Instruments Available on NCAR-Operated Research Aircraft
GPS-occultation sensor (GISMOS)
Dropsonde (AVAPS)
Pressure, ambient air: ambient-pressure sensors
Wind (obtained from the addition of the relative-wind vector and the aircraft-velocity vector), obtained using the following sensors
gust measurements (wind relative to the aircraft)
dynamic pressure (at pitot-tube inlet)
gust pod (anti-iced for all-weather capability)
laser air motion sensor (remote measurement ahead of disturbed airflow)
aircraft motion relative to the Earth
Global Positioning System measurements
global positioning system measurements (standard)
global positioning system using differential measurements (highest accuracy)
-
-
global positioning system measurements (standard)
global positioning system using differential measurements (highest accuracy, depends on a reference station)
radar altimeter (height above the surface underlying the aircraft)
Time: time servers
-
pressure in the gas-dump manifold (this outlet is used as a common outlet for sampling lines)
Properties of clouds and hydrometeors
-
Particle Volume Monitor (PVM-100 or Gerber probe)
Rosemount Icing Probe (supercooled liquid water sensor)
(also obtained as a derived quantity from distrometers listed below)
-
forward scattering spectrometer probe (FSSP-100)
forward scattering spectrometer probe (FSSP-300)
cloud droplet probe (CDP)
-
HIAPER cloud radar (HCR)
-
-
-
PICARRO detector (also measures methane)
quantum cascade laser spectrometer (also measures CO, CH4, N2O)
-
carbon monoxide -- see also QCLS above
atmospheric oxygen (AO2)
chemical ionization mass spectrometer (nitric acid and other species)
total organic gas analyzer (many organic species)
-
Condensation nuclei (two methods, using butanol or water)
Aerosol-particle spectrometers
FSSP 200 with SPP modifications (SPP-200 / PCASP)
radial version of a dynamic mobiity analyzer (Radial DMA)
Chemical, optical, or other properties of aerosols
time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (TOF-AMS) - composition
counterflow virtual impactor (CVI) - samples selected for size
nephelometers, wet and dry - radiative properties
giant nucleus impactor (collector of giant/ultra-giant particles on slides for analysis)
Remote sensor:: high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL)
Special inlet: SDI aerosol inlet
-
actinic flux: HIAPER Airborne Radiation Package (HARP)
Remotely sensed surface temperature: Heinman remote surface thermometer