EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFMCNS) -- As Air Force people across the country worked to provide immediate aid to the Gulf Coast through airlift, medical services, engineering, communications, and more, flight test experts at Edwards are looking toward future hurricanes.
Using Katrina as a "target of opportunity," members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron teamed with Air Force Reserve Command's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., to test the WC-130J's modified propeller. The purpose-improve durability of the "Hurricane Hunter" aircraft's propeller as it endures severe storm conditions.
The benefit-reduce aircraft maintenance turn-around time to maximize the amount of real-time, weather-condition data being reported to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
"The metal petal propeller is a modification to the existing propeller found on operational WC-130Js," said Mark Miller, 418th FLTS WC-130J project engineer (JT3). "Specifically, it's a propeller with metal covers-taco-shaped-that fit over the leading edge to protect its de-icing equipment. The metal covering is designed to prevent erosion caused by heavy atmospheric effects during a hurricane."
The de-icing equipment, also known as the de-icing boot, is fixed on each of the aircraft's propellers and heats up to remove ice build-up produced by freezing conditions at high-cruising altitudes, explained Mr. Miller. This de-icing capability is needed to fly safely at cruising altitudes to and from the storm. Yet, previous hurricane operations identified a higher-than-normal erosion rate of these de-icing boots.
The aircraft typically faces severe precipitation, sustained large-field rain rates in excess of 2 inches per hour, and hail, said Maj. Frank Delsing, 418th FLTS WC-130J project pilot.
So, to operationally test the modified propeller, the team took advantage of real-world situations that offered these same weather conditions-hurricanes. Since Aug. 9, the team has accumulated 83.2 flying hours with the metal petal propeller, said Major Delsing. Of these total hours, 31.25 hours were in heavy precipitation, including 21 encounters with hail and flights into Hurricanes Irene and Katrina. In both hurricanes, the test team provided real-time, satellite-linked data directly to the NHC.
"We continued our testing by flying two sorties into Katrina for a total of 21.5 hours," said Major Delsing. "We penetrated the eye wall 10 times, including the last fix before the storm hit the gulf coast. And overall, the new propeller performed quite well. It should significantly increase the durability of the propeller's de-icing boot during similar operations, and in turn, provide "Hurricane Hunters" with a more reliable aircraft."
WC-130s, along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration aircraft, are used by the NHC to increase forecast accuracy and compile both vertical and horizontal profiles of the storms, said Major Delsing. "The aircraft data increases forecast accuracy by as much as 25 percent over satellite imagery predictions alone," he said. "That translates to millions of dollars of savings in evacuation costs and countless lives saved with more advanced warning for high-threat areas."
Once the final test results are released and the new propeller is installed, the 53rd WRS should be able to take advantage of this de-icing boot modification in time for the next hurricane season, June 2006.