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Without opening the link I believe that is the AOA , Airborne Optical Adjunct, on which I worked as part of the Boeing proposal team in the mid 80's. The telescope was mounted on the initial Boeing 767.
That was the big hump on the top of the fuselage? I saw that airplane sitting near the Museum of Flight for many years.
If you’ve ever watched discoveries’ mighty planes show they did an episode on that 747. Pretty cool. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
What is it? I know that the AOA was installed in a full sized 747 but guessed that this may be some kind of offshoot.
Google is your friend, Bob https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/aoa.htm SDI program for tracking incoming targets. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/overview/index.html
The AF bought a brand new 747-400F for the Airborne Laser System, and once things starting going well, cancelled the program.
A really good assignment. I had the job of putting everything together on the configuration drawings , inboard profile, etc. Required redesigning the routing and installation of all the systems that were disturbed by the laser telescope installation and the laser telescope installation itself. I did an illustration of the airplane that appeared in Aviation Week , also.
The AOA was a laser telescope that, located, tracked, and zapped incoming missiles. Big, heavy, and required huge amounts of power.....and money.
My painting that appeared in Aviation Week showed the initial configuration of the cupola before it went to a blade-tail config..