DECEMBER
Year Sur:Cace 1,500 M 3,000 M 5,000 M 10,000 M
El Paso 1944 N-3 NNE-1 W-2 NW-1
1945 NNE-3 W-3 WNW-6 WNW-6
Roswell 1944 S-1 t'W-3 NW-4 V.'NW-6
1945 SSE-3 wsw-2 WNW-5 'WNW-8
Albuquerque 1944 N-3 "WNW-4 WNW-6 W-10
1945 N-3 NW-6 WNW-8 WNW-9
Amarillo 1944 NW-4 NW•4 'WNW-6 WNW-8 'WNW-8
1945 SW-3 W-2 WNW-5 WNW-9
Big Spring 1944 NW-4 NW-5 WNW-6
1945 WSW-3 W-6 VYNW-7 --
D. Tracking Devices: Horizontal
The flights made in the early part of this program were tracked
optically with theodolites. Coupled with the height data, theodolite
readings provide a fairly reliable horizontal locus of the balloon. However,
even in the clear air of New ~xico, this method is useful for not more than
100 miles and, unless accurate height data are available, theodolite stations
provide useful data for not more than 40 miles.
Airora:Ct observations have been used with some success when the ceiling
of the balloon is not too great. It is expected that an inverted AN/APQ-13
radar, mounted atop a B-17, will greatly augment the horizontal tracking
and will be of some value in determining height.
The most useful equipment for determining horizontal movement of the
balloons has been the SCR-658 radio direction finding set. Long after the
vertical angles registered by this gear are questionable (due to reflections
off intervening terrain), the horizontal angles are useable. Used in sets
of two or more, or coupled with height data, these observations give good
position• with distances up to 150 miles. Figure 18 shows the coverage a
network of four of these sets would provide. In contrast to the theodolites
and aircraft ob•servations, these instruments are perfectly operative when
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