Painted warbirds will celebrate 100 years of naval aviation

Jacksonville Times ^ | 11/05/2010 | Jeff Brumley

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The S-3 parked recently in a hangar at Jacksonville Naval Air Station looked like it just returned from the 1942 Battle of Midway.

Very odd, given that the Viking is a two-engine jet that served as a sub hunter, tanker and much more during its 33-year career beginning in 1975.

But the plane's newly applied retro paint job was actually meant to evoke the epic sea battle that turned the World War II Pacific campaign in America's favor.

"We were going for a Midway effect," said Don Lockwood, a Navy employee helping return three S-3Bs, including the newly painted one, to operational status.

While the aircraft will serve a West Coast test squadron, its paint scheme will serve another purpose: to celebrate the 100th anniversary of U.S. naval aviation in 2011.

[A.A. Cunningham]

JEFF BRUMLEY/The Times-Union Highlighting the WW-II era star and VX-30 Bloodhounds insignia, a repainted S-3 Viking sits in a hangar recently at Jacksonville Naval Air Station. The S-3 was retired from the fleet in 1998(sic).

Sloppy editing, Brumley.

[Fresh Wind]

S-3B Ping!

[dis.kevin]

Bump

[cameraeye]

The “Hoover” lives!

[naturalized]

best military aviation paint scheme ever!

[magslinger]

SONOBUOY PING!

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[shorty_harris]

Very nice! I remember the S-3 when I was stationed at North Island. Our hangar was way out next to the taxiway, and they'd taxi right by the door.

I saw one recently in the hangar I work in, painted in NASA colors (from Glenn Research Center).

[FreedomPoster]

So what handles the long range ASW mission now that the S3 is retired? Nothing?

[Drew68]

So what handles the long range ASW mission now that the S3 is retired? Nothing?

P-3s, surface ships, other submarines and satellites.

The S-3 had pretty much been relegated to in-air refueling by the time they were retired, a task now handled by F/A-18s.