Convair NC-131H TIFS

The Convair NC-131H Samaritan, known as the Total In-Flight Simulator or TIFS, was a single C-131B transport converted into a research aircraft for studying how other aircraft handle. NASA, the United States Air Force, Calspan and others modified it from the late 1960s onward: turboprop engines replaced the piston engines, a second cockpit with a removable simulation cabin was added, and vertical fins on the wings supplied side forces to simulate crosswinds. TIFS first flew in 1970, and its first research project helped define the flying characteristics of the B-1 bomber. It later supported programmes such as the Space Shuttle, the B-2 Spirit and the C-17. Since 2008 it has stood at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.