A smoke-trail technique for measuring wind

✍ Scribed by T. H. Cooke

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1962
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 403 KB
• Volume: 88
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0035-9009
• DOI: 10.1002/qj.49708837509

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

In the firing of low‐acceleration sounding rockets a knowledge of low‐altitude wind velocities before and during firing is necessary. Existing meteorological methods are inadequate, and the smoke‐trail technique here reported has been developed to augment these. The technique consists of visual or photographic analysis of the movement of a column of smoke and can be used to obtain the wind structure to heights up to about 1,500 ft.

The present method of laying the smoke‐trail is by small solid‐fuel rockets, and suggestions are made for other methods which would reduce the cost of laying each trail. Possible uses of the smoke‐trail technique are considered.