PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGHT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 February 1941, Page 6

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGHT

R.A.F. HAS OWLS’ EVES Photographs can now be taken by the i\.A F. on even the blackest night, t hotographic flare bombs dropped by British aircraft allow photographs to be taken from considerable heights, and under almost any condition of black-out. Flare bombs are released and operated by an intricate system of electrical control. The camera is also electrically controlled, whilst by means of a photoelectric cell, the flash of the flare bomb itself automatically closes the camera shutter. When the flare bomb is released the camera shutter opens, exposing the sensitive film in readiness for the coming flash of revealing light Down goes the flare bomb until it reaches the allotted height, suitable for illuminating the target. The upshootmg light, carrying its tell-tale evidence “? the owls’-eye lens, operates the photo-electric cell, which closes the shutter of the camera. Much of the success of R.A.F in air photography is due to technical developments in British cameras and lenses. Germany’s one-time lead in this field has now been reversed and from the evidence of captured Nazi aircraft it can be safely said that the new British equipment is appreciably better than that of the enemy. Many of the new problems created by modern high-fly-ing requirements, such as freezing and lens clouding, have been 1 successfully solved by systems of electrical heatin the fitting of optical flats r ’live windows.