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

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289
ieeret NOFORN
Chapter 6
fillets, which had been secured to the airframe with epoxy resin. had
to be recovered and reaffixed to the aircraft, a process that took the
next four days.
Once the fillets were in place, the OXCART'S official first flight
t0ok place on 30 April 1962, witnessed by a number of Agency per­
sonnel including DOR Scoville. Richard Bissell was also present, and
Kelly Johnson noted in the project log, ·•1 was very happy to have
Dick see this flight, with all that he has contributed to the pro­
gram ... ·'' This official first flight was also the first flight with the
wheels up. Piloted again by Schalk, the OXCART took off at 170
knots and climbed to 30.000 feet. During the 59-minute flight, the
A-I2 achieved a top speed of 340 knots. Kelly Johnson declared it to
be the smoothest first test flight of any aircraft he had designed or
tested. On 2 May 1962, during the second test flight, the OXCART
broke the sound barrier, achieving a speed of Mach l.1.)
1
Four more aircraft. including a two-seat trainer, arrived at the
testing site before the end of the year. During the second delive,y on
John Parangosky
. 2~.June 1962. the extra-wide vehicle carrying the aircraft acciderntally
struck a Greyhound bus traveling in the opposite direction. Pr-oject
managers quickly authorized payment of $4,890 for the damage done
to the bus in order to avoid having to explain in court why the
OXCART delivery vehicle was so wide.
One of the biggest problems connected with flight testing the
A-I2 was keeping its existence secret. Realizing that the nation's air
traffic controllers would be among the first unwitting people to llearn
about the plane, the Deputy Assistant Director for Special Activities,
James Cunningham, had called on Federal Aviation Administrator
Najeeb E. Halaby in early 1962 to brief him about the craft's existence
and ask his assistance in keeping it secret. Halaby cooperated fully
with the Agency and personally briefed all FAA regional chiefs on how
to handle reports of unusually fast, high-tlying aircraft. Air contrcillers
were warned not to mention the craft on the radio but to submit written
reports of sightings or radar truckings. The Air Force gave similar
briefings to NORAD, the North American Air Defense Command:''
'' Johnson. •• Archangel log:· 30 April 1962.
'' OSA History. chap. 20. p. 63 (TS CoJewor<l); Minnich. "OXCART Story:· pp. 11-12 (S).
"Minnich. ··OXCART Story:· pp. 10-11 (S): OSA Hiswry. chap. 20. p. 60 (TS Co<lcworJ).
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