SPEED TRIALS
L ASSUMPTIONS:
the President has publicly announced the DOD hasto break the speed record, every reasonable effort will beCYo do so. Further, it has been inferred that the speedIr. ihs vicinityph.
interim operational capability with2 is desiredlater than mid-November,
2. INFLUENCING FACTORS:
remains to be dene in the .light test program.aboves the critical item (control of inletusing either the latest Mam Standard or LAC equipment isa routine operation).
flight test above5 has been done in one aircraft
best equipped and most capable aircraft in the overall
i
fleet; these are tha primary contractor testthe least capable (and lowest priority aircraft) arewhich are restricted tond are flying with
d. Much remains to ba done in the operational training program.
Although several mission pilots have accumulated considerable hours inircraft, severe operational limitations have been imposed becauserogram is not yet far enough along or. both aircraft and mission sub-systems. No realistic operational training missions have yet been flown.
program currently is hampered by equipmentdeficiencies: hydraulicJ-raodel" afterburners; andmodel inlet controls. Of the three, all are in short supply,
itgi'jurr.crjeeor "get-well" schedule.
probability ofew speed record on the firstby no0 percentif the aircrafta high degree of flying precision is required atCO feet altitudes. The possibility of missing the"corridors" is significant. The closed-course speed runO"mph is desired)ore difficult operation thanrun,
2 (in major sub-assemblies) will be deliveredin late October.
S. POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION:
a.over,s theail number from2erry to Edwards AFB and set theun as soon as racssible. Practiced be made
: UPiEChH
ower Maeh number. The probability of success is gocd; however, this would disrupt the flight test programeeks, delay the2 operational capabilityike period, and offers some security risk to therogram.
hydraulic actuators, "J" engines andinlet controlsircraft (or two aircraft) and runtrials in September. Except :or eliminating the securityoption has the same disadvantages asbove.
asbove, except wait until the2 isPalmdale. Practice runs would be madet lowerThis possibility lessens the security risk to theand has less impact on the flight test program. Hopefully,not delay the attainment of an early interim2 aircraft.
contractor believes he couldorruns by end-October without disrupting the flight test2 interim operational capability. In this2 {designated as theould be usedack-up andmade in an unmodified.ad to bewouldertain amount cf security risk to2 Program
and some disruption to tha flight test program.
asbove, except nots aonly oneere modified, the chances of success In latelessened. It would appearocd likelihood of slip intoDecember wculd exist.
the's routinely as scheduled and run the speed
trials when available. It would appear that the speed runs would then be made in January or later.
g. Conduct the speed runs2ircraft. The speed runs, under this option, probably could not be reasonably conducted before the spring
4, OURSE OF ACTION:
a- Setarget date of late October. Start preparing oneactuators, afterburners. Inlet control, etc) for the record attempt without disrupting the flight test program and/or the2 capability. Conduct practice runs with the Mach-limited's in mid-Cctccer. At that point in time, if thep-dating is behind schedule, the possible usedesignated as anan be re-evaluated.
Original document.
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