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The Twin Otter is a twin-engine turboprop research aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. Several organizations including NASA, NOAA, and the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) owned and operated the Twin Otter aircraft to support atmospheric and oceanographic research. It has a typical endurance of 4 to 6 hours, a maximum range of about 600 nautical miles, and a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet. The Twin Otter can support a payload of up to 1,500 to 3,600 lbs depending on the specific aircraft.
Type
Propeller
Launch
First entered service in 1995
Objective
Supports atmospheric and oceanographic research
Instruments Aboard NOAA Twin Otter
| Instrument Name | Operational Date(s) | Spectral Resolution | Type of Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer - Classic (AVIRIS-C) | 1987 - 2025 | 400 to 2500 nm |
Spectrometer/Radiometer |
| Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer - Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) | 2012 - present | 5 nm |
Spectrometer/Radiometer |
| Hyperspectral Thermal Emissions Spectrometer (HyTES) | July 2012 - November 2023 | 25 - 40 Thz |
Spectrometer/Radiometer |
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