LETTER TO CLARENCE L. JOHNSON FROM JAMES A. CUNNINGHAM JR.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B00170R000100040010-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 29, 2011
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: June 11, 1982
• Content Type: LETTER

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/29: CIA-RDP90B00170R000100040010-9
Central Intrlligenie A`ency
Woshmyna D C 20505
llth June, 1982
Mr. Clarence L. Johnson
Senior Advisor
Lockheed Corporation
Burbank, California 91520
I assume by this time you may have received the letter of 7th June
from Colonel Lawson regarding #347, a copy of which has been hand-carried
to me. However, I see no indication that you were copied on Colonel Law-
son's letter of the same date to me, so I am enclosing a copy with this
missive.
As in all such matters, compromise is inevitable and I believe that para-
graph 2 (a) of Lawson's letter to inc is the best we can hope for at this
time as far as laying hands on installed avionics and other internal com-
ponents of the airplane. I do not have unlimited faith in the prospect
of shortstopping these components by means of a depot shortage list, at
least not without frequent checking from outside the system, or warnings
from friends in the Skunk Works or at \ASA.
regarding AGE to he borrowed from his group at -Nnes. As I believe I noted
to you, Jim says that the components he has that were specifically modif-
ied to accommodate the U-2 in a C-141 are surplus to his future needs.
These include wing stands, an aft section cart, dust plugs and canvas
covers but a, ,e cart. Yesterday Jim told me that he had been in
touch with of your plant and that he now feels a fuselage
cart can he scrounged up from assets known to also
suggested that if it made everyone happier lie would arrange to lend the
entire package to the Smithsonian for, say, six months, after which the
gear could he turned in to Warner-Robbins AFB Depot. This would enable the
Air $ Space people to put the entire aircraft a der roof without assembly
until Building 21 at the Garber Facility is cleared and ready for the re-
assembly after Labor Day. As I recall, you were going to see about landing
a set of Pogos to come back on the trucks, for the post-assembly phase.
If this plan works out, I would hope that there might still be funds
available from the I~\C/PPriy kitty to cover sending a U-2 suq)ervisor from
California to Washington to oversee reassembly when the time comes, on
one of those cheapie non-stop flights showing signs of still being in
effect in the fall. Also, if necessary, there might even he enough money left
to pay for moving the WE from here to Georgia and the depot if arrange-
ments can't he made to turn it in at Andrews ,AFB locallrr.
As for Colonel Lawson's repeated assertion that a non P1313 version of the
J-75 engine will not fit in the U-2 airframe, I prefer to rely on your
assertion that it will once the afterburner section is removed. I hope
that a any can be found to obtain a nmout J-7S engine, even if one has to
 he snagged back from a friendly foreign air force, assuming that we still
have any friends abroad!
As far as a prospective delivery date for the U-2 is concerned, my reasons
for mentioning mid-July to Colonel Lawson, as opposed to a time that might
mesh better with Air $ Space at the Garber Facility were threefold: first,
I could see little or no forward motion on the part of Air Force in getting
an approval to proceed in your hands. Secondly, I got the impression from
you that if nothing was seen to be happening, there might be a softening
of the financial commitment at the corporate level, either in California or
Connecticut. The old saw about "Use it or lose it" had an element of truth
in it. 'Phirdly, I felt that without an impending delivery date, the business
of clearing out Building 21 might slip so far downstream that no matter when
a date was selected it might always be too soon.
Although the subject of rigging the aircraft in "appropriate markings" has
not come up yet, except by brief mention in your 17th March letter to Col-
onel Lawson, I guess it should be addressed now to see what your views on
it are. Personally, if we are striving for authenticity, I would like to see
the aircraft arrive unmarked save for the normal cautionary decals, plus
perhaps "347" on the tail. After all, when we were doing the primary mission
we weren't keen on advertising either the aircraft or its components. I
realize that Air Force may prefer "standard Air Force markings," including
the multi-digit serial number on the tail, on the theory that advertising
in the yluseun won't hurt. I would like to avoid this becoming a Federal
case, but it has all the ingredients, doesn't it? How do you feel about it?
We have discussed informallythe question of LAC furnifrshing manuals with the
bird. I have in mind such items as the E $ M manual, J-75 installation draw-
ings and instructions, airframe general arrangement drawings, operations man-
ual (Dash One), as well as electrical layouts and anything else that might be
useful in giving a total picture of the technology. We have here a fairly
complete set of Service Bulletins that could be made available to the Musewn.
Anything you have in these categories on microfilm we could have duplicated
here and return the film to you to reduce your costs at that end. I gather
that some of the basic info on the original engineering is in storage at Rye
Canyon. Perhaps we could cover this when next we talk on the phone.
I have also wondered if LAC has a "B" camera hatch for the aircraft left over.
It would be useful to have, either installed or static to fit with the "B"
camera itself. Another point to cover.
As you may have heard, Les Dirks is leaving 2nd July to an to Raytheon in
Boston. Ile is being replaced by R.E.Hineman the next day. Evan !lineman was
with Carl Duckett in the missiles and space side of things. John McMahon was
sworn in as DDCI yesterday by Vice-President Bush, so, as Joan Baez sang:
"Things they are a changin'."
Se
el
V