Boeing P-8A Poseidon by Academy
1/144 scale
Kit No. 12635
Retail: $32.00
Decals: Two versions – U.S. Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force
Comments: Engraved panel lines, basic cockpit, detailed weapons bay, separate intake faces for jet turbine engines
History
Entering service in 2013, the P-8A Poseidon, a militarized version of the Boeing 737-800 ERX commercial airliner, is the replacement for the U.S. Navy’s P-3C Orion maritime anti-submarine patrol aircraft, a capable but aging platform that had been in service since 1962. The Poseidon has evolved into the Navy’s multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft conducting long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It can operate at altitudes of up to 41,000 feet at a maximum speed of 490 knots (563 mph). With its range of 1,200 nautical miles on internal fuel tanks in addition to its aerial refueling capability, it can remain airborne for extended periods. This allows it to perform lengthy patrol and surveillance missions over sensitive areas such as the Persian Gulf, the South China Sea, and the Indian Ocean.
The P-8A Poseidon features state of the art technology, developed specifically for this aircraft, including AN/APY-10 radar, an electro- and optical infrared sensor turret, and increased acoustic capability. Equipped with advanced radars and avionics, sensors, torpedoes, AGM-84 Harpoon cruise missiles, depth charges and sonobuoys, the P-8A has the ability to exceed its surveillance role and undertake offensive action against both surface targets and submerged submarines when appropriate. Its combination of advanced sensors coupled with the variety of weapons it carries makes it a versatile and highly prized asset in the airborne maritime environment. The U.S. Navy plans to maintain this capability by performing periodic upgrades on the Poseidon to keep pace with the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) threat well into the 21st Century.
The Poseidon has also participated in search-and-rescue efforts such as the high-profile hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which went missing over the Indian Ocean on March 8, 2014. The cause of Flight 370’s disappearance remains an unsolved mystery, with all 12 aircrew and 227 passengers presumed dead. Debris confirmed as belonging to Flight 370 washed ashore in the western Indian Ocean as late as 2016.
A P-8A trailed by its predecessor the P-3 Orion arrives at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Photo: Liz Goettee USN.
The Kit
Academy’s P-8 Poseidon in injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 131 parts, including 3 clear parts for the windshield and observation windows. The kit includes an actual cockpit, something not always seen in 1/144 scale,
although it consists of a floor with integrally molded seats and a separate rear bulkhead and main instrument panel.
No decal is provided for the panel, but in this scale the inclusion of the panel itself is an unexpected surprise.
The Harpoon anti-ship missiles in the upper left of the sprue above are not quite accurate, since the AGM-84 Harpoon has two sets of tail fins.
Once the cockpit, nose gear assembly, ventral optical sensor and weapons bay are assembled, it is time to close the fuselage up. The weapons bay is well detailed with raised relief; it includes four torpedoes and can be depicted with its doors open or closed. The wing assembly is fairly realistic in that it includes two main spars, and the jet engines are nicely detailed, each consisting of 10 parts including an intake fan and jet exhaust nozzle.
Parts are included for four AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, mounted on separate pylons at under wing hard points. The detail is rounded out by several blade antennae, six of which are mounted along the spine of the aircraft. The instructions are clearly presented and include a paint guide along with a decal guide for both the torpedoes and AGM-84 missiles.
Markings
The kit includes decals for two versions of the Poseidon. The first is for a P-8A of the U.S. Navy’s VP-16 “War Eagles” squadron, based out of Singapore in 2014. This version includes a colorful rendition of an American eagle on the tail against a red diagonal flash with gold borders. The national markings are in color rather than the low-visibility grey. The second version is for an aircraft of an undesignated unit within the Royal Australian Air Force. It includes a grey silhouette of what appears to be a sea gull, also for the tail of the aircraft. All RAAF markings are in low-visibility grey.
The decal sheet includes a number of stencils and markings for door hatches, intake fan danger triangles, and apertures on the aircraft. All markings are printed in Italy, of high-quality with excellent color and perfectly in register.
Conclusion
This is an excellent kit of the updated P-8 ASW anti-submarine and patrol aircraft. Highly recommended.
References
- www.boeing.com
- https://www.navair.navy.mil
- YouTube Video: “The US Navy’s Most Advanced Maritime Spy Plane | P-8A Poseidon”
This Poseidon is shown with its weapons bay doors open to reveal what appear to be a pair of Mk 60 Captor anti-submarine mines, underscoring the Poseidon’s ASW mission. The apertures in the under side of the fuselage aft of the weapons bay are chutes for the deployment of sonobuoys.