COMPLETION OF APD PROJECT #82, RADAR DETECTION TESTS, PERSONNEL BALLOON

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05415898
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: February 15, 2017
• Case Number: F-2008-00941
• Publication Date: January 28, 1954

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--�
(b)(3)
28 January 1954
MEMORANDUM FOR: THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Completion of APD Project #82, Radar Detection
Tests, Personnel Balloon.
1. "Radar Detection Tests, Personnel Balloon" is an APD project
which examined the vulnerability of the Personnel balloon to detection
by radar. It also covered an examination of the&Lectability of com-
ponents of and accessories to the Balloon.
2. Gomprehensive tests were run from 10 January 1952 to
18 February 1952. A final report was submitted by ONE on 24 February
1952. This report made overall recommendations for decreasing detect-
ability as well as describing the investigatory techniques used in
this program. An analysis of this report was prepared by APD and sent
to RDAB on 16 June 1952. This completed APD actiVity in this
project.
3. In view of the fact that APD activity in this project has
been terminated and since APD has received no subsequent inquiries on
Detection of Personnel Balloons by radar, Project #82 has been
completed.
Distribution:
Orig. P-82
Chrono. - 1
liBtata
eAc;,d4Le-e .
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ntative
Bast Nonnepin
Einmem
Subject:
(b
1. Thirteen
the period of 1
tr, to be deutr
flight
Ground
Plight
Ground
fl
and
Ght
round
light
Flight
Ground
P11 ht
Flight
Ground
ght
(Oar tract N6onx
of
#671 Radar Time
Track, Radar 43
671 Radar Time
Radar #1
#671 Data Sheet
#672 Radar Time-A
Track, Radar #3
#672 Radar Time-Altitude Plot and
Tracks Radar #5
#672 Data Sheet for SCR-584 trackinG
Theodolite "
tude Plot an
tuda
de
b field
tnd
#673 Radar e-Alt
Track, Radar
#673 Data Sheet Theodolite tracking
0576 Radar Tine-Altitude Plot and
Track, had
#676 Radar T
Radar
"-584
Theodoli
tuda Plot and
adar Time,
k, Lacier ,
Radar Tim
Radar 41
:4adar Tine-Altitude and
k, Radar #5
- Jar Signal 5tran5th Trace, Radar
II 11
.and
Map of WSPG area
PP I Camera picture
Still and motion pictures of oubject
and
and
g);
wanded on the subject to ts between
this -flare One cell failed,
tnfavorablo wind
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Provnag 571, the first I1iht ma Li evr
n)
at 1 al 1
nor about
'xi ,
, Inc id
re itorthy of
va 1 , b
Z ttzn,u a aubs1ttzehose d
biLs 1nt1tit Ionto be &Qflrtucttnin
d of i2i5 hnc:s woMt the cr1t1or1p
Pped cz'cund badly d n ne ..ome
s d .4 u e with a
bole vthith uncioubtdiy rcruitud vorable a4
d by tho inunchtashe sett during
1nfLttom A 1&r 9putiort'" of the �1iJxt eoneludeta
bad been t
undoubted] ind 12-
a 1utmchiri, cottl dbe b th
current tenimiqu&s. iouorst for this test were
sorstrstini of the ntraetor; nlua tna
and the 0 1
tat
05
rirt SYE4
(b) Radaz
of two Se
e X band, fl
se t tab
due north a
rob eoutinSd In. automatle control for over
mutes, as the b&lloou aimbedbout 4,000 tett
bove the Eraund, an
t 1,0, dropping to O.9 then at 20 mlnutea
roppsd o O8 and the ccatrel had to be ahirted
u16,000
ar4s4 For the next t5 nluutn the tm,floon gradual
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a.
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nute after takeoff
aek to the imp� point
a e
automati
lost
afterbout a one minute
Ui matic until about
shinsln and oft autem
nrrntn, The rsrnautaer
In remote but
for manual
distance a
obatraotto
mine
c,antrol
quate pip was obtain
eM- of the fli,dat.
xi (d) The SOR484, an S bai
xl a the Desert vIeathcr
were t&cen sinultaneou3ly fl
target.picked up the at 3 mi
Lntaine a track tram 1424 to
be signal was y fair at
finally the target was lost
y0unn83 w2.
with a swing toward the north
Lnpat was southeast of liollorn
at 0 a total of two hours
trvvefled was approximately 30 niles
was under one lb/hr.
