Aerial Camera Resolution Testing Station Model for Concept Proposal
which was designed by John Demaree of Boller and Chivens, manufactured and installed by Boller and Chivens.

The 30’ high 6-ton steel frame test station being fabricated on its side in the Boller and Chivens parking lot.
The test frame was installed upright in an underground temperature controlled vault.
The entire instrument, essentially a monolithic structure. It is vibration isolated, resting on three air isolation mountings to fixed piers.

Don Winans and Will Harrison of Boller and Chivens made the installation of the structure at Hill Air installed the structure at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah.
Larry Steimle of Boller and Chivens installed the optics and cameras. Larry completed all the testing requirements.

Main control panels depicting the14 collimator array’s tilt angles. No two angles the same.

The camera under test could be rotated on the mounting plate and multiple exposures could be taken to get resolution images all across and around the field of the 9 inch photographic plates.

Target wheel with the standard USAF Resolution target in place. The test table was at the top the frame at ground level.
Aerial cameras would be mounted on top of a custom rotary table coupled with x-x and y-y adjustments. A center target wheel allowed easy changing. Each target had its own special light source vented outside to prevent heat induced air distortions.
A chain drive was part of the focusing system.

Resolution Test Light Source and Target Assembly
A high intensity light source projecting into the rear of the target wheel.

At the bottom of the frame was an array of 14 off-axis parabolic collimating mirrors from 12 inches in diameter down to 6 inches.
All collimator mirrors are precision off-axis parabolas.

Looking up from just above the collimating mirrors to the folding mirrors and the target assemblies.