'KELLY' JOHNSON'S TOUR DE FORCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000400210005-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 22, 1999
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 9, 1964
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

4VIATION WEED 9196
Sanitized - Approve For lease IA-RD
FOIAb3b ~D ORIA
CPYRGHT
'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" (see 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
ars. In the cold war, this country's first line of military
efense is reconnaissance, and technology has expanded
apability in this field across a truly fantastic spectrum.
atellite reconnaissance has been doing a remarkable
ob for both the . U. S. and USSR. But the reaction
peed and operational flexibility of aircraft are required
o supplement satellites. The A-11 was designed specif-
ally as a highspeed, high-altitude, long-range recon-
aissance aircraft that could penetrate the Iron Curtain
AW June 3, p. 26) in Asia and Europe. Its perform- 0 Great technical success is always preceded by' a solid
CPYRGHT
Mach 2 (AW Mar. 2, p. 32). It is olYyious 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-
proi riate 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
ilitary surprises. The Soviets are also using a long- technicians will shortly be briefed on this subject in Los nge twin-jet reconnaissance aircraft called Mandrake Angeles (see p. 30).
cc is better than the U-2, but falls far short. of the A-11,
Boost to U. S. Prestige
p
e c
ance e
l
s ersonic transport prototype. In fact, its tremendous out from under it. Adm. Hayward's philosophy in pro-
p formance for its specific mission is a powerful argu- tecting the J58 program against the onslanrrhts of Pens-
ney J tur olet program
LULUOICE program
1 g-range interceptor, a low-level strike bomber or a alive as a succession of airframe
ro
'ects wer
1 d
o
p ug a ong and bitter
c al mission, it cannot be expected to function as a battle to keen the Pratt & Wh't 58
oundation 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" Ha
ward
h
h
.
y
, w
o, as c
ief of
Because the A-11 design was optimized for its prin- Navy research and develo ment f
ht l
~? ==o....11c1Jlllr' 1I1W crerna1 mirage or the "a11 pur- power class were fully developed, an urgent need for
aircra t for long periods of sustained Mach 3 flight has continued ingenuity in theSkonk Works."
everal years and is pushing its X-15 research aircraft Until President Johnson's announcement on Feb. 29,
further into th h
sport race that, while this country has been flying "Clarence (Kelly) Johnson of Lockheed Aircraft for
ec no ogy at a time when it needs this the A-11 performance on Dec. 24, 1962, when we noted
y. It is an interesting footnote to the supersonic , in our year-end "Laurels for 1962:"
- aviation- - -- _ t.. 1,"", _. ZI l vuIJIUG1aule prestige on we paia our original tribute to "Kelly" Johnson for
will and help protect this country from any unpleasant
---
a
- ------ ?~- -~ ~?v~ ...... .=.a []-11. VV IICII
s the first operational Mach-3-plus aircraft in the its power requirements snrlrlen1v nrncn Fha rc4 .-.....
ypersonic regime, the British are 1964, this was all we"chose to publish on this project.
to abandoning their research aircraft program at
Sanitized - Approved For,Release, CIA-RDP7S-OO149RO0040 29U v?
TION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY, March 9, 1964