P-8A 169564

[Le Addeur noir]

From the article,

Mystery US Navy Poseidon

US Navy P-8A Poseidon deliveries are well under way with over 100 aircraft in service to date. Whilst most of the Poseidons sport their unit markings in a clear way, others remain rather anonymous.

The P-8A on the photo, with serial BuNo 169564, seems to be a normal Poseidon. However, when having a closer look it is equipped with extra antennas at the lower fuselage. Also the serial of the aircraft is shrouded in mystery. According to the Boeing production list this serial has construction number 66096 and line number 8219. Where normally available data as first flight date, delivery date etcetera are well documented, the details of this specific airframe are not clear to us.

Comparing with the first flight dates for P-8As with BuNo 169563 and BuNo 169565, this aircraft should have flown for the first time somewhere in October 2020. However, it has never been noted at Boeing's facility at Renton (WA) and the first sighting of a P-8A with this serial in the Scramble Magazine database is August 2021 at NAS Jacksonville (FL).

Due to the unclarity on this airframe Scramble Magazine assesses that the P-8A is operated by Patrol Squadron Special Projects Unit (VPU) 2 Wizards based at NAS Jacksonville (FL). Is the US Navy trying to fool the spotter's community and the rest of the world about the true identity of the aircraft?

Perhaps you could be so kind as to PM me the winning numbers for the next few lotteries?!.

[Bennie]

All I know is that August 2021 lies a few months ahead of us...

[frank kramer]

The date has been changed to August 2020 now in the news item. However, that adds to the mystery as its f/n date precedes the date it SHOULD have been rolled out if roll-outs were indeed in order of BuNo. Now, from the "civil" production lines it is well known that aircraft are not always delivered in registration order, or c/n order, or line number. Still, there is no telling (yet) whether 564 is really 564... which is probably completely intentional from the US point of view. And then again, for the US military it's the capabilities that probably count most, more than the tail number. That is "merely" a way of keeping track of a certain airframe, and making that a bit more difficult is a nice bonus.

[Bennie]

The date has been changed to August 2020 now in the news item. However, that adds to the mystery as its f/n date precedes the date it SHOULD have been rolled out if roll-outs were indeed in order of BuNo. Now, from the "civil" production lines it is well known that aircraft are not always delivered in registration order, or c/n order, or line number. Still, there is no telling (yet) whether 564 is really 564... which is probably completely intentional from the US point of view. And then again, for the US military it's the capabilities that probably count most, more than the tail number. That is "merely" a way of keeping track of a certain airframe, and making that a bit more difficult is a nice bonus.

Possible replacement for EP-3/RP-3?