Alexander Wilson was a Scottish astronomer and meteorologist and was one of the founding members of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He lived from 1714 - 1719 and made numerous contributions to astronomy and meteorology. Dr. Wilson was the first scientist to use kites as a scientific tool.
In 1749, while a professor at the University of Glasgow, he attached thermometers to a string of kites and measured the air temperatures at different altitudes. He managed to record temperatures as high as 3000 feet. He was assisted in this endeavor by a student named Thomas Melville. The thermometers were attached to the kite with a fuse. When the fuse burned out, the thermometer was released and parachuted back to earth using paper brushes. The temperature at various altitudes was successfully recorded using this method.
Back To All About Kites
History of Flight and Avaition
© 2012 Hobby Hobnob
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment