PRESENTATION OF U-2 AIRCRAFT TO NATIONAL AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B00170R000100040008-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 29, 2011
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: July 15, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

MEMORANDUM FOR Executive Officer, DDSF,T
FROM James A. Cunningham Jr.
SUBJECT Presentation of U-2 Aircraft to National
Air $ Space Museum
Kelly Johnson has advised me that work has begun on refurbishing
the U-2C aircraft which is to be donated to the Smithsonian, and that
he is making plans to have it arrive at the Paul E. Garber Facility of
the Air $ Space Museum on 31st August. As you are aware, costs for the
refurbishing and transportation of the aircraft are being divided
equally by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation and the Pratt $ Whitney Group
of United Technologies. Costs are estimated to be $50,000. It will be
displayed to the public after it is reassembled inside Building 21 at
the Garber Facility.
The aircraft itself, Article 347, was delivered by Lockheed on
9th February, 1956 and was the first U72 to overfly the USSR on 4th
July, 1956 from the U-2 Detachment base at Wiesbaden, Germany. It will
be delivered to the Museum essentially in the same paint scheme used
throughout the U-2 Program; namely, minus national markings, bearing
only a three digit number on the vertical tail surface. Costs precluded
removing all paint and returning the aircraft to the all-silver config-
uration in which the first overflights were performed.
It is appropriate now to decide if there is to be a presentation
ceremony and, if so, if the Agency will participate in such a ceremony.
Certain facts bear on this question. They are:
1. The aircraft is now, and will remain the property of the
U.S.Government after its turnover to the Museum. Even though we
expect both Lockheed and Pratt $ Whitney executives to participate
in a presentation ceremony, neither company can "present" the air-
craft to the Museum.
2. Since the U-2 Program of clandestine reconnaissance was a
CIA effort, assisted by the United States Air Force, it would seem
logical that the Agency take the lead in presenting the U-2 to the
Museum on behalf of the Government.
3. If the decision is made to avoid any ceremony at all, once the
aircraft is on public view it seems quite likely that the media will
seek out Agency officials to ask questions about the 11-2 Program
that otherwise could be answered at the time of a presentation cer-
emony. There is no assurance that if the Agency chooses not to be
represented at a turnover ceremony that the Air Force will not opt
to take charge of the presentation as a valuable publicity event.
 4. The presentation ceremony can be as elaborate or as simple
as desired. At one point, when flying the aircraft from the West
Coast to Andrews Air Force Base was under active consideration,
media coverage of the arrival had been an underlying assumption.
Air Force objected to the fly-in, on grounds of liability for in-
suring the flight as well as cost for fuel, tires, brakes and es-
cape pyrotechnics.
5. The U-2 aircraft is thoroughly in the public domain and has
been since 1st May 1960, as is the Agency's sponsorship of the
Program. One of the objectives of displaying the aircraft has been
to effectively declassify the airframe and engine portions of the
Program and to share this remarkable asset with the American people
after 27 years. Museums in Moscow and Peking have U-2s on public
display and the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio already has such
an aircraft available for inspection.
6. The U-2 Program was a watershed event in the history of CIA
and marked the entry of this Agency into the field of strategic in-
telligence collection. To fail to capitalize on the opportunity
afforded by this presentation ceremony would seem to me to be less
than a sound choice.
Obviously, it would be impossible to invite everyone who would like
to come. If a ceremony is held, I would recommend that it be brief and
businesslike, with no speeches. The Museum has said that they would provide
a photographer for the occasion. Representatives from the Air Force should
be asked to participate, including the new Chief of the Air Staff and
those whom he might choose to be present. Kelly Johnson has already in-
dicated his willingness to attend, since this is the fourth aircraft on
display there that bears his stamp of participation: the others are the
"Winnie Mae," the F-80 and the F-104, all now in the Main Hall of the
Air Fr Space Museum downtown. As a target date, we might point to 15th
September, since work on the reassembly should be completed not later
than 5th September. Either the Acting Director of the Museum or the Chair-
man of the Department of Aeronautics there would represent the Smithsonian.
Composition of the Agency representation at the ceremony should be left to
the DCI or DDCI to decide, as should any Congressional participation.
A timely decision would be useful, especially since there is work to
be done if, as I recommend, a ceremony takes place.
U