(b) Hadar trackin on th
ozi the S band, and
. operating
eht conatsted
on
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8
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muE 2w &GW4BE tram the Desert
o reference (e), Fader 3 aequirod the i
enty tainutcs aftor lsinuMng at a range 520
rue. As a reference this aisnal was repoited as
6tre21tl3 a: 1404 tar a period f 47 m!qttes the
t tracked but ritch into
tostti track, The signal increased to 1.4 .
vs minutes after 1aunah1, then radually 1eaen
' 1.2 at forty minutes after launabang, ior the
minutesat ten varied .5 to 1,40.
r the 14eatt ten minutes the algaL variod between
4 arni 0 ading a aistwioe
D yards was 0,4, Variations in, signal
rcsngtn were believed 0 by rotation of
provided varying refleotive surface,
� x4thaa sith tr�totd sipii
with he original 08h By 145
almost due northon)
as 19,450P
strength fluttering between O.
was n reicte track at this tim
2 21770
3ards)apoor by the oper
-04-5.5 Prom then on the
and at 1522 was reportecial
strength 5.2.
Tha�ng �ontSSed uMU 1534 when
The target at ti1a time us about 3,000 test a
surface L*nd was on its way downs The target
because it went down behind or in sent of a h
howevertalast
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U1L1Ut3 2itC
t hut oda a
.d.e ea and
u'tcd. �rcr ct n
vi.,.. u
andto
co
snare
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�
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1-675 was launched early in the rnorn�n of 15 fl
MS pilot aboard interim tiya
5 2 nfl V h 690 tapeaa
b) Ridar trSkin of the flight oontdfl�mi.
biMa ta h
regal.red X band no bc,no set
SCR-564 fvov Deab b4e
.ther Station vm no
of the
e emu and
a
arted
its t <
o4 At 0850 the et na sntttod into auta2
racks then a few ntrmtes later kucz to retwn
aSn The sifrfisl gusugth decreased through-

1.
"tat wS lost at 0952 a the
id the pliot started drag vapi:t
befle
vero
be cone
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�
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5, fliht#Li74, attempted 4in from
filOat at aih
sx-
pendai becntue of too tazon wind durinz inflatiou Theo
a squall aloved r
by n$ the orisinal lauacUn�ts d w-avt'
resul;od it uu uero1ore decided to the &asonto
iooaton at la flatlon uheve, it wap boUeved
eflst Upon
Laid b 4 d the winu it at.rt
increasings
ould not be r
so bitterly
.eared before
It was regretted by
an trnt,thoaaz isplay
launehina.
',110t
I avnth to fulfIll his o
tiup and everr and also to �ack oat the fl-IN wkiioh tas
opefltive* but had not been uaed for
'DP *0 Nil .11 390 tape0 the full interbsystem plus
aQequats gear ion an all niisht flight---metal flasaing 1ight* -nife 0
w�ter bottin, foodswere type
utos ifl the
Navy a
One inoident wc
Sn the suspended
4sor. It was
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a.
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but f4r1
hroken
to bnete
properly
all
prOVsa
interim s
b) The only tra
2K-1M, opera lug
Site of this raa
the gat
were rep
and cite
in the
thn and re
safety
atablished
?urther there was
are abaclutely wik
aweap pviith three
numbers lazo to 19
for analYstsas to
target In the
s again with
moon of 24 Januar
IUI 1380 apeas but
r in an attempt to
two largest metal
for evaluation.
unterpa
the paraeh
usa Thies tAd
ever necessary,'
aa a "must" in
obtained before
th )ilets The
adequate
curse
as and ty-five
kent of iote APB.
tety 215 1
iuce its detectability nd evaluate
flectivesurfaces were removed fro
standard pension bar and load ring
No barograph was
xninLxwat Tie etal valves however,
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Ake
ff wtt'e 2
1102.0.
a 0
th gste to the ith
the iawtchtws dte
thb Eetual
00 flet then w
to t
be uti
shifted
minutes;then unti
behind a hill at a
tracking Ti42
eignal which was
cee %stomach (1) Rtd4
atfArtod tracking
beeem stronG n du
and at 1500 tbs A e
target /as 3Jfl at a. ran
Per tha nnt fin mSnfle
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reported
od at a
p and att�
the A scope*
boat
27 Jama
In Ts waa
nee** for the flnt
went in fad ter than b
opened, Othszde the
In a 5 Ia&ot sot
in
nna
ye art borne
equipment.
project ight ao than w
a l�.o picked up
ut 0 Uogreee et 12,500
70, aM about {.)0$ an Ui
fl' it Lhaifl :t another
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wave
t by two
or c�une
no tii
an4�4 n
rds)
lure*
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made
hen came
� The
d hop a
way *
lasted about 20
*� from the
ty ming
h and
available for this test was the
silence until 1545 sthen it could
At i545 thens theea
camera commence
picked up two
them until 1003 whenthe
degrees. about 12 idles,
4 little later) there was
film had to be chersged.
pictures from #3016 to
lost. At 1660 a target
bearing 007 degrees. Thi
vieinity of the third bedj
when the pilot was at
probably the balloon Lowe
ated within the nnt ha
data can be obt43r1ed fr
time.
