The KA-93 Panoramic Camera

The increasing use of pods to add supplemental reconnaissance capability to attack or other aircraft imposes, new constraints on sensor design. Available space, never great even in dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, is extremely limited. Environmental ranges and vibration levels may be more hostile in pods. Ease of maintenance, an essential requirement in any system, can be complicated in pod installations by the lack of space and a less than convenient location. To meet these new requirements, CAI developed the KA-93, a self-contained, extremely compact 24-inch focal length, prismscanning panoramic camera offering high resolution on 5-inch format film, with sector scan, forward motion compensation, autofocus, and roll stabilization. Scan prisms are fabricated using a newly developed bonding technique that eliminates the temperature sensitivity traditionally associated with L.irism panor.Lmic cameras. This feature, coupled with a fully automatic focusing mechanism ensures maximum recorded resolution under all conditions. This camera offers for the first time a reconnaissance capability previously unavailable. In addition to having been flown in remote-piloted vehicles (EPV's)pods and dedicated manned aircraft, the camera has demonstrated high reliability and ease of maintenance under day-to-day field/flight conditions.