The primary payload compartment on the ER-2 is the equipment bay. Also known as the Q-bay, this compartment provides 1.829 cu. The upper and lower Q-bay hatches can be changed and configured to accommodate a wide variety of specialized sensors. The payloads are installed on rack assemblies which are hoisted into the Q-bay through the lower hatch opening and attached at structural mounting points. The superpods consist of five individual segments.
Normal separation points via latches are at the forward and aft ends of the superpod midbody.
The aft pod area remains unpressurized. The fuselage centerline tank can be attached to the fuselage underside, aft of the main landing gear. The centerline tank is unpressurized and lacks temperature control. For certain applications, two pylon-mounted tanks may be mounted on the wings at the superpod attachment locations. Aerodynamic and inertial considerations require that both wings be equipped with the same pod type.