Tertiary effects of blast-displacement. Project 33. 3 of Operation Plumbbob

The objective of the project was to determine the velocity-time and distance-time histories of anthropomorphic dummies and equivalent spheres (idealized models having an acceleration coefficient ..cap alpha.. equal to that of the dummy) displaced by blast winds. The dummies and spheres were located at stations within regions of about 5 and 7 psi overpressures. The technique used for recording the movement of these objects was phototriangulation. Analysis of the films obtained gave the velocity and distance in the case of one shot. In a second shot the field of view was obscured by smoke (perhaps dust too) before any motion could be recorded by the cameras. In one phase of the experiment, equivalent spheres were caught in flight at near predicted maximum velocity by missile traps. The depth of sphere penetration in the calibrated capture medium was then used to compute the sphere velocity.