Boeing 737-800 Poseidon
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is a maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft, built on the airframe of the commercial 737-800 rather than as a purpose-built military design from scratch. Basing it on an existing airliner let Boeing and its customers benefit from the 737's proven reliability and lower operating costs compared with older dedicated patrol aircraft. It carries sonar-detecting sonobuoys, torpedoes, and anti-ship missiles, and can also be used for search-and-rescue and general maritime surveillance. It has replaced the much older, propeller-driven P-3 Orion in several air forces around the world.
Did you know?
The P-8 Poseidon adapts the commercial 737-800 airframe for submarine hunting, trading a purpose-built design for the airliner's proven reliability and lower costs.
Specifications
| Length | 39.5 m (129 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 37.6 m (123 ft) |
| Height | 12.8 m (42 ft) |
| Persons on board | 9 |
| Crew | 9 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 86.4 t |
| Range | 1,200 NM (2,222 km) |
| Maximum speed | 490 kt (907 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 41,000 ft (12,497 m) |
| Engines | 2x CFM56-7B |
| Units built | 174 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Boeing 737-800 Poseidon starts as a Very rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Boeing, the 737-800 Poseidon family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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