ASWEPS Aircraft 



Background 



The Naval Oceanographic Office initiated the ASWEPS program in 

 1959 to provide environmental services to the Navy. The program con- 

 cept included the use of Fleet aircraft for collection of oceanographic 

 data. For development of sensors and techniques, a research aircraft 

 (Super-Constellation NC-121K) was placed under the technical control 

 of NAVOCEANO in March 1961. Operational control was assigned to Air 

 Development Squadron Eight at Patuxent Naval Air Station, Maryland. 



After several months of test flights, suggestions were made for 

 aircraft modifications (Peloquin, 196l) . In May 1961 another Super- 

 Constellation was delivered to Lockheed for extensive internal modi- 

 fications, including installation of aperture and launching mechanisms. 



The modified aircraft (figure 2) was delivered in 1962. The 

 cruising speed was 330 km/hour and operating range was more than 6,600 km 

 with a maximum flight endurance in excess of 20 hours (Wilkerson, 1966). 



Figure 2 ASWEPS Aircraft 



