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

of 170 grams per hour. A balloon of this type with no altitude control stayed aloft for more than two hours and after reaching ceiling, the altitude did not vary by more than 1500 feet while the balloon was within range of the observing station.

The preparation and launching techniques discussed for the 20-foot balloon apply also to the 30-foot cell. No further discussion is required for the 30-foot balloon.

The 70-foot balloon seen in Figures 41 and 42 is launched in the same manner as the 20-foot cell. A much larger amount of gas is required and since it is valved rapidly into the balloon, it has been found necessary to pass the gas through a heating coil to prevent it from reaching the balloon so adiabatically cooled as to be incapable of lifting the load. This heater is shown in Figure 43. Due to the large lift and area exposed to the wind at launching, the large cell may be dangerous if personnel attempt to hold the gear or act as anchors. If possible, all gear should be laid out downwind to be picked up from the ground by the balloon. The anchor should be a winch mounted on a truck which can move around the balloon so as to be downwind at launching.

Since the altitudes where the 70-foot balloons normally float are high in the stratosphere, the natural stability of the balloon in the temperature inversion keeps these cells up for a long period of time without ballast or other controls. One such flight fell slowly during a period of 75 hours and was still above 65,000 feet when the barograph record ended.