@ Nellis AFB, NV
November 2004
An E-3 on static display during the 2004 Aviation Nation airshow. Commonly referred to as AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) this airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft is derived from the Boeing 707 and provides all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications for the US Air Force, NATO, Royal Air Force, French Air Force, and Royal Saudi Air Force. The E-3 is distinguished by this distinctive rotating radar dome above the fuselage, housing antennas for the primary radar system and identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) system. The beams from these radars can extend for 385 miles. The rotodome is 30 feet in diameter, six feet thick at the center, and is tilted down at the front to reduce its aerodynamic drag. Production ran from 1977-1992 with 68 aircraft delivered. Nikon Coolpix 4500.
