The Gale UAS for Tropical Cyclone Measurements: An Update and Lessons Learned.

At the Infotech@Aerospace Conference in 2011, the Gale UAS was presented as a new unmanned aircraft being developed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to perform in-situ measurements of climate conditions within tropical cyclones. The goal of this new platform is to provide scientists with data previously inaccessible or di cult to acquire. With this data, scientists such as those at NOAAs Hurricane Research Division (HRD) can build models that better predict the path, intensity, perception, etc. for these storms. With these models, the general public, responders, and the government can be better prepared to evacuate prior to landfall and to respond to the damage caused by these storms after landfall. This paper provides an update of the progress of the Gale UAS as its design is re ned in preparation for an upcoming clear air ight demonstration in summer 2012.