Atmospheric Research By U2 Aircraft

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30961, 18 January 1966, Page 12

Atmospheric Research By U2 Aircraft

Atmospheric research in an altitude range from 40,000 ft to 70,000 ft will be carried out by a Lockheed U2 aircraft based at Christchurch airport if this is approved by the New Zealand Government. The research would take a month, and would probably start in June.

The research carried out in this altitude range—known as Project Hicat—is part of a programme known as Project Allcat being undertaken by the research and technological division of the United States Air Force. Involved in Project Hicat is 17 months’ flying by the U2 from airports in the mainland United States, Hawaii, Australia. and New Zealand. Observations in the mainland United States have almost been completed, and work will begin at Hawaii in April or May. Test flights by the U2 are being made in periods of predicted peak turbulence. On an average three flights a week are made, each lasting about four hours, and giving about 25 minutes of useable data.

It is understood that much of the information gained

from Project Allcat will interest the designers of the Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliner. Recent statistics have shown that in the last four years five major accidents and 37 jninor accidents in the United States Air Force were directly attributable to turbulence. The accidents caused 17 deaths, aud 20 were injured. The maerial loss was put at roughly 35m dollars. Because of the random nature of turbulence, a vast amount of data is required to establish valid criteria for advanced aircraft such as the Concorde. When collected the data will be analysed by computer. It is expected that it will also assist meteorological agencies.