EVALUATION OF OXCART ESCAPE SYSTEM IN COMPARISON WITH B-58 CAPSULE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81B00879R001000080169-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 24, 2006
• Sequence Number: 169
• Publication Date: April 16, 1962
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/01/17 : CIA-RDP81600879R001000080169-1
)040RANINIK FOR Deputy Director (Research)
SUBJECT
OXC-3361
Cola_2-9f 7
16 April 1962
Evaluation of OXCART Escape System in Comparison with
B-58 Capsule
REFERENCE Letter from Mr. C. L. Johnson to General Don Flickinger,
Mated 22 March 1962 re A-12 Escape System (OXC-3245)
1. In connection with your question about Flickingeris view of Kelly
Johnson's appraisal of the methods of the 4.12 escape system when compared
to the B-58 capsule, I have finally succeeded in obtaining from Flickinger
a memorandum dictated over the phone just prior to his departure 14 April
for Milan on a conference appearance. It reads as follows:
"I have made a very careful analysis of all the current
escape systems, including the 13-58 capsule, which are now
either undergoing development, test or actual operational
usage. I have gone back and reviewed again the statistics
from Flight Safety which indicate the majority of the ejections
are made at altitudes below 5,000 feet and in the neighborhood
of 300-350 knots indicated air speed. I am completely con-
vinced, and / think that any careful analysis will support my
contention, that the current system for escape which we have in
the A-12 represents the most significant advance in escape
devices that exist in the Services today. The question of
whether or not one could utilise a scaled-down, reduced-weight
version of the B-58 becomes almost completely academic since
In its current configuration its depredation of performance
capability ant actual iadbility to be incorporated in the cur-
rent geometry of the aircraft makes it completely impossible for
consideration. However, what is, I think, more significant to
your knowledge is the fact that even were we able to use the
device in the A-12, I personally would recommend against it
since it would not give us the safe envelope in operations--it
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would not give us the same scope of safe envelope that we now have
in the current system. In other words, if we were to go to a
similar type capsule system, assuming such could be incorporated,
I would feel that margin of safety for the pilots under all emer-
gency considerations would be reduced by at least 50 per cent.
This is based upon the fact that what advantages the capsule has
for our purposes are far outweighed by the very definite and
proven advantages that our system bas in simplicity, reliability,
and low level escape capability. If you wish this documented to
a greater detail statistically or technically, I will be glad to
do so."
2. You may recall that I bad asked Flickinger to obtain this compari
son for you as background for possible inquiries by the DCI into this
subject. Since the Director is keenly interested in the OXCART Program
and appears to approach it one system at a time, I felt it was only a
matter of time before he questioned why we did not follow the B-58 route
in developing a capability, especially in light of recent publicity on
successful supersonic ejections using the latter configuration. I think
you now have the information you need to answer any question Mr. MeCone
say bring up. You may even find it useful to show the Director these
palters before he asks for a comparison in the event the subject was not
covered during the West Coast trip.
AMES A. CUNNINGHAM, JR,
Acting Chief, MD
Attachment
OXC-3245
Distribution:
1 - DD/R, w/att
2 - ASST CH/DPD, w/o att
3 - AC/DPD, w/o att
4 - C/DPD/DB, w/o att
5 - C/DPD/SPB, w/o att
6 - DPD/PERS, w/o att (Mr. Miller)
7 - DPD/RI, w/o att
DPD:JACunningham, Jr. /mg
Approved For Release 2007/01/17 : CIA-RDP81600879R001000080169-1