Documents / Official release

CIA-UAP-003, The Central Intelligence Agency and Overhead Reconnaissance; The U-2 and OXCART Programs, 1954-1974

Central Intelligence Agency · 1954 · 406 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is a Secret History Staff monograph by Gregory W. Pedlow and Donald E. Welzenbach of the Central Intelligence Agency, published in 1992. It gives a history of the CIA's manned overhead reconnaissance program from 1954 to 1974, covering the development and operation of the U-2 and the A-12 OXCART aircraft. It covers overflights of the Soviet Union, the 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers, and later operations. One section is titled "U-2s, UFOs, and Operation BLUE BOOK."

From the source:Release of 2026-06-12 This CIA History Staff document chronicles the complete history of the U-2 and OXCART (A-12) high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft programs from 1954 to 1974, detailing their development, operations over the Soviet Union and other targets worldwide, the famous downing of Francis Gary Powers in 1960, organizational reforms following that incident, and the eventual transfer of operations from CIA to Air Force control. A more redacted version of this document has been available on CIA's public website.

Open the PDF at page 399 Original source ↗

“Burbank”10 pages

  • p. 24 …April 1954. Lo.:khec:d Corporation. Advanced Devdopmcnt Projec:ts Divi~ion. Burbank. California. Sec,et
  • p. 58 …Pedlow, Burbank, California, 26 August 1988. 6eeret 11
  • p. 85 …how to transfer Lockheed employees from Burbank to Area 5 l without arousing a great deal…
  • p. 273 …SP-1362, "History of the OXCART Program," Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, CA. I July 1968, p…
  • p. 287 …designed trailer truck that carried it from Burbank to Area 5 I. By 18 November 1959…
  • p. 296 …not test the OXCART aircraft at its Burbank facility, where the runway was too short and…
  • p. 297 …Construction began in September 1960; a C-47 shuttle s,ervice ferried work crews from Burbank…
  • p. 299 …The plane left Burbank on 26 February 1962 and arrived at Area 51 two days later…
  • p. 304 …into the engine nacelles during assembly at Burbank were sucked into the power plant during initial…
  • p. 372 …293 BUORL 22 Burbank. California 45 &eeret NOFe"N Index Burke. William 168 120 114 Byeloruss1a…
Sec.et N6f'OPIN
Index
386
Tyuratam, Soviet Union
135, 137-138, 160, 163-165, 167-168.
171- 172, 176
u
U - 1
66
U-2
accomplishments
316
assembly
45, 47, 66. 75. 164. 280, 284, 291
bailout experiments
64
bases
93
bicycle-type landing gear
47
blue-black color
149
brakes
69
canopy
80. 149. 177
cockpit
11. 63-64. 79, 125. 283. 292. 296
cost
34. 124. 149. 250-252. 263. 269. 273.
280. 285-286, 309, 322. 341-342
cover story
60. 85. 89-90, 94, 99, 132, 156, 178-180.
182, 207-208, 216,224,295
coverage
316
deadstick landing
79
deployment
2, 74. 76. 78. 88-89. 93-94. 134. 161.
165, 167, 247, 250. 255-257, 297.
301-302. 304. 307,3 13,3 17.332
design
47
destruction device
177
detachable pogos
47
ejection seat
64. 177, 302
emergency landing
78. 188. 222,313
film exploitation
115
flameout
71, 78-79, 131, 198. 229
flight plans
82. 177
flights approval process
187-188, 226. 30 I
foreign pilots
73-74, 32 1
fuel
5. 23. 47. 61-62. 68. 76. 133. 161. 175.
199. 218-219. 231. 235. 241 , 247-248.
271. 274. 277-278. 283-284. 286. 288.
302. 313. 340
fuel consumption
68. 219
fuel <>auae
68, z"19.~302
fuselage
10. 24. 47. 130,248.251, 270,277,286
inspection procedures
297
landing gear
10-12. IS. 47-48. 69. 89. 248
low-speed stall
76
maiden flight
66. 288
mission 1104
I 14
mission 1105
114
mission 1314
117
mission 2003
100
mission 2009
IO I
mission 2010
101
mission 2013
104-105
mission 2014
105
mission 2020
106
mission 2021
106
ioe,at

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Official release, from the pursue collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 406 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.