RESEARCH UNDER CONTRACT (SANITIZED) "BALLOON-LTA CONCEPT STUDY," HAS BEEN EXPLORATORY IN NATURE.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03642A001300040010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 14, 2012
• Sequence Number: 10
• Content Type: LETTER

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/14 :CIA-RD(P78-03642A00130/0040010-2
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Research under Contrsc
"Balloon-L'PA Concep
t Study,"
has bees
~~'~~
e:~cploratory is wtnre. a results cannot be fairly evalu
It is hopsd~ of course, that same o! the sew ideas, techni
ated at t
ques, and
his time.
lund~amen-
tal inlarstiation will have their impac
pability
o! atutura
po~nered lighter-than-air vehicles and
which em
ploy air-
25X1
ships.
By proposal nuBiber 11510 of 12 Septeaber 1957', "Small. Plastic Airship," you
have suggested a-tollow-up research effort, more applied which
world rresult fa a preliminsry design of s relatively small irship
with specified capabilities. In a sense, therefore, the work proposed ie
the first step in an overall program. The end paroduct ar objective o! thE~
program is envisioned es a prototype vehicle meeting the perlaarmance charac-
teristics outlined on page 3 of your proposal.
l~i~ao~ a consideration o~ lit is quite obvious the pro-
totype vehicle hea a vary 1LMited application. lrw another viewpoint,
hoMever, the vehi errs to demonstrate the principles conceived
endear Contras It is thus possible for a modest
airship to make a significant contribution to the area of powex'ed lighter-
than-air vehicles and exert a pronounced effect on subsequent planning for
operational vehicles.
In view of the above it is necessary at this time to consider the program
ahieh includes tlse prototype vehicle rather than the referenced pz~oposal
by itself. It appears logical that the program includes t~tiree phases which
are noted below:
a. Phase I - ,Prelimixlar r~,,,.Desi
Research, as outlined in proposal number 11510, will be 25X1
condimeted. R~-e end produc or result of this phase will be
a preliminary vehicle design.
DRiQ CAMP . OPT TYRE -~ ~
DIIfC CLASS LPL PAGES ~- REY CL.?'.S3 ~--.
.IUST '~~ NEXT \ty ~" AUTNI NR i0~a!
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/14 :CIA-RDP78-03642A001300040010-2
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Cop=pproved for Release 2012/06/14 : CI~ DP78-03642A001300040010-2
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{3~3 ~b1sA~[t: ~w
b. Phase ?I -Final Efesig~n
'i~-ls phase of ~e program is exBectad to inciwde the d^vel~g?
ment of a flying text vehicle based ~ tho PlassQ I design.
After Plight tests a finel design will b+a engineesed. '1'he
emd parodttct cat this phases gill be apporopriat~s angin~rin~,
drar~in,gs aad speciticstic~r~ s~P t.~e finml vehicle design.
c. a III Prfltaty~e Vehicle
A ei~e pr;~tuty~. ve~.icle wi3,.l be dcvelc~,~d as pex~ !,i-c:
~1h.8~~: ~~ Final del~~gxl? I'~.$g?1t BCCeptetYtCC 'te8ti Ylll ~ zt~etlc
b~~ the cantr~actor to det~sir~ whether or not the vehicle
p~erf~arrsse chetaetc~ristacs ere es3~gaatc aad consistent witf~
the opcratiot7al ctiaraeterfst~.cs spec.4Pied ins the Phase 1
proposal,
l~cxn a ~ci:rticrz]. cc~ns~.derat:~x: 1t is :iccessa~.ry ~~ evaluate the prt~~;rc:~: outlined
ab+~ve versus other pQroposed Sa' It is lilse2y t3sat only cane a't most will
be supp~arted in tY1~t field of pc;wered lighfi~er-than-air vehicles. It is thsrcPare
impearati~na t y~au3r b~:st e~-tiraei~ oP botl?a ties a~ Ptuu~s be available t'ar
P't~ases YI ai III c:~c:tliaed ~.b~c.~is i:~P?~t?~ra~t3un is coneiciered es~tential in
an evaluation of t2te aarioti:s pragrez~s. '..hr'his, in turn, Mill help determine
whether or not your propc~ssl 1151~J wilt be aupp~'ted .
If there ar,~~ ~arxy q c~irz~ the fn.~~~t~n~at:r.~y:~ above pleae~ cl~, s,,,~t ~t~.ei~
fate to con'~.et 25X1
:::tr.~erely~ yr~~;x~,
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/14 :CIA-RDP78-03642A001300040010-2