2
reliability program to insure reliable equipment in opera
tional usage. Phase III - Plight Test and Evaluation -
consisted of installing the equipment in an R0-130A mapping
and surveying aircraft, and performing aerial surveying,
controlled photography, and secondary controlled photography
missions similar to actual operational usage. Phase I
covered a period of 6§ months, being completed 15 August
1962. The Phase III flight test was completed, 15 November
1963. Figures 1 and 2 show Shiran equipment at the time of
the flight test.
Primary function of Shiran is ranging- electronic
ranging from an aircraft to ground transponders, it will
find application in the RC-135A mapping and surveying air
craft system. Some of the features of Shiran are its
capability to measure air to ground ranges of up to 450
nautical miles. Such distances can be measured to a prob
able error of 10.3 feet. Shiran can be used to position
the aircraft from which nadir points of aerial photographs
can be determined for mapping applications. Nadir point
positioning will be possible to a probable error of 10 feet.
Resolution of the range measurement is 0.725 feet. A
traveling wave tube with an output of twenty (20) watts
average is used in both the airborne transmitter and the
ground station transmitter. The Shiran system operates with
in the 3000 mcs/sec to 3500 mcs/sec frequency range. An