A VOU e2 to 4 Diane
were d h
distano of 2d miles,
dinppeared prbbth1y
patens at El ).
h ext
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iarted and
#0540. The openta
in t 1 ked
es were ton at 0154
about t (Or
Picked up at 10 ml
P came from
) and was
ow alti
the flight
tw It is hoped F
urea taken
in of
of the t
Gear incl
duplicate
890 taPso�
w
nuary
t was
d the
antenna).
,te
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build
nine bottles
cell �because
1720. Duration ot it
Live minutes with imp
Toyah (on highway 6
175 miles away from
levels were assigned
single station analys
weather situation, a
the selected flight
to navigate the pilot
forecasting data allowed
ative) were two plbal runs at
to the flight and one fifteen
with this sketchy information
the impact point was southwest
50 miles - --but with greater con
single station reports it Is be
reduced somewhat in practise,
'ed, The t
ly emptied
aat (thing was
hours ano
ties
ol os
from
0 about
gh'
Lereaast as only fair--
the tarsot point by about
nuit; and evaluation of
vied tUe error could be
(b) Due to the aunehing time only the Sit-It wi
trackins. To obtain a maximum signal as S
another antenna (cut to the proper wave lox
at the start and dropped by the p11gb just
oVe
ci the set wa turned. 01
enty-fite minutes afte
ported a y good e
The
0 yard 62
ost directly
keoff.The na
rds yang�, as
fly minutes at
ez4a
we
launch
bearing 279 c
'aekod the balloon in to
then lost the target
y-one minutes after
099 degrees, 3400
to open. This was
the signal was
availabl
as sib
(the antenna had heen
pe only held the tart
ast reported tion
as 04 4200 yard.
d again d search reiumed, SIX
takeoff the target was again
0 yards with a int
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dropped before
for a few
efore it was
uflefl Jms
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too good For
ooxltiulied
used. This flight was referred to as the
he absence netLi parts and Litvins.
&enioua harness wac usca and. five fully ...nStated pill�
re d 8101% an a partial means of losln, altitute
the rd valvecoil uaed
890 t
Course
west of road#54, was at
minutes and tre distance
the fully stripped gear r
the flight was routine,
;January
-interim
test"
her
i,d for adequate
and the impact, ju8t
time aloftwas 100
out 20 miles Despite
iscc*ifort while aloft#
0oG
dSted into manual. At l49 the target w
und clutter (almost at
ignat was d d again two ainutes
rget 2 nen r ten ntL
.onatic. the sa]Aoo then d bent
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�
e desert and the aigral was
The pilot
and the radar
uplo of minnt
this tlme (range about
ted at weak and intermittent
apparently extended UlD its
gm.
as on
the aqua
The set had alittle trouble in automatic
but didnt aotually have
about 4005 Thia set renained traokin in manual
until 144o wnen the tcrget as lost at about 245000
yards.
The SK1M started znieeping about 1230 beoauae the
operrtor wan told to wetoh for a ro.ip of pillow
(fiveballoons of them) which were releasea about
c
wac turnod on, but operator was never able
detect the roup of pillow 'oailocna which were
launched C rot the win
At '0 the flight aaa launLhedradar
started sweeping and taklns pictures, 5ta1t1r4b
.Lth #4l136]. the operator logged the
target 2 degrees lyards
signa1 One more plot of the tar&et ns made of
targetthe n a bearing degrees,
rouge of 14,100 yards and a rather ignal
reporteth The target was then lost and not pie
up again, howsveA' the cera was kept active until
t
_ S and (qj. . As a matter of in
and the aubJeot
evaluation a on flight #
signal flrength traces -.
additionaltrove to be Lj source for
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The followine
test should ais
Radar #i is dn S
polyethylene) seemed to be
that the maximum ra
Iles. He also stated tha
with his sets for trackIng
centration of energy his
the balloon.
be ot' some value
band set, type Y
kw, a dish dian
CU.enC7 of 2S40
ty salon'
a parabolic ante
ia X band set, is an S
of 0 kw, a di
a. eqhency of 9310
3 had herizontal pojar
ntenna IlluMinator.
