In a message dated 5/4/02 10:42:41 AM Pacific Daylight Time, UPSplane@aol.com
writes:
> Who makes the Military EC-3 RECON plane? And is it a variant of a commercial
> airliner. Can someone please direct me to URL photo of one.... thanks.
>
>
> Carlos Borda
>
This aircraft is a distant military derivative of the venerable civilian
Electra; and is a "spook" (intelligence / reconnaissance) variant of the
basic US Navy P-3 Orion submarine hunter / maritime surveillance platform
that has been in service for well more than 30 years.
I don't know about the "configuration" of the specific model you mentioned -
EC-3, but as reference, the USN aircraft that was forced, by mid-air
collision with a Chinese fighter, into landing in Hainan, China, in April
'01, was an EP-3E ("spook") version of the basic P-3 Orion model.
Go Navy!
Mike/SFO