[MilAir] MilAir Digest, Vol 64, Issue 5

[Clarke, Tom AIR4.0P NATOPS]

Nice shot, Allan!  

I wonder why he has his APU running?  Notice the small door open, just
aft of the nose wheel well (gear doors are closed), that is the APU air
intake. Exhaust comes out of a door just aft/below the copilot's side
windshield. We don't usually run it in flight, unless it is a generator
out situation. Since this is a training flight, that might explain it.

More info than needed department: The P-3 has 3 engine driven
generators. Since the engines are constant RPM, a CSD is not required.
#2 and #3 gens power the main and essential AC busses.  #4 runs in
standby and automatically picks up the load if 2 or 3 go offline.  The
APU gen (same gen as on the engine- a 60/90 KVA, 400 Hz, 3 Phase) can
pick up load if #4 isn't available. The APU (a.k.a, "the Ape"!) is run
on the ground for power and air conditioning, when the engines are in
low RPM (less noise and lower fuel consumption) and the gens are
offline.  It is basically an AC airplane and any DC needed comes from a
couple of Transformer/Rectifiers and a 24 v battery if all else fails. 

P-3 FAM class concluded!

Tom/Pax River Flying Circus, MD
 ---------------Allan
sez--------------------------------------------------
Here is "Talon 63," P-3C 158972, moments ago, out  of NAS Jacksonville's
VP-16 "War Eagles" squadron, as he works the pattern here  at Patrick
AFB.

 
_http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanstern/5513107444/sizes/l/in/photostre
am/_
 
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanstern/5513107444/sizes/l/in/photostre
am/) 
 
AL STERN  Satellite Beach FL
AllanStern at aol.com
_