Thai Super King Air 350 Modified by SPEC for Atmospheric Research
Thai Super King Air 350
Modified by SPEC for Atmospheric Research
SPEC completely modified a new King Air Super 350 aircraft for the Thai government in 2012, obtaining an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to install provisions for sensors for atmospheric research. The STC includes wing hard points rated for 150 lbs, racks that contain both burn-in-place and droppable flares, an iso-kinetic inlet for aerosol sampling and electrical wiring for all equipment. The STC allows the aircraft to maintain its standard airworthiness certificate in the commuter category when modified under the SPEC STC. A photograph below shows the Thai Super King Air 350 departing the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and close-up photos of the sensors installed on pylons attached to the wing hard points. In addition to modifying a Thai King Air in 2012, SPEC modified two more King Air 350s for the Thai Department of Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation (DRRAA) in 2015.
Thai Super King Air 350 departing the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and (bottom) close-up photos of the sensors, inlet and flare rack.
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Click on photos to enlarge
SPEC STC for Super King Air 350
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Accurate Models of Aircraft Modifications using SolidworksTM
In order to accurately design, engineer and fabricate all of the modifications required for the King Air research aircraft, SPEC developed a complete solid model of the aircraft and all of the external sensors and internal instrument racks. The solid model assures that once components are fabricated that they will fit properly on the aircraft, and allows provides for computations fluid dynamics (CFD) flow models of particles around the aircraft. The figures below show examples of SolidworksTM models of the Thai King Air.
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SPEC STC 00728DE for a Super King Air 350 includes:
- WING ROOT WIRING FEEDTHRU STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS – (Left Hand) LH AND Right Hand (RH)
- WING RIB WIRE FEEDTHRU STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS - LH
- WING STATION 217.8 HARD POINTS RATED FOR 150 LBS PLYONS – LH AND RH
- MASTER RESEARCH POWER SWITCH IN COCKPIT
- INSTRUMENTATION ELECTRICAL WIRING - WING
- INSTRUMENTATION ELECTRICAL WIRING – AFT FUSELAGE
- RESEARCH POWER WIRING AND FUSE - CABIN
- WEATHER RESEARCH AIRCRAFT INTERFACES
The provisions support installation of:
- GPS ANTENNA, FWD
- GPS ANTENNA, AFT
- AEROSOL INLET, FUSELAGE
- COCKPIT VIDEO CAMERA
- AFT PRESSURE BULKHEAD WIRING FEEDTHRU STRUCTURAL MODIFICATION
- TOTAL TEMPERATURE SENSOR
- ICE DETECTOR
- NEVZOROV SENSOR
- DEW POINT HYGROMETER
- WING MOUNTED FLARE RACK, LH AND RH
- WING MOUNTED RESEARCH PYLONS, LH AND RH
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Thai Super King Air 350 Performance and Sensors
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