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diagrams, time-height curves, trajectories and photographs of signi-
ficant flights, grouped by flight ntUilbers. The flight numbering system
has been revised since its inception and now only those flights in Which
an attempt was made to control the altitude of the balloon are included
in the summary. Excluded are flights made to test special gear and
launchings which were not successful.
Flights A, B, 1, 5, 6 and 7 all made use of meteorological balloons
in various arrangements and combinations. Each flight included one or
more "lifting balloons" ·which were to be released from the train when
the desired altitude was reached, the other balloons then theoretically
•upporting the load at the constant altitude.
Figures 31 and 36 show the two methods used to group the balloons
in clusters. Figure 31 shows the linear array borrowed from cosmic ray
flight techniques; figure 36 shows the modified "Helios Cluster" in "Which
lines from the balloons are joined at a central ring at the top of the
load line.
The Helios cluster was by· far the easier to handle because of the
simpler rigging and the reduced launching strains.
Flight 7 was the only one of this group in ~ich anything approach-
ing a controlled altitude was attained. !he previous flights failed to
level off when the lifting balloons broke loose.. In flights 1, 5 ai'.d 6,
where ballast dropping devtces were included, the ballast either did not
drop, or the dropping did not.have the desired effect. In flight 7,
however, the cluster rose till the lifters were cut off, descended until
sufficient ballast was dropped to cause the cluster to rise to a still
higher altitude. There several balloons burst, resulting in a £inal
descent. The time-height curve for this flight is shown as figure 38.
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