competitions in the 1980s and the P-3 walked away with almost all of them. Granted the Nimrod does carry more ordnance, it ain't doing any good if you can't find the sub to begin with! It has more redundant avionics but these mining derby's and ASW competitions have shown that more doesn't mean better, and if an ASW fix wing aircraft has to carry defensive armament, that tells me that there is an inability to deploy a fighter CAP in support of the ASW mission, something the P-3 never had (has) to worry about when it performs it's mission. Bottom lime the P-3 does the same job with half the avionics and is still doing so. the Nimrod (like any other jet aircraft) makes a poor ASW platform because it can't loiter as long over station and has major corrosion problems because of salt water ingestion. Even now as the USN is attempting to replace the P-3 with a Boeing 737 derivative (known as the P-8 ) I doubt it will ever effectively replace the P-3 or for that reason any turbo-prop ASW platform which does the job way more effectively...

[mosquitoman]

My personal favourites are the Shack and the Nimrod, can the Gannet be included aswell?

[hole in the ground]

[slaps head]
yes of course. Second Gannet simply because ok

[FLYBOYJ]

The Gannet was a good carrier ASW platform for short patrols.

[pbfoot]

how can you compare the Shackleton to the Argus
Shackleton Argus
Range 6400km - 9500km
Endurance 14hr - 26.5hr
Payload 4500kg [ 5300kg
Max speed 439kph - 507kph
in other words the Argus go further stay longer carry more and it was faster

[mosquitoman]

The Shack was based on a plane designed in the earky 40s, it's an amazing plane for being in service as long as it has