NC-141A

NC-141A About

Four "NC-141As" (61-2775, 61-2776, 61-2777 & 61-2779) were built as testbeds and not converted to C-141B standards. 

Another aircraft built was designated as an "L-300" prototype for a commercial Starlifter that never went into production, was obtained by the US National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) as a flying astronomical observatory and designated the "Kuiper Astronomical Observatory (KAO)."

The aircraft below, NC-141A Tail# 61-2779

Visit the squadron history page of the 4953d Test Sq for information about

all four NC-141A aircraft (61-2775, 61-2776, 61-2777, 61-2779).

The "L-300" prototype for a commercial Starlifter that never went into production was obtained by the US National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) as a flying astronomical observatory. It was designated the "Kuiper Astronomical Observatory (KAO)." 

The Gerard P. Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) operated the aircraft. A national facility operated by NASA to support research in infrared astronomy. This aircraft was a highly modified Lockheed C-141A Starlifter jet transport aircraft (s/n: 6110, registration: N714NA, callsign: NASA 714) with a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km), capable of conducting research operations up to 48,000 feet (14 km).

The KAO was based at the Ames Research Center, NAS Moffett Field, in Sunnyvale, California. It began operation in 1974 as a replacement for an earlier aircraft, the Galileo Observatory, a converted Convair 990 (N711NA) that was destroyed in a collision with a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft in 1973.

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