Synopsis
The HIAPER (High-performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research) project consists of a highly modified Gulfstream V (GV) aircraft capable of high altitude, long duration, large payload capability and high speed flight. The HIAPER aircraft is intended to fill an important niche in the national fleet of scientific airborne platforms and will readily and regularly allow higher altitude and longer duration science payload missions than those generally available to the academic research community.
An integral part of the HIAPER project is development and flight configuration of advanced research instrumentation for the HIAPER aircraft. This solicitation is aimed at acquisition and development of innovative instrumentation, measurement and sensing systems and new observational approaches (e.g. using emerging technologies, telescience) to complement the platform’s versatility and flight capabilities. Such instrumentation will accommodate scientific investigations important to national and international studies of atmospheric sciences, climate, hazardous weather, and earth systems science supporting societal needs. In order to achieve its specified flight and performance characteristics, HIAPER is not a large airframe. Accordingly, it is desirable that its new instrumentation systems and payload modules necessarily be of lower volume and mass, consume less power, require less overt operator intervention and generally be more autonomous than comparable instrumentation used in current research aircraft platforms. Consideration of these design characteristics is encouraged for all airborne platforms and is consistent with National Research Council recognized needs (NRC - Atmospheric Sciences: Entering the 21st Century, NAS, 1998) for the atmospheric sciences community to devote increased effort to instrument development.
This solicitation covers instrumentation acquisition or research and development of instrumentation for the HIAPER platform. It is a key element of the HIAPER project. Instrumentation acquired and developed under its funding is intended to become part of the community’s core of pool and shared instrumentation at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the NSF facility that maintains and operates the HIAPER aircraft on behalf of the atmospheric and related sciences community.
Program contacts
Specific enquiries regarding the performance, technical characteristics, and specification of the HIAPER aircraft should be made to the HIAPER Project Office:
- Carla Hassler, HIAPER Project Office, PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO, telephone: (303) 497-2005; fax: (303) 497-2026
All proposers are encouraged to contact the HIAPER Project Office to obtain information on specific infrastruture requirements of the certified Gulfstream V airframe. Carla Hassler will direct your inquiries to the appropriate technical person. Proposers are also encouraged to contact the Design and Fabrication Services Division of the Atmospheric Technology Division (NCAR-ATD), through the HIAPER Project Office, to ensure design engineering will be compatible with the Gulfstream V.
Under current FAA and ICAO guidelines, aircraft certification requires more stringent design and development processess than a non-certified aircraft. If proposers plan to request the support of NCAR's Design and Fabrication Services these costs should be explicitly included and budgeted for in the proposal.
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James R. Huning Facilities Coordinator
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jhuning@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8521 |
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Clifford A. Jacobs Section Head
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cjacobs@nsf.gov | (703) 292-8521 |