AIRCRAFT CHARACTERISTICS
DC-8/NASA 717
The McDonnell Douglas DC-8-72, operated by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, is a long-range, four engine jet transport aircraft that has been modified to accommodate a variety of scientific instrumentation. It has a crew of seven. A Data Acquisition and Distribution System has been installed to provide a common means of collecting the information from a standard suite of aircraft performance, meteorological, and navigational instrumentation for the use of on-board experimenters.
Relevant aircraft performance characteristics are:
| Speed | 425-490 knots | |
| Altitude | cruise | 30,000-40,000 feet |
| maximum | 42,000 feet | |
| minimum | 1000 feet (daytime over water) | |
| 3000 feet (nighttime over water) | ||
| Maneuver | max. ascent rate | 2000 fpm |
| max. descent rate | 3000 fpm | |
| max. rudder turn rate | 45 deg. 1.4G | |
| Range | nominal | 3000 nautical miles |
| maximum | 5460 nautical miles | |
| Endurance | nominal | 6 hours |
| maximum | 12 hours | |
| Payload | max. gross weight | 46,000 pounds |
| Airplane max. gross weight | 350,000 pounds | |
| max. zero fuel weight | 196,000 pounds | |
| empty plane weight | 150,000 pounds |
The layout of instrumentation aboard the DC-8 for the TRACE-P Expedition is shown in Figure 4.2-1.
P-3B / NASA 426
The Lockheed Orion NP-3B (NASA 426), operated by the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, is a low wing, medium altitude, long-range (3,000 nmi/10 hours) aircraft powered by four Allison turboprop engines. It has a deployment crew of seven. The NP-3B has ground air conditioning and heating, and an auxiliary power unit to provide ground power at remote locations. NASA 426 is a global-capable research aircraft configured to support remote sensing missions and instrumentation development.
Relevant aircraft performance characteristics are:
| Speed | 270-330 knots | |
| Altitude | cruise | 18,000 -26,000 feet |
| maximum | 28,000 feet | |
| maximum direct | 20,000 feet | |
| minimum | 500 feet (daytime) | |
| 1000 feet (nighttime) | ||
| Maneuver | max. ascent rate | 3000 fpm |
| max. descent rate | 5000 fpm+ | |
| max. rudder turn rate | 360 deg. in 10 min. | |
| Range | nominal | 2400 nautical miles |
| maximum | 3800 nautical miles | |
| Endurance | nominal | 8 hours |
| maximum | 12 hours | |
| Payload | max. gross weight | 15,600 pounds |
| Airplane max. gross weight | 133,902 pounds | |
| max. zero fuel weight | 77,200 pounds* | |
| empty plane weight | 61,639 pounds | |
| + - arbitrary | ||
| * - zero fuel weight with civilian standard 3.0 g loading | ||
The layout of instrumentation aboard the P-3B for the TRACE-P Expedition is shown in Figure 4.2-2.