{"id":1107,"date":"2019-12-09T16:14:44","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T23:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pimaair.wpengine.com\/?post_type=museum_aircraft&#038;p=1107"},"modified":"2020-12-24T15:53:24","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T22:53:24","slug":"mini-sniffer","status":"publish","type":"museum_aircraft","link":"https:\/\/pimaair.org\/museum-aircraft\/mini-sniffer\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini Sniffer"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>NASA Mini-Sniffer II<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Mini-Sniffer.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Mini-Sniffer.jpg\" alt=\"A picture of the NASA Mini-Sniffer II\"><\/a><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Wingspan<\/td>\n<td>21 ft 3 in.<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\">Wingspan<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Length<\/td>\n<td>12 ft 4 in.<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Length<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Service Ceiling<\/td>\n<td>20,000 ft<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Service Ceiling<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Engines<\/td>\n<td>One McCulloch MC91B\/1 two stroke single cylinder engine<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Engine<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>The Mini-Sniffer program began in 1975 as an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to conduct air sampling at high altitudes. Developed by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, the Mini-Sniffer was designed as a cheaper alternative to manned high altitude aircraft. The Mini-Sniffer I was built with canards, swept wings and was powered by a small two stroke gas powered go-kart engine. After a hard landing, it was decided to modify the aircraft into a new design. The modifications included removing the canards and adding wing tips and tail booms. The redesign also added a gyroscope allowing the aircraft to remain level by rudder inputs alone. The modified Mini-Sniffer II on display here flew twenty flights up to altitudes of 20,000 feet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The follow up design was the larger but lighter Mini-Sniffer III. The Mini-Sniffer III was powered by a non-air-breathing hydrazine engine that could take the aircraft and its payload up to 90,000 feet. There were also proposals to explore the atmosphere of Mars with Mini-Sniffer III drones. Unfortunately, the Mini-Sniffer III only flew one flight to 20,000 feet before hydrazine started leaking. The aircraft never flew again and the program was canceled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- {\"name\":\"Aircraft Layout - 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II\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"layout\":\",\",\"breakpoint\":\"m\",\"fixed_width\":\"large\",\"column_gap\":\"\",\"row_gap\":\"\",\"width\":\"\",\"width_expand\":\"\",\"height\":\"\",\"margin\":\"\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"media_overlay_gradient\":\"\",\"vertical_align\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"text_color\":\"\",\"padding\":\"\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"image\",\"props\":{\"margin\":\"default\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_target\":\"\",\"image_border\":\"\",\"image_box_shadow\":\"\",\"image_hover_box_shadow\":\"\",\"image_box_decoration\":\"\",\"position\":\"\",\"position_z_index\":\"\",\"maxwidth\":\"\",\"maxwidth_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align\":\"\",\"block_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align_fallback\":\"\",\"text_align\":\"\",\"text_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"text_align_fallback\":\"\",\"animation\":\"\",\"visibility\":\"\",\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/Mini-Sniffer.jpg\",\"link\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/Mini-Sniffer.jpg\",\"image_alt\":\"A picture of the NASA Mini-Sniffer II\"}}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"media_overlay_gradient\":\"\",\"vertical_align\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"text_color\":\"\",\"padding\":\"\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"table\",\"props\":{\"show_title\":false,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_content\":true,\"show_image\":true,\"show_link\":true,\"table_order\":\"3\",\"table_responsive\":\"responsive\",\"table_width_title\":\"shrink\",\"table_width_meta\":\"\",\"meta_style\":\"\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"table_style\":\"striped\",\"table_size\":\"\",\"table_last_align\":\"right\",\"table_width_content\":\"\",\"title_style\":\"\",\"title_font_family\":\"\",\"title_color\":\"\",\"meta_color\":\"\",\"content_style\":\"\",\"image_border\":\"\",\"image_box_shadow\":\"\",\"link_size\":\"\",\"position\":\"\",\"position_z_index\":\"\",\"margin\":\"\",\"maxwidth\":\"\",\"maxwidth_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align\":\"\",\"block_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align_fallback\":\"\",\"text_align\":\"\",\"text_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"text_align_fallback\":\"\",\"animation\":\"\",\"visibility\":\"\",\"table_head_title\":\"\",\"table_vertical_align\":false},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"title\":\"Wingspan\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p><strong><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\">Wingspan<\\\/span><\\\/strong><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"21 ft 3 in.