The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

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Chapter 1
8
The Air Force Search for
Reconnaissance Aircraft
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With interest in high-altitude reconnaissance growing, several Air
Force agencies began to develop ain aircraft to conduct such mis­
sions. In September 1952, the Air Research and Development
Command gave the Martin Aircraft Company a contract to examine
the high-altitude potential of the B-57 by modifying a single aircraft
to give it long, high-lift wings and tlhe American version of the new
Rolls-Royce Avon-109 engine. These were the modifications that
Richard Leghorn had suggested during the previous year."'
At about the same time, another Air Force office, the Wright Air
Development Command (WADC) in Dayton, Ohio, was also examin­
ing ways to achieve sustained flight at high altitudes. Working with
two German aeronautical experts--Woldemar Voigt and Richard
Vogt-who had come to the United States after World War II, Air
Force Maj. John Seaberg advocated the development of a new aircraft
that would combine the high-altitude perfonnance of the latest turbo­
jet engines with high-efficiency wings in order to reach ultrahigh alti­
tudes. Seaberg, an aeronautical engineer for the Chance Vought
Corporation until his recall to active duty during the Korean war, was
serving as assistant chief of the New Developments Office of
WADC's Bombardment Branch.
By March 1953, Seaberg had expanded his ideas for a high-alti­
tude aircraft into a complete request for proposal for "an aircraft
weapon system having an operational radius of 1.500 nm [nautical
miles) and capable of conducting pre- and post-strike reconnaissance
missions during daylight, good visibility conditions." The require­
ment stated that such an aircraft must have an optimum subsonic
cruise speed at altitudes of 70,000 feet or higher over the target.
carry a payload of 100 to 700 pounds of reconnaissance equipment.
and have a crew of one.
11
The Wright Air Development Command decided not to seek pro­
posals from major airframe manufacturers on the grounds that a
smaller company would give the new proj ect a higher priority and
'" Philip G. Strong. Chic:f. Operations Staff. OSI. Memorandum for the Record. '"Recon­
naissance Capabilities." 21 August I 953. OSI records (S).
" Jay Miller. uKkheed U-2. Aerograph 3 (Aus:tin. Texas: Acrofax. 1983). p. 10.
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