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

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attention to a section of the report about a "stripped or specialized
aircraft" called the Lockheed CL-282. 53
By September 1954, Land's Project Three study group had be­
come very much interested in the Lockheed CL-282 design. Their in­
terest grew even stronger when James Baker told them of Allen
Donovan's strong case for the CL-282 at the 24-25 September meeting
of the ISP. It is not possible to determine exactly when the Land com­
mittee decided to back the CL-282; in fact, there may never have been
a formal decision as such. In view of Land's impulsive nature, he
probably seized upon the CL-282 design as being a workable concept
and immediately began developing it into a complete reconnaissance
system.
During September and October the Project Three study group
met frequently to discuss the Lockheed design and the reconnaissance
equipment it would carry. Meetings were small, generally with fewer
than IO participants; Garrison Norton was often the only government
official in attendance. At times outside experts joined in the proceed­
ings. When the discussion turned to cameras and film, Land invited
- Dr. Henry Yutzy, Eastman Kodak's film expert, and Richard S.
Perkin, President of the Perkin-Elmer Company, to participate. For
discussions on the 157 engine, the panel members asked Perry W.
Pratt, Pratt and Whitney's chief engineer, to attend. Kelly Johnson
also met with the panel to review plans for the CL-282 system. 5~
By the end of October, the Project Three meetings had covered
every aspect of the Lockheed design. The CL-282 was to be more
than an airplane with a camera, it was to be an integrated intelli­
gence-collection system that the Project Three members were confi­
dent could find and photograph the Soviet Union's Bison bomber
fleet and, thus, resolve the growing "bomber gap" controversy. It was
not just the Lockheed aircraft that had captured the Land group's fan­
cy; the plane was seen as the platform for a whole new generation of
aerial cameras that several committee members had been discussing
since the BEACON HILL and Intelligence Systems Panel meetings.
James Baker was in the process of developing a revolutionary new
·'·' Memorandum for DOC! Charles Pearre Cabell from R. M. Bissell, Special Assistant
to the Director for Planning and Coordination, "Aerial Reconnaissance,"' 24 September
I 954, DCI Records, job 80-B- I 676R. box 25 (TS. downgraded to S).
"' Killian, Sputnik, Scientists, and Eisenhower, p. 82.
Secret l'<JOFOAN
Chapter 1
Sec,et