The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert

Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.

N. J. The flight was of value in training personnel, establishing a net for reception of the 74 megacyle radiosonde data, and in obtaining familiarity with the type of operation peculiar to all large balloon flights. The actual layout of the train used is sketched in the appendix.

Using the lessons learned on the dummy flight, improved equipment was built for a flight with a payload. Release was attempted on 18 April. Due to the high wind at 0830 EST, the time of release, and due to mal-functioning of the Army receiver in the plane that was to follow the balloons, release was not made. The already-inflated balloons were cut free and the equipment was brought back to New York University. It is expected that this equipment will be flown about 8 May. A description of the final flight equipment will be given in the report for May. A sketch of the layout of equipment built for the second cluster flight is given in the appendix. As this is a stop-gap method using modified standard components, no detailed report is being prepared on the equipment. Preliminary altitude controls used in both flights consist of standard radiosonde modulators ML-310 which have had leads taken off of the desired contacts of the commutator. The modulator thus acts as a pressure actuated control that releases ballast or balloons. In the first flight small radiosonde relays were used to close circuits to burn off cans filled with ballast. In the improved, second flight, a nest of plastic tubes were filled with dried sand. The bottom of the tube was covered with paper and a DuPont type S64 Squib was placed on the paper under the sand. On firing the squib, a hole is torn in the paper, permitting the sand to trickle out. This method permits dropping of more ballast and yet, in smaller increments. In the