A method of launching inflatable airship apparatus (3) for subsequent ascent to high altitude for operation as an airship having a hull (4) formed from an inflated flexible gas containment envelope (5), payload (15), drive motor (6) mounted at the stern of the hull and cables (26,27), for supporting the payload (15) within the hull (4), connected to the drive motor (6) and to the hull at, or adjacent to, a nose portion of the hull. The method comprises partially inflating the gas containment env...

An apparatus for measuring and displaying the altitude of a kite in the air includes a device for measuring the length of the kite line that has been unwound from the reel and a device that produces a signal to a microprocessor that represents the angle the kite line makes with the horizontal. The height of the kite, which is computed from the measured line length and angle, is displayed.

A portable method and apparatus for allowing an individual to pre-adjust at sea level for future high altitudes is taught. The invention teaches the use of a small portable breathing gas control system to adjust the gas concentrations going to a subject's facemask.

A method and apparatus for conducting dynamometric testing of an internal combustion engine at a test site under a simulated atmospheric pressure that differs substantially from an actual ambient atmospheric pressure existing at the test site. The internal combustion engine has an air inlet for supplying an intake airflow for combustion within the internal combustion engine and an exhaust outlet for exhausting an exhaust flow exiting from the internal combustion engine. The method includes the s...

A multiple altitude radar system for an aircraft performs a main radar sweep at an altitude of the aircraft and at least one secondary radar sweep at an angle from the altitude of the aircraft to a ground altitude.

A ground-based CFIT warning system provides pilots with CFIT alerts. The system is based upon a ground-based tracking system, which provides surveillance of aircraft, such as the AirScene.TM. multilateration system manufactured by Rannoch Corporation of Alexandria, Va. The system monitors both horizontal and vertical positions of aircraft. When an aircraft has been determined to be operating below safe altitudes, or too close to obstructions, the pilot is provided with a warning. The warning may...

A high altitude oven that includes a baking compartment that includes a pressure maintenance mechanism for maintaining the baking compartment at sea level atmospheric pressure during operation of the oven.

A sonobuoy for launching at high altitudes from present sonobuoy launching tubes. A plurality of spring loaded stabilizing fins are held in place adjacent the body of the sonobuoy by rotovanes in their stored position. Upon launching the sonobuoy from an aircraft, the stabilizing fins assume their stabilizing position substantially perpendicular to the body of the sonobuoy due to the spring action but are held in place by the stored rotovanes. Upon reaching a lower altitude, the rotovanes are re...

A gas laser emits an output laser beam from a low pressure region to a region having a higher pressure. This is done through an opening in the side of a laser device. Under normal circumstances, the provision of such an opening would incur a flow of air from the high pressure side, externally of the laser device, to the low pressure side within the device. To prevent this, an aerodynamic window is placed in a passageway leading from said opening in the laser device through which the laser beam p...

The altitude of a communications device, which communicates with a communications system via at least one antenna, is estimated. The altitude estimation is based at least on altitude information of said at least one antenna. The altitude estimate of the communications device may be based on a two-dimensional location estimate for the communications device and on information representing three-dimensional location of said at least one antenna of said communication system. The two-dimensional loca...