Thunderstorm Turbulence Investigations for 1973-1974 in Support of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).

During May and June of 1973 the 4950th Test Wing supplied an F-100F Thunderstorm Penetration aircraft to take turbulence measurements in support of a National Severe Storms Laboratory Program designed to evaluate doppler radar as a means of detecting and quantifying turbulence areas and intensities within severe storms. The tests were flown out of Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. The program was continued the following year during the Oklahoma thunderstorm season, April-June 1974. For the second year an RF-4C was used as a penetration aircraft. This report presents the vertical wind and derived gust velocity experience accumulated during these two seasons and correlates them with statistical parameters, radar reflectivity, gradient of radar relectivity, etc. An attempt is made to determine if variations of the correlation coefficients relating these various quantities exhibits a trend as altitude is increased or decreased. The results are not conclusive. (Author)