The aircraft used are Lockheed WC-130s and WP-3D Orion aircraft. While not particularly quick planes, they use 4 turboprop engines that produce 4,600 horsepower each. Turboprops have separators that divert water that is ingested from going into the engine, and the aircraft is rugged and powerful enough that hurricane winds don’t affect it, even when flying through the eye wall of the hurricane. The planes are derived from military cargo planes that are designed for high performance under difficult conditions.
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