Some aspects of the swinging of balloon-borne pay-loads

Detailed analysis of the output record of a simple photoelectric attitude sensor has revealed considerable information about the swing behavior of small pay-loads carried by single balloons. Earlier findings that slow rates of ascent (less than 2 m/s) are correlated with small swing amplitudes are confirmed and evidence is presented that marked changes in the nature of the package swing are correlated with passage through wind-shear layers. A twin-balloon rig incorporating a reliable cut-off device for one balloon has been developed and tested and it is concluded that with such a rig large-amplitude swinging is eliminated even for rates of ascent as high as 6 m/s.