EAGER: Preliminary Work for the Development of the Next-Generation Storm-Penetrating Aircraft

使用专门仪器的风暴穿透飞机(SPA)进行的直接现场观测仍然是描述和理解在严重雷暴和其他强烈和危及生命的天气现象深处发生的复杂过程的重要手段。自从南达科他州矿业与技术学院(SDSMT)T-28 SPA于2005年退役以来，NSF一直在积极探索用具有更大耐力、有效载荷能力和高度范围的更现代平台来取代它。这种下一代SPA将能够解决T-28可以探索的更广泛的强烈天气现象。目前，仙童A-10(国防部目前使用的)是这种替代品的主要候选者。在准备采购之前，必须完成对这个能力更强的平台可能遇到的各种条件的更全面和更定量的评估。领导这项工作的基于SDSMT的首席调查员在分析T-28数据方面拥有丰富的经验，将负责结合辅助数据集(包括气球上的观测、在更高海拔运行的现有研究飞机的数据和模型模拟输出)对这些存档观测数据进行全面的统计描述，以确定影响飞机安全、飞行性能的气象条件，以及对专门气象仪器的要求。需要检查的数量包括湍流强度、上升气流/下降气流速度、过冷液态水浓度(及其对飞机结冰的影响)，以及机身遭受雷击的可能性/强度。这一分析将不仅涉及T-28通常使用的严重大陆雷暴，而且还将扩展到正在发展的热带风暴、中纬度和极地纬度冬季风暴系统内的带电云，以及在活跃的森林大火上形成的所谓“火云”。这一预先努力将有助于最大限度地减少在采购新的SPA后在特派团准备工作方面的未来延误。这项工作将与CIRPAS(位于加利福尼亚州蒙特利的跨学科遥控飞机研究中心)的科学家和工程师协调完成，A-10一旦采购就将驻扎在那里。布罗德影响：这项研究的最终目的是更好地描述极端气象条件和支配对生命和财产构成威胁的强烈风暴行为的过程。更广泛的影响将延伸到对大气科学研究生的培训/辅导，以及改进在云微物理/动力学和中尺度气象学的SDSMT课程中使用的课程材料。

Direct in-situ observations by specially instrumented storm penetrating aircraft (SPA) remain a vital means of describing and understanding complex processes occurring deep within severe thunderstorms and other intense and life-threatening weather phenomena. Since the retirement of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSMT) T-28 SPA in 2005, NSF has been actively exploring its replacement with a more modern platform possessing expanded endurance, payload capacity and altitude range. This next-generation SPA will be capable of addressing a far broader range of intense weather phenomena that could be explored by the T-28. At present, a Fairchild A-10 (as currently utilized by the Department of Defense) is a leading candidate for this replacement. Preparatory to its procurement, a more complete and quantitative assessment of the range of conditions likely to be encountered by this more capable platform must be completed.The SDSMT-based Principal Investigator leading this effort has considerable prior experience in analysis of T-28 data and will be responsible for comprehensive statistical description of those archived observations in conjunction with ancillary datasets (including balloon-borne observations, data from existing research aircraft operating at higher altitudes, and model simulation output) needed to specify meteorological conditions impacting aircraft safety, flight performance, and requirements for specialized meteorological instrumentation. Quantities to be examined include turbulence intensity, updraft/downdraft speeds, supercooled liquid water concentrations (and respective impacts on aircraft icing), and likelihood/intensity of lightning strikes to the airframe. This analysis will address not only severe continental thunderstorms, where the T-28 was typically operated, but also extend to developing tropical storms, electrified clouds within winter storm systems at both middle and polar latitudes, and so-called "pyrocumulonimbus" developing over active forest fires. This advance effort will serve to minimize future delays in mission readiness for the new SPA, once procured. This work will be done in coordination with scientists and engineers at CIRPAS (the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies in Monterey, California), where the A-10 would be based once procured.Broader Impacts:The ultimate purpose of this study is a better description of extreme meteorological conditions and processes governing the behavior of intense storms that are a threat to life and property. Broader impacts will extend to training/mentoring of a graduate student in Atmospheric Sciences and enhancement of course material utilized in SDSMT classes in cloud microphysics/dynamics and mesoscale meteorology.