First USAF WC-135R Constant Phoenix
The test flight from the first Boeing WC-135R Constant Phoenix was captured by our friend Dylan Phelps from Boneyard Safari Aviation Photography at Greenville Majors Airport(TX).
The aircraft, former KC-135R with serial 64-14836 (construction number 18776/T0728) and tail code OF, is one of three KC-135Rs to be converted to the Constant Phoenix standard.
During the Fiscal Year 2019, the USAF has been requested USD 208 million for the Constant Phoenix upgrade. This, with an additional USD 8 million planned for the Fiscal Year 2020 have started the conversion programme.
In the fall of 2019, the USAF started the conversion at the L3 Harris facility at Greenville of the three Stratotankers that will replace the ageing WC-135C and WC-135W of which only one WC-135W is still in service.
Outfitted with highly classified equipment, it allows the crew to monitor the atmosphere for signs of nuclear explosions or radioactive activity. Being part of Offut's 55th Wing, the Constant Phoenix's aircraft modifications are primarily related to its on-board atmospheric collection suite, which allows the mission crew to detect radioactive "clouds" in real time. The aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in holding spheres.
In November 2020, Scramble Magazine reported on the farewell of the rare WC-135C Constant Phoenix “Nuke Sniffer” with tail number 62-3582.
Photo by Dylan Phelps/Boneyard Safari