\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"title\":\"Length\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Length<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"12 ft 4 in.\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Service Ceiling<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"title\":\"Service Ceiling\",\"meta\":\"20,000 ft\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Engine<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"title\":\"Engines\",\"meta\":\"One McCulloch MC91B\\\/1 two stroke single cylinder engine\"}}]}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"layout\":\"1-1\",\"breakpoint\":\"m\",\"fixed_width\":\"large\",\"column_gap\":\"\",\"row_gap\":\"\",\"width\":\"\",\"width_expand\":\"\",\"height\":\"\",\"margin\":\"\",\"margin_remove_top\":true},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"media_overlay_gradient\":\"\",\"vertical_align\":\"\",\"style\":\"\",\"text_color\":\"\",\"padding\":\"\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"divider\",\"props\":{\"divider_element\":\"hr\",\"divider_style\":\"\",\"divider_align\":\"\",\"divider_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"divider_align_fallback\":\"\",\"position\":\"\",\"position_z_index\":\"\",\"margin\":\"\",\"maxwidth\":\"\",\"maxwidth_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align\":\"\",\"block_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align_fallback\":\"\",\"animation\":\"\",\"visibility\":\"\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"margin\":\"default\",\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"text_style\":\"\",\"text_color\":\"\",\"text_size\":\"\",\"column\":\"\",\"position\":\"\",\"position_z_index\":\"\",\"maxwidth\":\"\",\"maxwidth_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align\":\"\",\"block_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align_fallback\":\"\",\"text_align\":\"\",\"text_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"text_align_fallback\":\"\",\"animation\":\"\",\"visibility\":\"\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>The Mini-Sniffer program began in 1975 as an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to conduct air sampling at high altitudes. Developed by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, the Mini-Sniffer was designed as a cheaper alternative to manned high altitude aircraft. The Mini-Sniffer I was built with canards, swept wings and was powered by a small two stroke gas powered go-kart engine. After a hard landing, it was decided to modify the aircraft into a new design. The modifications included removing the canards and adding wing tips and tail booms. The redesign also added a gyroscope allowing the aircraft to remain level by rudder inputs alone. The modified Mini-Sniffer II on display here flew twenty flights up to altitudes of 20,000 feet.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"margin\":\"default\",\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"text_style\":\"\",\"text_color\":\"\",\"text_size\":\"\",\"column\":\"\",\"position\":\"\",\"position_z_index\":\"\",\"maxwidth\":\"\",\"maxwidth_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align\":\"\",\"block_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"block_align_fallback\":\"\",\"text_align\":\"\",\"text_align_breakpoint\":\"\",\"text_align_fallback\":\"\",\"animation\":\"\",\"visibility\":\"\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>The follow up design was the larger but lighter Mini-Sniffer III. The Mini-Sniffer III was powered by a non-air-breathing hydrazine engine that could take the aircraft and its payload up to 90,000 feet. There were also proposals to explore the atmosphere of Mars with Mini-Sniffer III drones. Unfortunately, the Mini-Sniffer III only flew one flight to 20,000 feet before hydrazine started leaking. The aircraft never flew again and the program was canceled.<\\\/p>\"}}]}]}]}],\"version\":\"1.22.6\",\"props\":[]} --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":616,"template":"","categories":[72],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1107","museum_aircraft","type-museum_aircraft","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nasa","name-mini-sniffer-ii"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mini Sniffer - Pima Air &amp; Space<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pimaair.org\/museum-aircraft\/mini-sniffer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mini Sniffer - Pima Air &amp; Space\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"NASA Mini-Sniffer II Wingspan 21 ft 3 in. 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