TABLE VII
SUMMARY OF NYU CONSTANT-LEVEL BALLOON FLIGHTS
FLIGHT NUMBER
DATE AND HOURS TIME
LAUNCHING SITE
DESCRIPTION OF BALLOONS
BALLOON WEIGHT
DESCRIPTION OF ALTITUDE CONTROL
TOTAL WEIGHT ON BALLOON INCLUDING BALLAST
DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT
BALLOON LIFT
FINAL LIFT
RADIOSONDE RELICTION %
TRACKING %
AIRCRAFT OBSERVATION %
FLIGHT DURATION
OPTIMUM CONSTANT
MAXIMUM CONSTANT LEVELS MSL
RECOVERY LAND-ING SITE
CRITIQUE
4
20 Nov. 1946 1438 MST
NYU, N.Y.
2 - 350 gram meteorological
0.7 kg
None
1.8 kg
72.2 mc Radiosonde
0
Not known
80%
0%
0%
70 min.
4 min. ± 1000'
Max. 37000' Const. 37000'
0%
Balloon balancing load. Free lift from 350 gram meteorological balloon. Successful cutting free of lifter balloons. Balloon did not level off.
8
16 Dec. 1946 1219 MST
NYU, N.Y.
2 - 350 gram meteorological
0.7 kg
None
1.8 kg
72.2 mc Radiosonde
0
Not known
80%
Theodo-lite 50%
7%
31 min.
6 min. ± 1000'
Max. 15000' Const. 15000'
0%
Balloon balancing load. Free lift from 350 gram meteorological balloon. Successful cutting free of lifter balloon. Balloon did not level off.
1
3 April 1947 1412 MST
Bethlehem Pennsylvania
14 - 350 gram meteorological balloons. Long cosmic ray train
4.9 kg
3 cans of ballast to be dropped on descent
13.0 kg
72.2 mc Radiosonde Sand ballast
6.8 kg
Not known
60% with recorder 50% without recorder
Theodo-lite 66%
0%
115 min.
None
Max. 46000' Const.
0%
Failure due to poor rigging, poor launching technique. 2 lifter balloons. 12 main balloons. 2 main loss until some balloons burst then descended rapidly.
5
5 June 1947 1317 MST
Alamogordo New Mexico
29 - 350 gram meteorological balloons. Long cosmic ray train
10.2 kg
Balloons to cut off above 40000' 5 kg sand and 5 kg liquid to fall under 32000'
26.4 kg
72.2 mc Radiosonde Data gear Sand ballast Liquid ballast
10.0 kg
9.9 kg
100% with recorder
Theodo-lite 90%
80%
248 min.
36 min. ± 200'
Max. 58000' Const. 51000'
100% 2. of Roswell N. M.
First successful flight carrying a heavy load. 3 lifter balloons, 26 main balloons.
6
7 June 1947 0509 MST
Alamogordo New Mexico
28 - 350 gram meteorological balloons. Long cosmic ray train
9.8 kg
Balloons to cut off above 40000' 5 kg sand and 5 kg liquid to fall under 32000'
28.3 kg
74.5 mc Radiosonde. 69.3 mc transmitter. Ballast assembly
10 kg
1.9 kg
95% with recorder
Theodo-lite 97%
40%
166 min.
None
Max. 72000'
50%
Flight unsuccessful. Altitude control damaged on launching. 4 lifter balloons, 24 main balloons.
7
2 July 1947 0521 MST
Alamogordo New Mexico
20 - 350 gram meteorological balloons in 2 helios clusters
7.0 kg
4 over inflated balloons 10 kg lead shot to fall under 34000'
25.7 kg
74.5 mc Radiosonde Ballast assembly
10 kg
10.5 kg
60% with recorder
Theodo-lite 100%
100% C-54
412 min.
147 min. ± 5000'
Max. 48500' Const. 35000'
1% (1 balloon)
Best flight thought possible with flabby neoprene balloons. 4 lifter balloons, 16 main balloons.
8
3 July 1947 0803 MST
Alamogordo New Mexico
10 General Mills 7" .001" polyethylene
4.6 kg
Dribbler, compress fluid fixed leak 100 gm/hr
16.7 kg
74.5 mc Radiosonde Ballast assembly
3 kg
3.5 kg
100% with recorder
Theodo-lite 33% Rader - last 55%
Last 15% C-45
195 min.
62 min. ± 1500'
Max. 18500' Const. 18000'
0%
First non-extendable balloon flight. Due to lack of information on radio, the altitude control was not actuated. However, flight shows excellent stability of non-extendable balloons. Loss of lift due to balloon leakage 1000 gm/hr.
10
5 July 1947 0501 MST
Alamogordo New Mexico
1 N.A. Smith 15" .008" polyethylene
14.2 kg
Dribbler Compass field
16.3 kg
74.5 mc Radiosonde Ballast assembly
3 kg
5.6 kg
512 min. with recorder
Theodo-lite 82 min.
0%
Over 512 min.
130 min. ± 300' 282 min. ± 2700'
Max. 15100' Const. 9000'
0%
Successful flight with altitude control. First balloon to report over Albuquerque after 11 hours. Rodeo Colorado after 26 hours. Fluctuations toward end of transmission believed due to convection currents over desert. Balloon diffusion 10 gm/hr.