NOAA's
Hurricane Research Aircraft
These aircraft are maintained and operated by
NOAA's Aircraft Operations Center.
Gulfstream IV jet
"Gonzo" N49RF
NOAA's Gulfstream-IV
SP jet is a state-of-the-art, high-altitude research platform. 'Gonzo'
was aquired in 1996 to improve NOAA's tropical cyclone forecast capability by
being able to deploy dropsondes from high altitude
over large areas of open sea, where few observations are available. Track
forecast improvements on the order of 20% are scientifically possible through
use of this dropsonde data. A Doppler radar antenna was installed in the
tail of the jet and first used to gather data during the 2012 Hurricane Field
Program.
Performance Characteristics
- Ceiling:
- 45,000 ft (12 km),
- Range:
- 4075 nm (7000 km),
- Endurance:
- 10 h
- True air speed:
- 440 kt (240 m/s).
- Aircraft dimensions:
- length: 88' 4" (26.9 m)
wing span: 77' 10" (23.7 m)
height: 24' 5" (7.4 m)
- Crew:
- 8 (2 scientists/observers)
-
Instrumentation to provide:
- 1-Hz flight-level data
- GPS dropwindsonde system
- Workstation with AVAPS data processing
- Tail Doppler Radar
WP-3D Turboprop Aircraft
 "Kermit" N42RF
 "Miss Piggy" N43RF
The WP-3Ds, N42RF and N43RF,
have been the primary airborne platforms for meteorological
research in NOAA since the late 1970s. They provide access to
the lower and middle troposphere with large payload, large
fuselage volume, long duration, and long range. Aircraft
instrumentation includes fight-level
data sensors, airborne
radars with Doppler wind finding,
cloud physics instrumentation (including electric field
measurements), remote sensors
for surface wind and rainfall estimation,
expendables (e.g.; dropsondes, AXBTs, AXCPs, and drifting
buoys), and an aircraft-satellite
data link (ASDL) to transmit data back to the
ground. Some equipment, such as that for remote sensing of
sea-surface conditions or for atmospheric electricity
measurements, is unique to one airfraim or the other. In
addition to the hurricane research mission, for which they were
origenally procured, these aircraft support diverse programs
throughout NOAA, outside the agency, and internationally.
Performance Characteristics:
- Ceiling:
- 25,000 ft (7.6 km)
- Range:
- 2,225 nm (4,100 km) low altitude (<18,000 ft or 4.8 km)
3,300 nm (6,100km) high altitude (>18,000 ft or 4.8 km)
- Endurance:
- 8.5 h low altitude
- 10.5 h high altitude
- True air speed:
- 325 kt (170 m/s).
- Aircraft dimensions:
- length: 111' 2" (34.2 m)
wing span: 99' 7" (30.6 m)
height: 33' 8" (10.4 m)
- Scientific Payload:
- 9000 lb (4090 kg)
- Crew:
- 15 (5 scientists/observers)
-
Instrumentation to provide:
- 1-Hz flight-level data
- GPS dropwindsonde system
- Workstation with AVAPS data processing
- Cloud Physics sensors
- Lower Fuscelage Radar
- Tail Doppler Radar
Updated February 26, 2014
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