Near Hickory in Burke County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

P-3 Orion

Photographed by Mark Parker, November 14, 2025

1. P-3 Orion Marker

Inscription. The Hickory Aviation Museum's P-3 Orion Bureau #156515 is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation. It arrived in September 2017 from Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla.

Role Maritime Patrol Aircraft
National origin United States of America
Manufacturer Lockheed • Lockheed Martin • Kawasaki Heavy Industries
First flight November 1959
Introduction August 1962
Status Active
Primary users United States Navy • Royal New Zealand Air Force • Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force • Royal Australian Air Force • Republic of Korea Navy
Produced 1961-1990
Number built Lockheed -650 • Kawasaki - 107 • Total -757
Unit cost US$36 million (FY1987)
Developed from Lockheed L-188 Electra

The P-3 Orion has been the Navy's frontline, land-based maritime patrol aircraft since the 1960s. The most capable Orion version is the P-3C, first delivered to the Navy in 1969. The Navy implemented a number of major improvements to the P-3C during its production run. P-3C aircraft communication, navigation, acoustic, non-acoustic and ordinance/weapon systems are still being modernized within several improvement programs

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to satisfy Navy and joint requirements through the early part of the 21st century.

Uniquely suited as the world's premier multi-mission maritime long-endurance aircraft, the P-3 performes air, surface and subsurface patrol and reconnaissance tasks over extended periods and far from support facilities. Submarine hunting, detection of other aircraft, drug interdiction, protecting shipping lanes from pirates, and fire suppression are but a few of its accomplishments.

The P-3 is equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) in the extended tail. This instrument is able to detect the magnetic anomaly of a submarine in the Earth's magnetic field. The limited range of this instrument required the aircraft to be near the submarine at low altitude. Because of this, it is primarily used for pinpointing the location of a submarine immediately prior to a torpedo or depth bomb attack. Due to the sensitivity of the detector, electromagnetic noise can interfere with it, so the detector is placed in the P-3's fiberglass tail stinger (MAD boom), far from other electronics and ferrous metals on the aircraft.

Performance

Maximum speed: 472 mph
Cruise speed: 377 mph
Range: 2,380 nm (2.739 miles)
Combat radius: 1,346 nm (1,548 miles)
Ferry range: 4,830 nm (5,558 miles)
Endurance: 16 hours
Service ceiling: 28,300 feet
Rate of climb: 3,140 ft/min

Armament
Missiles: Air-to-surface missile: AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-84 Standoff Land Attack Missile, AGM-84 Harpoon,
Bombs: Depth charges, MK101 Lulu Nuclear Depth Bomb, MK20 Rockeye, MK80 general purpose bombs, B57 Nuclear bomb
Other: Impact torpedoes, Quickstrike Naval mines, Active and Passive Sonobuoys

Erected by Hickory

P-3 Orion aircraft and marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, November 14, 2025

2. P-3 Orion aircraft and marker

Aviation Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1959.

Location. 35° 44.51′ N, 81° 23.37′ W. Marker is near Hickory, North Carolina, in Burke County. It can be reached from 9th Avenue Drive Northwest 0.6 miles west of 24th Street Northwest, on the left when traveling west. The marker and aircraft display are part of the Hickory Aviation Museum located at Hickory Regional Airport. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3101 9th Ave Dr NW, Hickory NC 28601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Mountains. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At

P-3 Orion tail section with serial number #156515 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, November 14, 2025

3. P-3 Orion tail section with serial number #156515

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Grumman OV-1D Mohawk (here, next to this marker); Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King (here, next to this marker); Grumman F-14D "Tomcat" (a few steps from this marker); Republic F-105 "Thunderchief" (within shouting distance of this marker); Lockheed T-33 "Shooting Star" (within shouting distance of this marker); Grumann F-9 "Cougar" (within shouting distance of this marker); North American FJ-3 "Fury" (within shouting distance of this marker); Curtiss XF15C-1 "Stingeree" (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hickory.

Photographed by Mark Parker, November 14, 2025

4. P-3 Orion

Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 145 times since then and 111 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 15, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.