S-3 Viking Wing-Fold Sequence at EAA AirVenture 2011

Naval Aviation Commemoration

NASA’s Glenn Research Center was pleased to have its S-3B, a former naval aircraft, on static display July 25-27 at the EAA 2011 AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. for the Centennial of Naval Aviation Commemoration. Originally designed as a carrier-based, anti-submarine aircraft for the U.S. Navy, the aircraft was extensively modified to transform it from a military aircraft to a state-of-the-art research aircraft.

image of a 3 wing fold plane — Pilot and NASA’s Glenn Research Center chief of the Aircraft Operations Office Alan Micklewright, Flight Research Engineer Jim Griner, and S-3B Crew Chief Don Gorman were available to talk about the aircraft.

While not conducting a flight demonstration, the S-3B was seen flying during departure from Whitman Field scheduled on Thursday, July 28.

Ice Related Research

The S-3B was used to flight test a highly specialized suite of instruments for the aerial measurement of water quality for the Great Lakes Environmental Aerial Monitoring mission. This was a joint effort by NASA’S Glenn Research Center, the National Oceanic, and Atmospheric Administration, and the Ohio Aerospace Institute. In the future, it may be used to validate communications for unmanned aircraft and to conduct swept-wing and aircraft engine icing related research. NASA’S Glenn Research Center has a long history of studying ice formation on aircraft surfaces in its Icing Research Tunnel and aboard research aircraft that intentionally fly into hazardous winter weather. The center has helped develop revolutionary techniques for protecting aircraft from ice formation, and training for pilots to handle problems resulting from unavoidable ice formation.

Learn More

For further information on the S-3B at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, visit:
http://facilities.grc.nasa.gov/hangar