EFFECT ON OXCART PROGRAM IF AIRCRAFT S/N 121 IS USED FOR SPEED RECORD ATTEMPT

Created: 8/19/1964

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Deputy Director for Science and Technology

on OXCART Program ifs Used for Speed Record Attempt

he initial look at the problem indicates that two separate and distinct effects would resultow were to be usedpeed record attempt, one resultingross risk to the projected technical time schedule of the program and the other resulting in an immediate gross security compromise. No equipment effectrwould result on the SKYLARKontingency capability) programlready hasomplete set of reworked servos so that none would have to be diverted from SKYLARK aircraft and would only require that the engines, which had been removed during the recentpeed trial deliberations, be reinstalled. However, the flight test support to SKYLARK will be diluted since Lockheed flight test personnel will be concentrating on tho speed run. The support to SKYLARK is in the area of check-out and test of ancillary equipments for SKYLARK, such.as,ingle side band and countermoasure packages,

gross risk to tho projected technicalalluded to above takes into consideration the fact

thats the primary flight tost vehicle.

(seeor roles of the four2 flight testnd, as such, is very heavily instrumented to measure and record flight test results. Any damage to this aircraft, or to consider the ultimate, loss of this aircraft, would seriously retard the progress of the program until another vehicle could be similarly Instrumented. Tho extensive wiring and large number of very closo tolerance sensors installedrc such that it would take approximately two aonths to similarly equip another vehicle in the eventere lost. To risk serious impairment of the program objective solelyropaganda advantage hardly seems justified.

HANDLE VIA BYEKANYSTEM

overall program will be set back because ofof flights necessary to solve many of thestill plaguing tho program. be removod from tho program for three to fourwould equate2 lost meaningful tost flights.

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OXCART

SUBJECT : Suamary of Time and Flights Above Mach No. Noted as

-55

52

44

28

19

15

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48

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2

3

2

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13

1

43

31

34

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3 .

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-

43

39

34

25

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1

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8

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HANDLE VIA BYEMAN

CONTROLI

SUBJECT : Roles of tho Four2 Flight Tost Aircraft

his airplane is the primary flight It is the only vehicle completely instrumentedout the internal aerodynamics of the propulsionis utilized to flight test all of the ejectorthe various by-pass door configurations, anddoors. The schedule for the variable areathe engine face (onion slicer) is being The aircraft is the2 which hasto. See Attachment II for totaland number of flights above various Mach numbers. limited number ofnd above flights is duofact that. boing the primary flightto test all of the modifications noted above,flown in tho sane configuration on two successiveit is also the8 equipped, all

it will be uflod Initially to vorify cycling tomperaturot encountered between high spood flight and low speedprior to subjecting the plastic2 to such an environment.

his airplane is being used for inlei. and fuel control development, it has been assigned to Pratt and Whitney tests for the next three months to develop and optimize the main fuel controls, both Bendix and Hamilton Standard.

his airplane is boing readiedong range, high speed mission lo determine tho cruise fuel consumption characteristics of The mission to

be flown. and tho majority of the flights will be at. Subsequentuccessful9 is scheduled to be turned over to the Detachment.

his airplane is boing used tothe various countermeasures equipment beingenhance the survivability of

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Original document.

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