Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix
The WC-135 Constant Phoenix is a special-purpose aircraft derived from the Boeing C-135 Stratolifter and used by the United States Air Force. Its mission is to collect samples from the atmosphere for the purpose of detecting and identifying nuclear explosions. It is also informally referred to as the "weather bird" or "the sniffer" by workers on the program and international media respectively.
| WC-135 Constant Phoenix | |
|---|---|
| A WC-135 Constant Phoenix on takeoff | |
| Role | Atmosphere testing related to nuclear incidents |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Military Airplanes Division |
| Introduction | December 1965 |
| Status | 3 aircraft in service (WC-135R) |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 14 (10 converted C-135B, one converted EC-135C, three converted KC-135R) |
| Developed from | C-135 Stratolifter |
| Variants | OC-135B Open Skies |
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