Aerial Photography Notes
Title
Aerial Photography Notes
Description
Notes kept by JH Bird during his training.
Creator
Coverage
Language
Format
Five handwritten pages
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
MBirdJH184015-180215-10
Transcription
[underlined] The main military uses of air photo. [/underlined]
1. Provision of information regarding an enemy and his territory
2. Provision of permanent records of the results of operations
3. Production of military maps and the improvement of existing maps, the production of target maps to show suitability as a target, the best method of approach and the location of ground defences.
1. [underlined] Strategical information [/underlined]
Movements and concentrations of troops and war materials, the signs or absence of military activity in definite areas, occupation of territory, details of communications and supply systems, formation of camps, depots, dockyards etc
2. [underlined] Tactical information [/underlined]
Details of enemy works such as trench
[page break]
systems, barbed wire and other defences, light railways, tank traps, battery positions and emplacements, aerodromes, coastal defences and shipping movements.
3. [underlined] Topographical information [/underlined]
Shape and extent of woods, hills, valleys and lakes. Courses of rivers and canals, the nature of their bank positions of bridges and fords. Position, size and shape of towns, villages. The nature of coastlines and positions of navigable channels
[page break]
[underlined] Air Camera type F. 24. [/underlined]
[diagram]
[sketch]
[page break]
1. Camera body
2. Lens case
3. Lens
4. Shutter
5. Gearbox
6. Instrument panel
7. Magazine
[underlined] Flying considerations for air photo [/underlined]
1. A high degree of accuracy in flying and navigation is required
2. Pilot to maintain a constant and accurate course
3. Maintain constant height
4. Maintain constant airspeed
5. Fly without tilt in either direction
6. Correct drift must be found, correctly applied to aircraft’s course and correctly set on the camera.
[page break]
[underlined] The approach to the target [/underlined]
[diagram]
[underlined] FORMULAE [/underlined]
[underlined] Formula for No. of photos etc [/underlined]
[equation]
G = length of ground to be covered in feet
F = focal length of lens in inches
H = height of aircraft in feet
W = effective width of film in inches
[page break]
[underlined] Example [/underlined]
[equation]
[underlined] No. of photos necessary [/underlined] to cover a run of 40 miles with 60% overlap
[diagram]
Impracticable to take 1/5 of photo so take 36 photos
[underlined] How many runs will be necessary? [/underlined]
[equation]
11 x 36 = 396 photos to be taken
[page break]
[underlined] Formula for time interval [/underlined]
[equation]
W = effective width of film in inches
H = height of aircraft in feet
V = ground speed of a/c in ft/sec
F = focal length of lens in inches
[underline] Example [/underlined]
[equation]
[equation]
[underlined] Ruling on time [/underlined]
If 1/2 sec or under go back to whole no.
If over 1/2 sec go up one to next whole no.
[underlined] Formula for scale [/underlined]
[equation] All in same units
[equation] = [equation]
[page break]
[underlined] Form 790 [/underlined]
Completed by pilot in the air. Carbon copies are made, the original being retained by the pilot and if instructed a copy may be dropped where required. If not dropped the copies are destroyed. Observations are entered in code usually taking the form of three letter words.
E.G. Col 200 inf. 608. 669.
[underlined] Form 401 [/underlined]
Completed by pilot on the ground. Consists of full report of what has been seen, extracted from form 790 but written out in plain English in full and in ink.
[page break]
[blank page]
1. Provision of information regarding an enemy and his territory
2. Provision of permanent records of the results of operations
3. Production of military maps and the improvement of existing maps, the production of target maps to show suitability as a target, the best method of approach and the location of ground defences.
1. [underlined] Strategical information [/underlined]
Movements and concentrations of troops and war materials, the signs or absence of military activity in definite areas, occupation of territory, details of communications and supply systems, formation of camps, depots, dockyards etc
2. [underlined] Tactical information [/underlined]
Details of enemy works such as trench
[page break]
systems, barbed wire and other defences, light railways, tank traps, battery positions and emplacements, aerodromes, coastal defences and shipping movements.
3. [underlined] Topographical information [/underlined]
Shape and extent of woods, hills, valleys and lakes. Courses of rivers and canals, the nature of their bank positions of bridges and fords. Position, size and shape of towns, villages. The nature of coastlines and positions of navigable channels
[page break]
[underlined] Air Camera type F. 24. [/underlined]
[diagram]
[sketch]
[page break]
1. Camera body
2. Lens case
3. Lens
4. Shutter
5. Gearbox
6. Instrument panel
7. Magazine
[underlined] Flying considerations for air photo [/underlined]
1. A high degree of accuracy in flying and navigation is required
2. Pilot to maintain a constant and accurate course
3. Maintain constant height
4. Maintain constant airspeed
5. Fly without tilt in either direction
6. Correct drift must be found, correctly applied to aircraft’s course and correctly set on the camera.
[page break]
[underlined] The approach to the target [/underlined]
[diagram]
[underlined] FORMULAE [/underlined]
[underlined] Formula for No. of photos etc [/underlined]
[equation]
G = length of ground to be covered in feet
F = focal length of lens in inches
H = height of aircraft in feet
W = effective width of film in inches
[page break]
[underlined] Example [/underlined]
[equation]
[underlined] No. of photos necessary [/underlined] to cover a run of 40 miles with 60% overlap
[diagram]
Impracticable to take 1/5 of photo so take 36 photos
[underlined] How many runs will be necessary? [/underlined]
[equation]
11 x 36 = 396 photos to be taken
[page break]
[underlined] Formula for time interval [/underlined]
[equation]
W = effective width of film in inches
H = height of aircraft in feet
V = ground speed of a/c in ft/sec
F = focal length of lens in inches
[underline] Example [/underlined]
[equation]
[equation]
[underlined] Ruling on time [/underlined]
If 1/2 sec or under go back to whole no.
If over 1/2 sec go up one to next whole no.
[underlined] Formula for scale [/underlined]
[equation] All in same units
[equation] = [equation]
[page break]
[underlined] Form 790 [/underlined]
Completed by pilot in the air. Carbon copies are made, the original being retained by the pilot and if instructed a copy may be dropped where required. If not dropped the copies are destroyed. Observations are entered in code usually taking the form of three letter words.
E.G. Col 200 inf. 608. 669.
[underlined] Form 401 [/underlined]
Completed by pilot on the ground. Consists of full report of what has been seen, extracted from form 790 but written out in plain English in full and in ink.
[page break]
[blank page]
Collection
Citation
JH Bird, “Aerial Photography Notes,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 25, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/40693.
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