He219
01-30-2004, 06:42 PM
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/49586main_wb_2.jpg
The NASA 926 WB-57 aircraft on a research mission gathering data to understand Earth's environment
Developed by a British firm, the English Electric Company Ltd. in 1944 the B-57 made its first flight in May of 1949.
The United States Air Force chose the B-57 Canberra to reinforce its aging Douglas B-26 Invader fleet from a flight demonstration of several aircraft in 1951. The B-57 made a record breaking flight across the Atlantic Ocean, without refueling, in only four hours and forty minutes. It won hands-down over all the others for its time.
Although various models were built, the "F" model survived with several modifications. The aircraft was put into service with the 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Kirtland, AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1964 and was designated as a WB-57F ("w" standing for weather).
After several years in service the wings showed signs of stress, corrosion and cracks, and it was decided to replace the wings on only a few aircraft and retire the rest because it was financially prohibitive to repair the entire fleet. In the meantime NASA had contracted the Air Force to operate research missions that were part of the Earth Resources Technology Satellite program (ERTS). NASA chose the WB-57F for its High Altitude Research Program. The two WB-57's were then assigned the numbers NASA 926 and NASA 928
The NASA 926 and NASA 928 high altitude weather aircraft can fly day and night with a range of approximately 2500 miles. Two crewmembers in pressurized suits pilot the plane to altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet and the aircraft can carry a payload of about 6,000 pounds.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/49595main_wb_57personnel.jpg
Flight and ground crew pose in front of one of the two WB-57's still in service
Research such as Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers - Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL - FACE) and Clouds and Water Vapor in the Climate System (CWVCS) join a long list of atmospheric and weather related experiments aided by the use of the WB-57.
NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) operates the only two WB-57's still flying in the world today from Ellington Field, Houston, Texas.
http://jsc-aircraft-ops.jsc.nasa.gov/wb57/index.html
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10201302213.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo102.jpg
Dr. Dave Thomson, left, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and NASA (news - web sites) employee Mark Peebles, remove scientific instruments from a WB-57 aircraft following a flight to study the ozone at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone.(AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10301302059.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo103.jpg
NASA flight crew members prepare a WB-57 aircraft for a flight to study the ozone at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone.(AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10101302044.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo101.jpg
NASA (news - web sites) pilot Bill Eherenstrom, center, speaks with flight crew manager Bud Mines, right, following a flight aboard a WB-57 aircraft to study the ozone at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10501302049.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo105.jpg
A NASA (news - web sites) engineer downloads data from a wing pod from a WB-57 aircraft used to study the ozone at the Juan Santa Maria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone.(AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10401302058.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo104.jpg
NASA (news - web sites) engineer Rich Lueb, left, and NASA scientist Dr. Elliot Atlas work on a whole air sampler which contains sealed canisters containing samples taken at 60,000 feet at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
:D
2-2-04 Edit: another Canberra going strong....
http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/images/misc/pr9_mapping_tn.jpg
Hi-Res (http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/images/misc/pr9_mapping_hr.jpg)
Although some fifty years old, the venerable Canberra
PR9 remains one of the world's most capable reconnaissance
aircraft. Used on operations during the period of active hostilities,
the Canberras of 39 Squadron (1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit)
are now employed on photographic survey work to provide modern
mapping of Iraq
The NASA 926 WB-57 aircraft on a research mission gathering data to understand Earth's environment
Developed by a British firm, the English Electric Company Ltd. in 1944 the B-57 made its first flight in May of 1949.
The United States Air Force chose the B-57 Canberra to reinforce its aging Douglas B-26 Invader fleet from a flight demonstration of several aircraft in 1951. The B-57 made a record breaking flight across the Atlantic Ocean, without refueling, in only four hours and forty minutes. It won hands-down over all the others for its time.
Although various models were built, the "F" model survived with several modifications. The aircraft was put into service with the 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Kirtland, AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1964 and was designated as a WB-57F ("w" standing for weather).
After several years in service the wings showed signs of stress, corrosion and cracks, and it was decided to replace the wings on only a few aircraft and retire the rest because it was financially prohibitive to repair the entire fleet. In the meantime NASA had contracted the Air Force to operate research missions that were part of the Earth Resources Technology Satellite program (ERTS). NASA chose the WB-57F for its High Altitude Research Program. The two WB-57's were then assigned the numbers NASA 926 and NASA 928
The NASA 926 and NASA 928 high altitude weather aircraft can fly day and night with a range of approximately 2500 miles. Two crewmembers in pressurized suits pilot the plane to altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet and the aircraft can carry a payload of about 6,000 pounds.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/49595main_wb_57personnel.jpg
Flight and ground crew pose in front of one of the two WB-57's still in service
Research such as Cirrus Regional Study of Tropical Anvils and Cirrus Layers - Florida Area Cirrus Experiment (CRYSTAL - FACE) and Clouds and Water Vapor in the Climate System (CWVCS) join a long list of atmospheric and weather related experiments aided by the use of the WB-57.
NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) operates the only two WB-57's still flying in the world today from Ellington Field, Houston, Texas.
http://jsc-aircraft-ops.jsc.nasa.gov/wb57/index.html
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10201302213.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo102.jpg
Dr. Dave Thomson, left, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and NASA (news - web sites) employee Mark Peebles, remove scientific instruments from a WB-57 aircraft following a flight to study the ozone at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone.(AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10301302059.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo103.jpg
NASA flight crew members prepare a WB-57 aircraft for a flight to study the ozone at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone.(AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10101302044.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo101.jpg
NASA (news - web sites) pilot Bill Eherenstrom, center, speaks with flight crew manager Bud Mines, right, following a flight aboard a WB-57 aircraft to study the ozone at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10501302049.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo105.jpg
A NASA (news - web sites) engineer downloads data from a wing pod from a WB-57 aircraft used to study the ozone at the Juan Santa Maria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone.(AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040130/capt.sjo10401302058.costa_rica_nasa_ozone_investigation_sjo104.jpg
NASA (news - web sites) engineer Rich Lueb, left, and NASA scientist Dr. Elliot Atlas work on a whole air sampler which contains sealed canisters containing samples taken at 60,000 feet at the Juan SantaMaria International Airport, 20 kilometers west of the captial of San Jose, Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. More than 60 NASA scientists were conducting the mission in Costa Rica to study the transport of gases and aerosols collected during flights above 60,000 feet to study their effects on the ozone. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)
:D
2-2-04 Edit: another Canberra going strong....
http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/images/misc/pr9_mapping_tn.jpg
Hi-Res (http://www.operations.mod.uk/telic/images/misc/pr9_mapping_hr.jpg)
Although some fifty years old, the venerable Canberra
PR9 remains one of the world's most capable reconnaissance
aircraft. Used on operations during the period of active hostilities,
the Canberras of 39 Squadron (1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit)
are now employed on photographic survey work to provide modern
mapping of Iraq