Research Aircraft

SPEC first instrumented a Model 25 Learjet in 1998, which participated in 18 international and domestic field campaigns, including: In addition to serving as a test bed for SPEC instrument developments, the Learjet has participated in several field projects, including:

  • NASA FARS Cirrus Studies in Utah 1998 - 2000
  • NSF Wave Cloud Studies in Colorado 2000 - 2004
  • DOE SPARTICUS Cirrus Studies 2009 – 2010
  • NSF ICE-T Cumulus Cloud Studies - 2011
  • NASA MACPex Cirrus and Anvil Cloud Studies – 2011
  • NASA SEAC4RS Regional Studies in the Southeast U.S. – 2013
  • 2014-16 Navy Cumulus Studies project Western U.S. – 2014-16
  • UAEREP Cumulus Cloud Studies in the Western U.S. - 2017

In 2018 SPEC retired the Learjet model 25 and acquired a Learjet model 35A, which is shown in the photos on this page. The Learjet 35A is a turbofan aircraft with longer range and duration.The equipment from the Learjet 25 was transferred to the Learjet 35A and it was dual certificated in Standard and Restricted categories.  The Learjet 35A (N474KA) flown in four research projects including:

  • UAEREP Cumulus Cloud Studies in the UAE – 2019
  • NASA Cumulus Cloud Studies in the South China Sea – 2019
  • NSF SPICULE Secondary Ice Production Study Western U.S. - 2021
  • NSF ESCAPE Cloud and Aerosol Study near Houston, TX - 2022

The Learjet has exceptional performance and can operate over a large range of true airspeeds, from 100 m s-1 at sea level to 200 m s-1 at 30,000 feet. Due to its high thrust-to-weight ratio, the Learjet can climb at extremely high rates, up to 6,000 feet per minute at sea level and 2,000 feet per minute at 25,000 feet. This level of performance, coupled with SPEC’s state-of-the-art cloud particle probes and a relatively low hourly cost, make the Learjet a unique platform for cloud physics research.