PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT MEETING 11 MARCH 1955

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89B00487R000300640038-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: March 21, 1955
• Content Type: MEMO

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21 March 1955
1"EM(RANDUM FOR THE FILES
SUBJECT: Photographic Equipment Meeting 11 March 1955
1. Present were Dr. Scott, Mr. Martin, Dr. Baker, Dr. Purcell, Mr. Acker,
Mr. Lundahl and Mr. Herbert Miller.
2? The purpose of this meeting was to look into the weights of the B
and C configurations and to settle the problem of timing and appropriately
marking each exposure. While the problem of timing and marking exposures
came up for discussion late in the afternoon, for the purpose of continuity
on the weight reductions of the B and C configurations, the conclusions
reached are recorded first.
3. The basic concept developed by Dr. Purcell and agreed to by Drs. Baker
and Scott calls for a binary coding system triggered by an electrically
driven clock motor. The binary system is essentially a scaler which counts
impulses and indicates the su?ation of the impulses counted through
nine argon bulbs. These bulbs are arranged in such a manner that light
from them passes through the shutter and optical system of the camera
and is recorded on each fume exposed. The electronic system feeding
the scaler acts as a memory and a shutter switch is provided so that the
lights are turned on only at the time the exposure is made. Theopening
of the shutter is the event which will be redorded on the timer channel
of the electronic recorder provided by Ram-Wooldridge, It was agreed
that it would be highly desirable if a single designator could also be
included with the scaler indication so that the mission and date could
also be included with the scaler indication so that the mission and date
could also be autom ti6eily recorded on each exposed frame. It was also
agreed that it would be desirable for each camera to carry the timing
indicator. A box diagram of the circuit was sketched by Drs. Purmll and
Scott and Dr. Scott agreed to undertake design and construction of the
units required.
4. In the discussion of the B configuration, Dr. Baker immediately
raised the point of reduction on the stereo overlap as a weight saving
device. It was noted that the film weight given in the B configuration
weight sumary appearing in the 4 March 1955 project plan was in error.
This weight should have read 320 lbs. Thus the total weight should have
been 624 lbs. instead of 664 lbs. After examining the layout of the various
stereo shots it was ascertained that six of the 21 exposures in three
cycles of the camera could be dropped without any substantial loss of
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information, It was also ascertained that the stereo overly of
could
be reduced to 55%. In this fashion, the film we weight for a p
mission could be reduced to 260 lbs. and a l onfig e
2,9200 mile
brought to something like 55u lbs. , total for the configuration
that the essential out in weight the" c~ou~ostaacea, it appeared
that which wond ight would depend upon development of 2 mu
permit a reduction in film right to 180 lbs. for a
2,200 mile mission or alternativelyp a film weight of 195 lbs. could be
achieved by sacrificed ropping the attest r
requirement for the lowest oblique shots.
ac y of inf
tion
espec3a,.~y when it is borne in~~ might be involved would be mill
the A-1 configuration would mind that I~PP~B coverage of the area with
of 180 lbs. and other would very likely be available. With a film weight
size of the spools, cassettes, and lens and of th caccatingbca in the
mera
total weight for the B configuration of 460 lbs. a artito a
feasible. PPS's to be quits
5. Lengthy discussion of the C co iguration led to the conciusions that
only a radical change could bring total we 698 to military load specifications of
4 lb s. given is change bs. dawn
proposed by Dr. Baker and included ? Such a drastic chawas
focal length of 1"" in place of 200", development of thin base film and
Co focal length. Ant of ehd high gana emulsion to make up for the reduction
recommendation led to an estimaawlygis weight of each of the parts t,s based on this
load, charting camera and a periscope. In . I of 1 the run lbs. away a cthisC film
camera would provide roughly 2 un away mods this C
The format would be 9" x 18" eq ~ sto coverage on the coverage by u d of
wilt.
roughly 7/10 mile x 1.4 miles. The sjatem appears
to be capable of
30 lines
Per milimeter with geometricF n~ ~ and quite likely uP to 60 lines
the diac~u~si~ that at least 8 exposures q~ to 12. It was agreed during
in the burst mode of a would be made in each burst
and that the motion, that 60% stereo overlap would be provided
area covered around the Particular target would be roughly
3 to 5 miles by 3 to 5 miles. Dr. Scott agreed to under
of the details of a camera acc tto and advise
Promptly oa what was involved in the change. to thk now specifications and advise
6. During luncheon I discussed with Dr. developing a snail camera which would Periodically the possibility of
the sun with respect to Periodioal],y plot the position of
bsere a the horizon and which would permit the pilot to
the rvesaoprinnt from which (by comparison with a prepared diagram for
could fix his position to an accuracy
Dr. Baker thought that such a camera was feasible co -less than 100 miles,
weighing only several pounds and undertook
to discuss and could
this fur u built
Dr. Land. Such a could would ther with
Drs Lind. and oald supplement provide an alternate navigation aid for t It could also other navigation proposals now under study
data record obtained from the to be filed in con3unotiea with they
charting camera.
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7. The last hour of the meeting was confined to a discussion with
Dr. Scott of the informal quotation received from P-K
dated 8 March 1955. The discussion was general and comprised principally
a protest that the prices as given seemed unusually high for the kind of
work that was being done. Particular mention was made of the discrepency
which appears to have crept into the concept on ground handling equipment.
The impression held by P-$ was that three bases required would each have
three associated advance bases. This was--changed so that ground handling
equipment for four bases would be provided and that such equipmat would
include equipment useful at a single advance base. Dr. Scott and Mc. Acker
both agreed that a fixed price per unit would appear to point up the
high cost of the work done and that reccmputation was in order. Neither
would make any commitment as to possible reductions. I noted that we
would not be niggardly in our treatment of the contractor in the fee
negotiation if their cost estimates were made more realistic. The
recamputation should take approximately three to four weeks.
HIM:mah
Orig - OCTROI
cc - cbrono - KA~f'ft,
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