July, ~956.1 CURRENT TOPICS 89 station. It is so compact that it may be carried in single-seat aircraft. Philco has many years of research and development experience on this type of equipment.
To cover a wide area, two unmanned, studio-quality TV cameras are used in the plane. Signals from the plane are transmitted to the ground control point where they are picked up by a receiver. There, the picture may be instantaneously photographed on 35-ram. film which can be processed in less than a minute. Immediately, the picture may be projected on theater-size screens at the control point, or relayed to other locations. Also, pickups from slower-moving aircraft may be observed, live, on standard fine-line monitors.
Philco has overcome the inherent difficulties of obtaining a clear, sharp picture from aircraft traveling at supersonic speeds by the development of unique transmitter circuitry and the method of transmitting a high-quality picture. The picture obtained is as good as, or better than, commercial TV reception. It is now possible to slow, or stop, TV pictures taken at high speeds without a blur of ground movement.
Data, such as time and position, may be automatically printed on the film. In addition to on-the-spot coverage, a permanent reconnaissance record may now be maintained.