MASIN Instruments

You can download a pdf document of the MASIN aircraft capabilities.

Total Temperature
Total Temperature is measured by two Goodrich Rosemount Probes mounted on the nose. A non de-iced model 102E4AL shown on the left of the image and a de-iced model 102AU1AG shown on the right. These are logged at 0.7Hz.

Altitude and Air Speed
Static and Dynamic pressure are measured from the aircraft static ports and heated pitot tube on the co-pilot's side. These are on the left of the photo. Honeywell HPA sensors are used. The two pressures are logged at 5 Hz.

Cooled-Mirror Hygrometer
A Buck 1011C cooled mirror hygrometer is fitted on the aircraft nose on the co-pilot's side. This is the small inlet at bottom right of the photo. The chamber is directly behind the inlet with a control unit in the main rack. The mirror temperature is recorded at 1Hz. The chamber pressure is also recorded.

Chemistry Inlets
A pair of stainless steel inlets can be fitted to right hand side cabin mounts. They can face forward or aft. There is also a corresponding exhaust. The inlets are 1/2" OD tubing and could be PTFE lined.

Incoming Radiometers
A pair of Eppley PIR and PSP sensors are fitted on the roof towards the rear of the aircraft. The PIR longwave sensor is on the left in the photo with the PSP shortware instrument on the right.

Outgoing Radiometers
A matching pair of Eppley PIR and PSP sensors are fitted to the camera hatch panel towards the rear of the aircraft facing downwards. Data are recorded at around 10 Hz. On the photo the left hand side is towards the rear of the aircraft.

Infra-red Thermometer
A Heimann model KT19.82 infra-red thermometer is also mounted in the camera hatch panel - the single lens middle-right of the photo. There is a solenoid-operated, ambient temperature, black-body calibration target that can be brought into view during flight. Data are recorded at around 10Hz.

Laser Altimeter
A Riegl LD90-3800VHS-FLP Laser Altimeter is also fitted in the floor camera hatch - the two large lenses in the photo. Returns up to a few hundred metres are possible depending on the surface at repetition frequencies up to 2 kHz.

Camera and Videos

There is a forward looking RePlay XD1080 bullet camera in the front of the aircraft. This has a wide angle view and can record HD. Live view from this camera is available on the cabin operator rack.

A downward looking Canon EOS7D DSLR with 15mm lens can be triggered to take 18MP images at up to 1 frame/sec

Laser Scanner
A Riegl Q240 80 degree laser scanner is used for mapping sea ice in place of the single point laser altimeter.

Radar Altimeter

Data are recorded from the aircraft's two radar altimeters fitted in the tail section at around 10Hz. These have a range of around 800-1000m and a wider beam compared to the laser altimeter.

Turbulence Probe
A NOAA/ARA BAT 'Best Aircraft Turbulence' is fitted on a boom extending out from the roof of the aircraft on the co-pilot's side of the aircraft. This 9 hole probe records pressures and exposed thermocouple temperatures for measuring turbulence by eddy covariance in conjunction with attitude measurements. 3-axis accelerometer data are also recorded from the BAT Probe. Heaters are fitted inside the hemisphere to enable the instrument to be usable even after encountering icing.

GPS Position
Around 5m position accuracy is recorded at 10 Hz from the JAVAD 4-antenna GPS attitude system. For greater accuracy this is supplemented by a Trimble 5700 survey system using an antenna mounted above the laser altimeter and processed in kinematic mode with a second ground based unit. Both units are usually loaned to us by the BAS MAGIC mapping group.

GPS Attitude and Reference System
A JAVAD AT4 4-antenna GPS system records heading, pitch and roll at 20 Hz and velocites at 10 Hz. Antennas are permanently fitted to each wing and fore and aft of the fuselage.

Inertial Attitude and Heading Systems

There is also an OXTS Inertial+ GPS linked INU available that stores data internally.

This is now used in preference to the JAVAD system (above) as it copes much better with poor GPS signals.

Combined Cloud Probe
An under-wing pylon mounted Droplet Measurement Technologies CAPS Probe comprises of a 2D imaging probe(25µm-1550µm), aerosol spectrometer(0.5µm-50µm) and liquid water content probe(0.01-3.0g/m3). The probe has a dedicated logging PC and comprehensive instrument de-icing heaters. Korolev tips have been fitted.

2D-S Cloud Probe A second wing pylon is available that has often been used for a SPEC Inc. 2D-S probe owned by The University of Manchester in their canister.

Cloud Droplet Probe
An under nose mounting has been certified to take the University of Manchester DMT CDP instrument.

Closed Path Water Vapour and CO2 Sensor
A LICOR LI-7000 closed path infra-red gas analyser is installed facing forwards in the instrument rack. The input is taken in using a Rosemount inlet and readings are triggered at 50 Hz.

Aerosol Inlet
A Brechtel Iso-kinetic aerosol inlet can be fitted to the forward right hand cabin window. It is >95% efficient for 0.01µm to 6µm.

Condensation Particle Counter
A TSI 3772 butanol based CPC can be fitted to the racks coupled to the Brechtel Inlet.

Aerosol Spectrometer
A Grimm model 1.109 portable aerosol spectrometer for use with the Brechtel inlet. 31 channels 0.25µm to 32µm.

Central Logging System

Core instrumentation is logged to a rack PC using Labview and associated National Instruments hardware including networked compact Fieldpoint modules in the roof and floor.

The logging can be monitored and controlled from the main rack in the cabin as well as a wirelessly elsewhere in the aircraft.

The cloud and aerosol instruments normally log to a second PC in a second rack.

The ZivkoTwin Otter racks are certified to take around 200 lbs of equipment within each one.