Asa result
should be tio.Siso to the extant ol
anu load ring (in part
aiateflal (Plywood, fiberglass,
anize a different material (plast
ndueinG the amount of reflective.
vulnerability of the von le w
ajnamtt (except for the ponsible use of sprayed,
tion Of the proven Interim
only two ba
down. A ha
eluded any
vin White
we and one o
th the main
data about -
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king Pg ri
ilty of the
trlstWo.
�ather short
used in t
int sriiu
and ob-
points
be, but
o be out
(a)
/Oh
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#880 wus launched from
ii the night of 4 Februa
d and. he cell was a 251CDH
con
A 13.03.
used
U not be an exact truth
- were rQutint First,
ed of only the two meritS
d they
chute.. 3uch a
the spot and
d of inflation
parachute fell to
off regardless, so
personal safety.
the
was
xed in
mooring t
'round.
profldec
irplams parking
The full interim a
dl Flax) with 89
did not
s. Duri
oPer
Ei pulled
e pilot a
with a ohs
balloon "appsarod8 to be fu
beard and was secured- the a
it was discovered he was much too
lation and
aunching crew
in paragraph 14.
ed bottles--was
any of the
cell layout it
her mooring
of the para
m aso tape
am Near the .
and the
lied to
pack
a
Althe
properly,
inflated c
whether
lvina gas.
pounds of ballast
for a safe takeoff.
n t
vole were
not adequate
had a trajecto
Impact the next
hours and fifty
road #80),
meteorologioD,
trajectory and imp
before the ypilot tel
pilot
the
so valved
me man attempt to reach a state of equilibrium%
waive had been teuted earlier and waa operating
slight rustling of the wind around the fully
during the weigh-off made it impossible to tell
ot the valve was functioning properly while he
ally an additional aand bag with 26
dded and provided an adequate weight
chine time we
but the launch
ant to his prove
had been
afternoon
ut two boura later than
ry nice and the pilot na
A local single
red on a taksoff
the ur ignad and fllg
Information avaliab
icte that
Were made by t
back to 27ote.
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Ae
expect
of nine
Texas (on
of
of ,be
d,
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based OA
wan urpri
was prooab
VA fleflCkA
verge of b
to be nn
ut it sets �
y, faulty
used by the b
1bera. An an
s the rip
led, Temtz3 of.the
1Y Po
ape or fau
ken tap
ion Y
than
ts was cc
Texas*. �I
rigged, between
ano
step QZZ an aCtorkun tubfor a 40
rt�n-standard procedure employed cc
cell back on tin deck (bcseue at
Target point was seieQte
Isl d (lnnlue the
by.aestnatsci 1t
by and eoLmun1cRt1crn 1t
center, crash boats rad
upper air obtained i
made a .
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launched.
yout and inst
vinen no ui)due
vigat
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the jroper point wa re
the ihip an br
Hind
flt helioopt
6uard"0 the pi
brought around
-d and the pilot
at ' to be
to.sattle tower
the ship then
in the lee of arx
pilot ta
d way--with the hen gear like a duti
takeoffhe 10 c
the
ore it
need
stLon
orese
coiibins4
because, of the
�
nehing spot4
rythlflg in re
(about a
out the
trip up to
a tit
'ly heavy
1.nd
ekly because -t
eaausa of being
ual swirling
few seconds,
ate of rise and
d by the eras
the splash, at ll3, nc
and r The crash boat
whinyd the bird returned
phaee red when the
tside the boat houses
returned then bboard the
coorcinatton requ
47� a radar on tests however
as a dis4ppointent. Altho%h the
only a secondkfl objective a
oni data coula be received, ftc
be R unit on the dock GOA. at
be search radars (80-4 and c
enter, All were In the 8 bal
ray posStive reeulta. The el
hindered a raciar evasu.ti
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at the launcb
Fate, however
cruel blow at
from four to
evening, The
slot, newel/
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mg potrit a early as
in the rorm of seaal
the prolect noun abc
11.7
one fu11iGNI
turning down
,hu ) the two
abed' d dutY1 The
cell ' town? with
880 tapcv4 The noaord on the atv'coard aide
conaistod of a deck pat-eye he
Helium ga iwnifolded in the gun tub of tne forward 3 LucIa
gun and were tashea' to the dsca ft a hoetzoflol f asznori,
The cell was Lyeu out math like on tls<
doubled back, here e layout
e bow than there usu been on the 1