The KB-29A Stabilized Strike Camera System

Abstract

The development of the KA-60 camera by Fairchild in 1964 has led to a family of 70mm panoramic cameras for low altitude reconnaissance and strike applications. In the strike photography branch of the family, the KA-60 led to the KA-71, the KB-18A and the KB-29A, which is a roll stabilized version of the KB-18A. When a fighter aircraft performs evasive maneuvers prior to and particu-larly following weapons release, as if often necessary under combat or combat training conditions, the collection of sufficient strike coverage and particularly impact photography is very uncertain. In a flight test in August 1974 the KB-29A stabilized strike camera demonstrated that it provides photographic coverage of weapons impact during evasive maneuvering of the delivery aircraft after weapons release. The roll stabilized scanning prism design principle allows evasive maneuvering (jinking) after weapon release and still permits target photographic coverage of weapon impact. The KB-29A provides an angular coverage capability of 150 degrees in the cross-track and 180 degrees in the in-track direction respectively. This permits large rotations of the vehicle up to a maximum of 75 degrees roll angle without loss of acquisition of the target. The KB-29A system utilizes the KB-18A magazine and control unit without modification and 50% of the parts in the camera body are identical with KB-18A parts. The existing KB-18A test equipment can be used to test the KB-29A with the addition of a few simple adapters.© (1975) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.