'KELLY' JOHNSON'S TOUR DE FORCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090020-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: March 9, 1964
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

:AVIATION WE
pproved For Release 2WO2/a41~IA-RDP67B00446R000500090020-6
EDITORIAL
`Kelly' Johnson's Tour de Force
The Lockheed Mach 3.5 A-11 special-purpose aircraft
created by "Kelly" Johnson and his gifted crew in the
corporation's Burbank "Skonk Works" (sec p. 16) is
another fine example of how much the technical talent
in the U. S. aerospace industry can accomplish when
given a specific mission and a clear path unencumbered
by bureaucratic red tape. Like its predecessor, the U-2,
this Lockheed A-11 was designed to be optimized for a
specific mission and was produced fast enough to stay
a significant jump ahead of any counter-system that
could be deployed against it.
This aircraft is a tremendously effective weapon in
its particular specialized field for both cold and hot
wars. In the cold war, this country's first line of military
defense is reconnaissance, and technology has expanded
capability in this field across a truly fantastic spectrum.
Satellite reconnaissance has been doing a remarkable
job for both the U. S. and USSR. But the reaction
speed and operational flexibility of aircraft are required
to supplement satellites. The A-11 was designed specif-
ically as a highspeed, high-altitude, long-range recon-
naissance aircraft that could penetrate the. Iron Curtain
at will and help protect this country from any unpleasant
military surprises. The Soviets are also using a long-
range twin-jet reconnaissance aircraft called Mandrake
(AW June 3, p. 26) in Asia and Europe. Its perform-
ance is better than the U-2, but falls far short. of the A-11.
Boost to U. S. Prestige
Because the A-11 design was optimized for its
cipal mission, it cannot be expected to function
long-range interceptor, a low-level strike bomber
prin-
as a
or a
supersonic transport prototype. In fact,. its tremendous
performance for its specific mission is a powerful argu-
ment for the development of the specialized aircraft,
rather than chasing the eternal mirage of the "all-pur-
pose" aircraft on the often illusory grounds of economy.
As the first operational Mach-3-plus aircraft in the
world, the A-11 will reflect considerable prestige on
U. S. aviation technology at a time when it needs this
badly. It is an interesting footnote to the supersonic
transport race that, while this country has been flying
A-11 aircraft for long periods of sustained Mach 3 flight
for several years and is pushing its X-15 research aircraft
Mach 2 (AW Mar. 2, p. 32). It is ohyious that the
combination of X-15 research and A-11 operational expe-
rience will produce considerable technical fall-out in
materials, manufacturing, aerodynamics, subsystem devel-
opment and operating techniques that will benefit all
new U. S. supersonic aircraft programs. President Lyndon
Johnson emphasized this in revealing the existence of the
A-11, and particularly noted:
"One of the most important achievements in. this
project has been the mastery of the metallurgy and fabri-
cation of titanium metal which is required for high
temperatures experienced by aircraft traveling at more
than three times the speed of sound.
"Arrangements are being made to make this and other
important technical developments available under ap-
propriate safeguards to those directly engaged in the
supersonic transport program."
Technical Briefings
Competing airframe and engine manufacturers in the
supersonic transport competition have already been ap-
prised of these technical developments and U. S. airline
technicians will shortly be briefed on this subject in Los
Angeles (see p. 30).
Great technical success is always preceded by ' a solid
foundation on which it can be built, and a host of unsung
heroes who fashioned those foundations. Among those
who come to mind in reflecting on the A-11 history is
Vice Adm. John T. "Chick" Hayward, who, as chief of
Navy research and development, fought a long and bitter
battle to keep the Pratt & Whitney J58 turbojet program
alive as a succession of airframe projects were canceled
out from under it. Adm. Hayward's philosophy in pro-
tecting the J58 program against the onslaughts of Penta-
gon economizers was that by the time engines in this
power class were fully developed, an urgent need for
them would appear. And so it was with the A-11. When
its power requirements suddenly arose, the J58 was ready.
. We paid our original tribute to "Kelly" Johnson for
the A-11 performance on Dec. 24, 1962, when we noted
in our year-end "Laurels for 1962:"
"Clarence (Kelly) Johnson of Lockheed Aircraft for
his continued ingenuity in the Skonk Works."
Until President Johnson's announcement on Feb. 29,
even further into the hypersonic regime, the British are 1964, this was all we chose to publish on this
project.
close to abandoning their research aircraft program at -Robert Hotz
_ nAI--A. _ --A r~r~r~n-i rann~ ~nr?~nnn.~nnnnnnnn.n - -
AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, March 9, 1964
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WASHING'T'ON POST MAR 9 1964
AND TIMES HERALD
The article on the A4 1,
A 11 Already ~w Ghicli is not attributed to overnment sources, says th o
e
[plane has hit top speeds of
Use.] t SPY 9 miles an hour and is the
(1 9 first military plane in th e
world to sustain a speed of
;about 2000 miles an hour.
Journal Says Further, the story says, the
A-11 has retained a speed of
Magazine's Report about 1400 miles on hour up
to 100,000 feet in altitude al-'
Draws Quick Denial though its maximum speed
Front Government was reached at slightly above':
70,000 feet. I'
Associated Press . President Johnson, in an-
An aviation trade journal nouncing the A-11 at. his Feb.;
said yesterday the A-11, the 28 news conference, called it
'.secret 'supersonic jet plane: an experimental aircraft which'
was undergoing tests to deter'
whose existence . Presidents mine its. capability as a long-
Uohnson disclosed eight days! range interceptor.
ago, ",has already flown lon Secretary of Defense Robert
,range reconnaissance missions S McNamara also tor said, "The.,
over Communist territory." A-11. is an interceptor a
it is being developed as such;
The report was disputed al- and beyond that I, have noth-
most Immediately by a - high Ing further to say on Its ?Ise.'A
Government official familiar Same Designer as U-2
1 with the 'A 11. Declining, use Aviation Week's story says
-
!;of his .lame, . he said that Lockheed . California Co.
won a design competition for,
"The A-11 has not flown any
reconnaissance missions Over',the A-11 as successor to the
Communist territory." highflying U-2 reconnaissance?
n Week & . Space . plane built by the same firm.'.
Aviatio The journal said the A-1i was;
Technology, in its edition to developed by Clarence L.`
be released today, says of the, (Kelly) Johnson who designedf
A-11: the U-2.
"The Lockheed A-11 is a t The first A-11 was trucked;
Mach 3.5 special purpose air- from Burbank to a secret
craft that has already flown Nevada base in.1961 and was
long-range reconnaissance mis- assembled and f l i g h t tested
sions over Communist ` terra- ;there late in that year. At
tort'. least eight have operated since
h "During operations; over the' then and a total of 50 are on,
past two years it has;;proved .order, the publication said.
its ability to out-fly. any aThe range of the A-11. was;
defense system ndw In opera described as considerably;
tional use. ' I , more than the 4000-mile limit
- The magazine did not am- ? of its predecessor, the _ U-2,1
plify its, references to "over The ' U-2 has an altitude limit
-Communist territory" and td C of about 70,000 feet. 1
air defense systems. It was the ? doyvning of U;Z
Had Kept A?11 Secret pilot Francis Gary. Powers 1fl
Russia in May, 1960, which re
The trade journal, . which vealed that the U.S; had been'
-had found out about the plane;
said in an accompanying: edi-
torial that the Jet is not a
fighter-Interceptor a#rcraft..It
Is designed mainly for long
range, hi h ' altitude peCon
Approved For Release 2004/02/04 CIA-RDP67B00446R000500090020-6