Flight observations of the fine structure of cumulus clouds

Abstract

During the past several years a program of detailed measurements of cumulus and cumulocongestus clouds has been undertaken by the Geophysics Directorate of the US Air Force. A B-29 has been instrumented with among other equipment, a rapid response vortex thermometer, refractometer and a paper tape water content meter. A fine platinum wire is centered in  a vortex tube so adjusted that the true temperature is measured uaffected by air speed. The response time of tis thermom,eter is about 0.01 s.