RADAR AND CAMERAS

The objective of the flight was to extend knowledge of radar characteristics at stratospheric altitudes by carrying a down-looking radar system onboard a balloon flying at 100.000 feet. The project was managed by Goodyear Aircraft Co. and Winzen Research Inc. under contract with the Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) of the USAF.

The radar system was located in a pressurized cylindrical gondola. The gondola was protected by an external structure made of metal tubes, that served as mounting frame for the equipment as well to protect it at landing by buckling on impact with the ground. At launch and during the flight, the radome pointed downwards but was inverted during descent to prevent further damage. The pictures obtained during the flight were correlated with regular aerial photographs taken by external cameras synchronized with the Plan Position Indicator (PPI) display of the radar system. This cameras were contained in boxes mounted on the side of the radome.

In all, three balloon flights were performed in 1959 from Goodyear's premises in Akron, Ohio.

Balloon launched on: 2/5/1959
Launch site: Akron, Ohio, US  
Balloon launched by: Winzen Research Inc.
Balloon manufacturer/size/composition: Zero Pressure Balloon  
End of flight (L for landing time, W for last contact, otherwise termination time): 2/5/1959
Balloon flight duration (F: time at float only, otherwise total flight time in d:days / h:hours or m:minutes - ):  
Landing site: Somewhere in Wisconsin, US

• Balloon-Lofted Radar gondola ELECTRONICS Magazine, February 20, 1959, Page 11
• Goodyear Aircraft balloon Cleveland Memory Project