The Cessna 210 is a fixed-wing, single-engine, ultralight aircraft manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company. It was designed for general aviation and utility purposes, but it has been utilized for atmospheric research. It has a service ceiling of about 17,300 feet, a maximum speed of 174 knots, and a maximum payload of 1,473 lbs. The Cessna 210 can support one crew member and up to five passengers.
The Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) is an airborne, passive polarimeter developed by SpecTIR Corporation. It measures total radiance and linear polarization across 9 spectral bands in the visible and infrared wavelengths (410-2250 nm). These measurements can be used to derive aerosol and cloud properties. RSP has a time resolution of 0.8 seconds, a field of view of 14 mrad, and a horizontal resolution of about 100 m at an altitude of 5 km.
