Instruments Available on NCAR-Operated Research Aircraft
State Parameters Including Temperature, Wind and Position
Temperature, Ambient Air
Heated (Deiced) Total / Ambient Temperature Sensor (ATHx-TTHx)
High Rate Ambient Temperature Sensor (RTF1-ATF1)
Radiometric Sensors
OPHIR-III Air Temperature Radiometer (Ophir) Decommissioned
In-Cloud Air Temperature Radiometer (ITR)
Remote Sensors
Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP)
GNSS Instrument System for Multi-static and Occultation Sensing (GISMOS)
AVAPS Dropsonde (AVAPS)
Humidity, Ambient Air
Thermo-electronic Dew Point Sensor (DPx)
Buck Instruments Model CR-2 Cryogenic Hygrometer (CR2)
Ultraviolet Absorption Hygrometer (UVH)
Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser Hygrometer (VCSEL)
Open-Path Laser Hygrometer (OPLH) Decommissioned
Pressure, Ambient Air
Ambient Static Pressure (PSFx)
Wind Obtained from the addition of the relative-wind vector and aircraft-velocity vector using the following sensors:
Gust Measurements (Wind Relative to the Aircraft)
Dynamic Pressure (QCx; at pitot-tube inlet)
Radome Gust Probe for 3-D Wind Measurements (ADIFR-BDIFR-QCRC)
All Weather Wind Gust Pod (TASX; anti-iced for all-weather capability)
Laser Air Motion Sensor (LAMS; remote measurement ahead of disturbed airflow)
Aircraft Motion Relative to the Earth
Inertial Navigation System, A.K.A Inertial Reference Unit (IRU)
Global Positioning Systems
Research Global Positioning System (GPS; standard)
Differential GPS Ground Station (DGPS; highest accuracy, depends on a reference station)
Position of the aircraft
Inertial Navigation System, A.K.A Inertial Reference Unit (IRU)
Global Positioning Systems
Research Global Positioning System (GPS; standard)
Differential GPS ground station (DGPS; highest accuracy, depends on a reference station)
Radar Altimeter (RALT; height above the surface underlying the aircraft)
Time
Time Server (Time)
Other Related Measurements
Cabin Pressure (PCAB)
Cabin Temperature at ADS Rack Location (TCAB)
Instrument Exhaust Gas Dump Pressure (PDump; pressure in the gas-dump manifold, this outlet is used as a common outlet for sampling lines)
Properties of Clouds and Hydrometeors
Liquid Water Content
King Probe Liquid Water Sensor (CSIRO)
Gerber Liquid Water Probe (PVM-100 or XGLWC) Decommissioned
Rosemount Icing Detector (RICE; supercooled liquid water sensor)
(also obtained as a derived quantity from distrometers listed below)
Cloud Droplet Spectrometers
Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe, Model 100 (FSSP-100) Decommissioned
Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe, Model 300 (FSSP-300) Decommissioned
Cloud Droplet Probe (CDP)
(see also the SID2H, 2DC, and 3V-CPI)
Ice, Drizzle, and Precipitation Probes
Two-Dimensional Optical Array Cloud Probe (2DC or 2D-OAP)
Two-Dimensional Optical Array Precipitation Probe (2DP) Decommissioned
Small Ice Detector, Version 2 for HIAPER (SID2H) Decommissioned
Three-View Cloud Particle Imager (3V-CPI) Decommissioned
Holographic Detector for Clouds (HOLODEC)
Two-Dimensional, Stereo, Particle Imaging Probe (2D-S)
Remote Sensors
HIAPER cloud radar (HCR)
(see also HSRL below and MTP above)
Gas Concentrations
Ozone
Nitric Oxide Chemiluminescence Ozone Instrument (FO3_ACD)
RAF Ozone Photometer ( OP-1 or OP-2; Photometric Ozone)
Thermo Environmental Instruments Model 49 Ozone Analyzer (TECO) Decommissioned
Carbon Dioxide
Picarro Instrument for Airborne Measurement of CO2 and CH4 (CO2_PIC, CH4_PIC)
Quantum Cascade Laser Spectrometer (QCLS; also measures CO, CH4, N2O) Decommissioned
(see also AO2 and flask-sampling systems below)
Whole Air Sampling Systems
Advanced Whole Air Sampler (AWAS)
NCAR/Scripps Medusa Flask Sampler (Medusa)
Other Gases
Aero-Laser VUV Resonance Fluorescence Carbon Monoxide (COMR_AL; See also QCLS above) Decommissioned
2-Channel Chemiluminescence (NO-NO2)
Airborne Oxygen (AO2)
Georgia Tech Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (GTCIMS; nitric acid and other species)
Trace Organic Gas Analyzer (TOGA; many organic species)
Aerosol Particles
Condensation Nucleus Counter (Butanol) (CN)
Aerosol-Particle Spectrometers
Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS)
Passive Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe with Signal Processing Package - 200(PCASP-100X or SPP-200)
Radial Differential Mobility Analyzer (RDMA) Decommissioned
Scanning Mobility Particle Spectrometer (SMPS) Decommissioned
HIAPER Aerosol Spectrometer Probe, Optical Particle Counter (OPC, HASP)
Chemical, Optical, or Other Properties of Aerosols
Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (TOF-AMS; composition) Decommissioned
Counter-flow Virtual Impactor (CVI; samples selected for size)
Integrating Nephelometer (Neph; wet and dry, radiative properties) Decommissioned
Giant Nuclei Impactor (GNI; collector of giant/ultra-giant particles on slides for analysis)
Remote Sensors
High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL)
Special Inlet: Solid Diffuser Aerosol Inlet (SDI)
Radiation
Upwelling and Downwelling Irradiance
HIAPER Airborne Radiation Package (HARP)
Broadband Radiometers (Pyrgeometers and Pyranometers)
Actinic Flux
HIAPER Airborne Radiation Package (HARP)
Remotely Sensed Surface Temperature
Heimann Infrared Radiation Pyrometer (KT19)
Other
HIAPER Modular Inlet (HIMIL; "HIMIL” inlets)
Digital Imagery (camera or video)
Satellite Communications System (SATCOM)
These instruments provide just a basic set of measurement that are typically used on most airborne field campaigns. Each project uses other instruments, provided by the participants from universities, industry, NASA, NOAA or other agencies that can address more specific needs of a particular project.