A total of 200 Amps at 28 VDC is available for science instrumentation using inverters where necessary.

Total Temperature	Total Temperature is measured by two Goodrich Rosemount Probes mounted on the nose. A non de-iced model 102E4AL shown on the left of the image and a de-iced model 102AU1AG shown on the right. These are logged at 0.7Hz.
Altitude and Air Speed	Static and Dynamic pressure are measured from the aircraft static ports and heated pitot tube on the co-pilot's side. These are on the left of the photo. Honeywell HPA sensors are used. The two pressures are logged at 5 Hz.
Cooled-Mirror Hygrometer	A Buck 1011C cooled mirror hygrometer is fitted on the aircraft nose on the co-pilot's side. This is the small inlet at bottom right of the photo. The chamber is directly behind the inlet with a control unit in the main rack. The mirror temperature is recorded at 1Hz. The chamber pressure is also recorded.
Chemistry Inlets	A pair of stainless steel inlets can be fitted to right hand side cabin mounts. They can face forward or aft. There is also a corresponding exhaust. The inlets are 1/2" OD tubing and could be PTFE lined.
Incoming Radiometers	A pair of Eppley PIR and PSP sensors are fitted on the roof towards the rear of the aircraft. The PIR longwave sensor is on the left in the photo with the PSP shortware instrument on the right.
Outgoing Radiometers	A matching pair of Eppley PIR and PSP sensors are fitted to the camera hatch panel towards the rear of the aircraft facing downwards. Data are recorded at around 10 Hz. On the photo the left hand side is towards the rear of the aircraft.
Infra-red Thermometer	A Heimann model KT19.82 infra-red thermometer is also mounted in the camera hatch panel - the single lens middle-right of the photo. There is a solenoid-operated, ambient temperature, black-body calibration target that can be brought into view during flight. Data are recorded at around 10Hz.
Laser Altimeter	A Riegl LD90-3800VHS-FLP Laser Altimeter is also fitted in the floor camera hatch - the two large lenses in the photo. Returns up to a few hundred metres are possible depending on the surface at repetition frequencies up to 2 kHz.
Camera and Videos	There is a forward looking RePlay XD1080 bullet camera in the front of the aircraft. This has a wide angle view and can record HD. Live view from this camera is available on the cabin operator rack. A downward looking Canon EOS7D DSLR with 15mm lens can be triggered to take 18MP images at up to 1 frame/sec
Laser Scanner	A Riegl Q240 80 degree laser scanner is used for mapping sea ice in place of the single point laser altimeter.
Radar Altimeter	Data are recorded from the aircraft's two radar altimeters fitted in the tail section at around 10Hz. These have a range of around 800-1000m and a wider beam compared to the laser altimeter.
Turbulence Probe	A NOAA/ARA BAT 'Best Aircraft Turbulence' is fitted on a boom extending out from the roof of the aircraft on the co-pilot's side of the aircraft. This 9 hole probe records pressures and exposed thermocouple temperatures for measuring turbulence by eddy covariance in conjunction with attitude measurements. 3-axis accelerometer data are also recorded from the BAT Probe. Heaters are fitted inside the hemisphere to enable the instrument to be usable even after encountering icing.
GPS Position	Around 5m position accuracy is recorded at 10 Hz from the JAVAD 4-antenna GPS attitude system. For greater accuracy this is supplemented by a Trimble 5700 survey system using an antenna mounted above the laser altimeter and processed in kinematic mode with a second ground based unit. Both units are usually loaned to us by the BAS MAGIC mapping group.
GPS Attitude and Reference System	A JAVAD AT4 4-antenna GPS system records heading, pitch and roll at 20 Hz and velocites at 10 Hz. Antennas are permanently fitted to each wing and fore and aft of the fuselage.
Inertial Attitude and Heading Systems	There is also an OXTS Inertial+ GPS linked INU available that stores data internally. This is now used in preference to the JAVAD system (above) as it copes much better with poor GPS signals.
Combined Cloud Probe	An under-wing pylon mounted Droplet Measurement Technologies CAPS Probe comprises of a 2D imaging probe(25µm-1550µm), aerosol spectrometer(0.5µm-50µm) and liquid water content probe(0.01-3.0g/m3). The probe has a dedicated logging PC and comprehensive instrument de-icing heaters. Korolev tips have been fitted.
2D-S Cloud Probe	A second wing pylon is available that has often been used for a SPEC Inc. 2D-S probe owned by The University of Manchester in their canister.
Cloud Droplet Probe	An under nose mounting has been certified to take the University of Manchester DMT CDP instrument.
Closed Path Water Vapour and CO2 Sensor	A LICOR LI-7000 closed path infra-red gas analyser is installed facing forwards in the instrument rack. The input is taken in using a Rosemount inlet and readings are triggered at 50 Hz.
Aerosol Inlet	A Brechtel Iso-kinetic aerosol inlet can be fitted to the forward right hand cabin window. It is >95% efficient for 0.01µm to 6µm.
Condensation Particle Counter	A TSI 3772 butanol based CPC can be fitted to the racks coupled to the Brechtel Inlet.
Aerosol Spectrometer	A Grimm model 1.109 portable aerosol spectrometer for use with the Brechtel inlet. 31 channels 0.25µm to 32µm.
Central Logging System	Core instrumentation is logged to a rack PC using Labview and associated National Instruments hardware including networked compact Fieldpoint modules in the roof and floor. The logging can be monitored and controlled from the main rack in the cabin as well as a wirelessly elsewhere in the aircraft. The cloud and aerosol instruments normally log to a second PC in a second rack. The ZivkoTwin Otter racks are certified to take around 200 lbs of equipment within each one. A total of 200 Amps at 28 VDC is available for science instrumentation using inverters where necessary.