c. 1. GENERAL WRI ACCOMPLISHED
field testa were conducted at llaaogordo Arrq llr Base during
'Ule veelt of JUDI!I 1, uaing clusters of meteorological b&lloona.
Tbe pri111Ll"1 object of tbeee teste waa to perfect h&a:iling aDd
launching technique• far large nights am to cheek the opera-
tion ot the T&rioua altitude controlling devices developed for
this project. At the ••• tiJie, the testa afforded the oppor-
tunity to carrr aloft payloads of Watson Laboratories equip-
lEnt. In general, vhUe the nights were successful 1n the
sense ot carrying Watson Laboratory gear aloft for an extended
period or tiM, d1ff1eul tie a &a:l •teriel tail urea encountered
eerved to ..pbas1ae the unaatistactor.r charaeteriatics of
Eteorolog1cal balloon clusters. .l technical report wxier
preparation vill contain discuaaion or tbe nights •
.l!ter the retum froa .lla.:>gordo, the reMinder ot the month
vaa occupied with prepa.ratiou for a second field trlp to
Uaaogordo A.J:a7 .l1r Base tor testa to be conducted in Jul.7.
!vent,--fin aeTen-toot d.i&M\er 1 1111. thick poly-eth7len.
talloona were reeeiTecl troa GeDBral Hilla. One each fifteen-
foot diaMter 8 .U. thick polreth7lene balloona waa receiTed
troa B• .l. Saith, IDC.
A aeven-ua b&lloon crew departed for .lluogordo .lnr;J .lir
!aae on Jw. ;n to Jll&b the aecond aeriea ot launchings there.
!be plastic b&l.last resenoir ued for the first nights in
lev Mexico vaa too traP.le to take l&UDC.hing atressea. .lD
al181nua reaenoir, .ounte4 oa legs containiDg a baUt-in
tUter vaa deaipd aDil a supplier vas located. The capaci t7
of tl» nn reservoir u 5 pllona (301) thoueh it vill veigh
eDl.y 2 pouzdl. It ia belieftd tbat the alUIIinua reservoirs
U recnered •7 b8 uecl repea tecll7.
2. S•clOc Probl•
!he greateat problea encountered during the field testa at
A.l.uogorcbt vas tbt unpredictable am hi&blT variable etrect
et IUperbeat on •teorololioal balloons. Tbe unpredictable
iDcreaae 1a litt ot the olus ter UDder the r&7• of tba aun vaa
aa 1111Ch u 2~ higher tbaD the 1D1tial Utt. !hi a 1a aenral.
lut.auea reeulted 1a the iD&bUi\7 ot altitude oontrel bal-
l.eoa cut-etta to atop the aaoent of tbl bUloon train at tbl
4eaire4 alti\ude,
!he at.n. 1-. t•peraturea e~~eountered at hi&b altitudes
apparea\1.7 hu ooaaWerable ettect on the operation of elec-
t~ eqgt,._t uaecl ill <1 tude contl'Ol.