Modelling > Maritime Patrol GB

Airbus CP-150A Arcturus II

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apophenia:
Another pilfered idea. This was going to be a quickie. And then the StoryMonster took over ... 'Down, down, you Demons of Verbosity!'
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Part One

Soldiering On - Canada's Airbus CP-150A Arcturus

In a sense, the CP-150A Arcturus was an ancilliary outcome of the Government of Canada's Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC) programme. But the CP-150A was just as much a byproduct of the Aurora Incremental Modernization Project (AIMP). The former was a replacement programme for the RCAF's Airbus CC-150 Polaris Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). The latter was an on-going moderization programme for Canada's remaining fleet of 14 CP-140M Aurora maritime patrol and strategic surveillance aircraft.

AIMP Block IV produced a much more capable patrol aircraft but one still based upon 43-year-old P-3 Orion airframes. The CP-140M fleet had also undergone the Aurora Structural Life Extension Project (ASLEP) which included the complete replacing of wings and horizontal tail surfaces. AIMP aimed at modernizing systems, while ALSEP was intended to extend the CP-140M's service life out to 2030. The only fly in the ointment was that the overall fleet had been whittled down to 14 from a high of 21 airframes. [1] Realistically, extended the life-span of this small fleet could only be accomplished by a drastic reduction of overall flying hours. This was accomplished with two major operational changes.

The first CP-140M operational change was an immediate ban on airshow appearances and the cessation of non-operational deployments to foreign bases (for courtesy visits and the like). A less immediate change was the search for a replacement type to perform the very long-range Northern Patrols (NORPATs) across the Canadian High Arctic. Some of the NORPAT burden was shouldered by the smaller CP-144E Challenger coastal patrol aircraft. [2] The Challengers have a surprisingly long range but, obviously, NORPATs required a larger airframe capable of carrying more sophisticated sensors and the crew to operate such equipment.

Back to the Future - Reconsidering Retirement Options

Despite having been upgraded (some to CC-150T tanker configuration) the RCAF's Airbus CC-150 Polaris fleet was due to be retired before the older CP-140s. The Polaris (Airbus A-310-300Fs) had been delivered to Canadian Airlines in 1990. So, although dated, there was still airframe life left in the CC-150 fleet. However, the decision had been made to fulfil the STTC requirement with A330-200Fs as the Airbus CC-250T Polaris II MRTT. In the meantime, DND's Canadian Arctic Sovereignty and Aerial Surveillance Platform (CASASP) Project had stalled through lack of suitable candidates. An earlier search for UAVs had proved equally fruitless. [3] It had been hoped that the new Airbus CC-295W Kingfisher FWSAR would be able to fill in seasonally but, perhaps predictably, that scheme wasn't panning out.

Then the obvious question arose at the Directorate of Aerospace Requirements: Why are we retiring a long-range type with airframe life remaining? Obviously the new CC-250T Polaris IIs would be superior in performance and reliability to their predecessors in the MRTT role. But could the old CC-150s not be usefully employed as temporary fill-ins for the CASASP Project? If so, what would be involved in reconfiguring the older Airbus for their new role? And what sensor suite would need to be added to perform the Arctic Sovereignty role?

Towards the Renewed Airbus - Birthing Pains for the CP-150A Arcturus

From its inception, the 'Patrol Polaris I' concept was seen as a temporary patch - hence its description as an 'iCASASP' (or Interim CASASP). First priority was a minimal 're-life' - the Polaris Structural Life Extension Project (PSLEP). Second priority was determining the required equipment fit. That created an immediate problem - 'iCASASP' came under the Directorate of Air Requirements 3 (Maritime/EW/AVS) while PSLEP remained under DAR 2 (SAR/Air Mobility). Since PSLEP mainly involved basic MRO and stripping of passenger/cargo fittings, that phase was mercifully brief. However, DAR 3 had a tougher job since 'iCASASP' remained relatively undefined. As submitted, the 'iCASASP' Draft A appeared to be more of a 'wish list' than a realistic refit for 32-year-old airframes.

The Airbus nose was much enlarged to fit a new surface search radar. This was based upon the same Raytheon AN/APY-10 set which equipped DAR 3's hoped for Boeing P-8A Poseidon ... but with an enlarged antenna to extend range. The new nose cap also housed a retractable Wescam MX-20 E/O. To the rear, the new nose faired into an underside 'blister' housing the new A330-200F-style nose gear (for commonality with the CC-250 MRTTs). Directly behind the nose gear was a bolt-on 'canoe' for the removeable Raytheon AN/APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System (LSRS). Above the forward cargo door was a large dorsal radome for the Wideband Global SATCOM antenna. The airframe was also festooned with an 'antennae farm' typical of modern maritime patrol and ISR types. These add-ons finished at the tail with a MAD 'stinger' - the same as AN/ASQ-508 antenna as that on the CP-140M.

The planned budget for this proposed Draft A 'Interim Canadian Arctic Sovereignty and Aerial Surveillance Platform' was also its death-knell. A revised Draft A(1) was too little, too late. The sensor suite cost alone ensured that Draft A would be passed over.

(To be continued ...)
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[1] Delivered between 1979-82, the 18 CP-140 Auroras were followed in 1992-93 by 3 x CP-140A Arcturus to fill in on non-ASW roles. The object of the CP-140A was to reduce flying hours on the more fully-equipped CP-140s.

[2] The CP-144Es took a bite out of the future Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMA) Project (which was to purchase ISR King Airs). In effect, the CP-144E was a CP-144D VIP transport fitted with sensors for its patrol role. Both CP-144D and CP-144E are military variants of the Bombardier Challenger 650 biz-jet.

[3] It had been concluded that, with few 'boots on the ground' in its High Arctic, Canadian sovereignty over that territory could be best asserted with manned vehicles patrolling overhead. In any case, DND's investigation of MALE and HALE UAVs - the JUSTAS (Joint Uninhabited Surveillance and Target Acquisition System) Project had begun to fizzle back in March 2013. The JUSTAS PMO - since renamed PMO RPAS (for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) under DAR 8 - received a proposal from Northrop Grumman to use their MQ-4C Polar Hawk UAV for NORPATs. That didn't go anywhere either. Beyond expense (and system complexity) the biggest argument against HALE UAVs was that, by definition, they were unmanned.

Kerick:
Love your illustration. It’s a great idea and not too hard to build.
I did something a little like this awhile back with a 737. I moved the wing to the top of the fuselage and main gear sponsons. This moved the engines out of FOD danger when operating out of rough fields. Added a few lumps and bumps but not as detailed as yours.

http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=5571.msg92516#msg92516

Best pics are on reply #17.
I’ll be watching for any and all follow up designs!

GTX_Admin:
 :smiley:

kitnut617:
Just a quick warning Stephen, looking at my 1/72 A310 kit, the main gear wheel bay doors are quite close together, I don't think the canoe will fit between them, and the front end of the wheel bay is about mid wing root position.

RayS:
Looking forward to this one, I am loving your backstories. Plenty of detail and acronyms! :-)

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