SUMMARY OF OSA ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK ENDING 12 JUNE 1963

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81B00961R000100140081-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 25, 2002
• Sequence Number: 81
• Publication Date: June 14, 1963
• Content Type: MF

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14 June 1963
MEMORANDUM FOR: Assistant Director, OSA
Deputy Assistant Director, OSA
SUBJECT : Summary of OSA Activities for Week Ending
12 June 1963
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PURCELL PANEL
I met with Drs. Purcell
and Lan in oston on 10 June to discuss the notes and recommendations
from the Purcell Panel meetings which were held on 4 and 5 June. Dr.
Purcell returned to Washington on 12 June to work on the Panel's report
for the DCI.
1. On 12 June the DD/R submitted a paper to the DDCI discussing
in detail the background for Project TAGBOARD and the various steps
leading up to the directive issued by the D/NRO on 4 June 1963 removing
CIA from the management and technical monitoring role which had been
delegated to it by the previous D/NRO on 17 October 1962. It is felt that
CIA should continue to monitor this project and Dr. Scoville notes that
the office of the DD/R will continue to function in the management and
technical monitoring role as directed in Dr. Charyk's paper of 17 October
196]Luntil instructed otherwise by the DCI or DDCI. He suggests that the
DCI attempt to reverse Dr. McMillan's decision to change the monitoring
responsibility for this project.
2. Kelly Johnson has requested that the one-day technical review
of Project TAGBOARD be held at Lockheed rather than in Washington on
19 June since he feels Lockheed can make a better presentation of the
program status if they have access to the full-scale mockup and the
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Marquardt facility. He noted that they will not have an engine installed
in the Marquardt tunnel until mid-July, but he feels the group will be
interested in seeing the facility itself.
has been appointed as a member of the
Configuration Control Board for ARGON by the Director of Program B,
NRO.
1. Five System IXA's including the prototype have already been
delivered and are in use at the IDEALIST Detachments at Edwards and
The sixth system is due for delivery on 10 June. Deliveries
will follow approximately one every ten days thereafter until a total of
ten systems have been delivered.
1. Earlier this week Lockheed suggested that the drag chutes used
in the OXCART Program be inspected, repaired and repacked at Lockheed
instead of returning the chutes to the since
this would eliminate handling and shipping costs and would expedite repair of the
chutes. Upon receiving this request, headquarters investigated the possi-
bility of repairing the chutes I land found this to be a more
2. Colonel Geary has requested that the Air Force Communications
Service continue to flight check the ~Tavigation Aids as they have
done in the past rather than have FAA assume this responsibility. After
a thorough check into the latter possibility, the Air Force decided that
it would be more economical for them to retain this responsibility.
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3. Lockheed recommends that th ccorder
system be installed in the OXCART vehicles instead of one of the various
other crash recorders that have been considered for use in the A-12's
a
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4. Aircraft #124 made two flights this week to obtain data to be
used by the Accident Investigation Board in their study of the Aircraft 123
loss. The first flight was made to establish that sufficient pitch control
was available to the pilot of Aircraft 123 to nose over and increase air-
speed at any time when slowing down to 125 keas had he elected to do so.
Tests on Aircraft 124 proved this conclusively. Other flight conditions
such as climbing turns and descents simulating what the pilot reported
he did prior to bailout were simulated on the second flight. This was done
to prove that it was impossible to achieve the 1. 05 mach reading he
reported seeing on the triple display indicator using any power setting
below the afterburner regime. This also was proven to the satisfaction
of all concerned. Results of these tests were submitted to the Accident
Investigation Board.
sys tern will require considerable development, it will provide a more
specialized type of information desirable for the A-12 operation.
s a resu
t of the 123 accident. They indicate that although the
use u-L soaium amytal, revealed the following significant items of
information:
5. Debriefing of the pilot of AirrraFt 17.E xx,i-ti, +i,,,
A. Verified that increase in mach number during the turn 25X1A
to value of 1. 05 began after 1 ::1 initiated. gradual climb
to avoid going into cirrus clouds. This fact tends to confirm the
Board's suspicion regarding plugging of pitot tube clue to ice
or other cause.
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increased concurrent with increase in mach number and keas.
This fairly well establishes that both sides of pitot probe were
plugged.' This also rationalizes to a considerable degree
25X1A judgment that an airspeed system error was
causing his difficulty.
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C. Throughout the debriefing the questions of fuel flow
and engine RPM were raised. It is evident from the responses
that engine functioning was normal throughout and was not a
factor.
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The Accident Investigation Board is to reconvene on 11 June to review
the results of this exercise, and hopefully proceedings and reports
will be completed by the end of duty day 13 June.
6. As a result of the 123 accident the pocket for the packet of
material carried by the OX pilots has been sewn on the inside of the
right leg of the normal flight suit and on the inside of the leg on the out-
side coveralls of the space suit. It is now impossible for the packet to
leave the pilot's body except by an explosion where his clothes are torn
off.
7. Lockheed indicates that Hamilton-Standard's proposed
delivery schedule for main and spike controls for the OX vehicles is
totally unsatisfactory. They insist that the lack of these inlet controls
is now so critical that the OXCART Program will grind to a halt except
for those airplanes in whichixanual or fixed controls are being used,
these are Articles 121, 122 and 124.
(SjgJ
Dist:
1 - AD / OSA
2 - DAD / OSA
3 - EXO/OSA
4 - DDR/OSA
5 - D/TECH/OSA
6 - D/FA/OSA
7 - PS / OSA
8 - PS / OSA chrono
9 - RB/OSA
PS/OS :4526 (14 June 63)
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Chief, Programs Staff
(Special Activities)