A simple, inexpensive method has been developed for air-launching constant-level plastic balloons in rapid succession from a transport-type aircraft. The entire launch system is palletized upon one 24 ft-modular airdrop platform; no alterations to the aircraft are needed. The balloon, encased in a nylon bag, is inflated inside the aircraft, and extracted by parachute. The bag then falls away, releasing the balloon and payload. Four regular crew members can inflate and launch several 8-ft diam, polyethylene balloons at 10-min intervals from a C-130 aircraft flying at speeds up to 130 knots and at altitudes up to 10,000 feet. (Author).

A simple, inexpensive method has been developed for air-launching constant-level plastic balloons in rapid succession from a transport-type aircraft. The entire launch system is palletized upon one 24 ft-modular airdrop platform; no alterations to the aircraft are needed. The balloon, encased in a nylon bag, is inflated inside the aircraft, and extracted by parachute. The bag then falls away, releasing the balloon and payload. Four regular crew members can inflate and launch several 8-ft diam, polyethylene balloons at 10-min intervals from a C-130 aircraft flying at speeds up to 130 knots and at altitudes up to 10,000 feet. (Author)

During the period from 1961 through 1965, the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories developed the technique for launching high altitude plastic balloons directly from the manufacturer's shipping crate. This technique was primarily designed to facilitate the handling, inflation, and launch of large balloons from small ships at sea. The paper describes the new launch procedure and the specialized equipment designed to support it. (Author).

The aim of this book is to introduce scientific ballooning to the many people who are interested in the use of balloons for scientific applications. The book offers a basic understanding of the engineering details and the scientific research giving rise to balloon activities going on today. Above all, the book will serve as a guidebook for young scientists and researchers seeking to become involved in space science and technology by participating in balloon projects. The book deals with three types of balloons: large stratospheric balloons used for scientific purposes, rubber balloons used for aerological observations, and planetary balloons to be used in the atmospheres of other planets. The book provides many figures and photographs, and offers a systematic description of balloon technologies and related matters from historical background to current research topics. The contents include a theoretical discussion of ballon shape design, analysis and synthesis of flight dynamics, actual launching procedure, flight operations, and typical applications of ballooning in various scientific fields. Detailed meteorological descriptions, especially of the Earth's stratosphere and the atmosphere of other planets, are provided for investigating actual flight behavior.

The annotated bibliography has evolved from an informal compilation prepared in response to many requests from military and civilian researchers who were planning balloon-borne experiments and searching for data or detailed information concerning some specific aspects of modern scientific ballooning operations. The bibliography consists of three parts: a subject index, an author index, and the bibliography with annotations.