roswell

'lhis flight pattern represents the best approximation to constant
level flight that we have obtained with meteorological clusters.
F1ights 8 and ll each employed more than one polyethylene balloon
in an attempt to reach higher altitude than possible with the single
balloons then available. Figure 39 • 40, 41, 44 and 45 show the type
and arrangement of balloons and their flight behavior. In both fli;hts.
the maximum altitude was not high enough to cause activation of the
autaaatio ballast valve. Consequently, there was no compensation for
diffusion other than the steady leakage of ballast through the imperfect
seating of the valve. In flight 8, after one hour, this leak was not
sufficient to maintain a constant altitude, so the flight terminated.
Ho-wever, in flight 11. constant altitude was maintained at 16.000 ft.
~ 1500 feet for 7 hours until all of the ballast was expended.
Flight 10, in contrast to flights 8 and 11, did reach an altitude
at which the automatic ballast control was actuated, resulting in a
flight of perhaps more than 26 hours. Although the maximum altitude
reached by this heavy spherical cell was 15.000 feet, the ballast control
was effective at a level of 9000 feet. The expected difference between
activation level and operation level was probably exceeded because of the
temperature effect of the air entrapped in the pressure capsule.
Figure 42 shows the train, and figure 43 shows the time-altitude
curve for the 512 minutes of radiosonde data.
The oscillations around 9000 feet during the last two hours of
data rrtAY be attributed to the changing buoyancy of the balloon as cloud
masses intermittently shielded it from the sun's rays. An unconfirmed
report was received to the effect that this balloon was still floating
26 hours later over Pueblo, Colorado.
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