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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.

  • 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…
52
Settet N0FORl)I
Chapter 2
A-2 camera
U-2s equipped with the A- I camera system also carried a
Perkin-Elmer tracking camera using 2.75-inch film and a 3-inch lens.
This device made continuous horizon-to-horizon photographs of the
terrain passing beneath the aircraft. Because the A - I system was: new,
it also included a backup camera system. a K-17 6-inch three-camera
trimetrogon unit using 9-inch film.
Whi le the A -1 system was still being developed, James )Baker
was already working on the next generation of lenses for high-alrtitude
reconnaissance. Baker was a pioneer in using computers to synthesi ze
optical systems. His software algorithms made it possible to model
lens designs and determine in advance the effects that variatio,ns in
lens curvatures. glass compounds. and lens spacings would have on
rays of light passing through a lens. These .. ray-tracing" programs re
quired extensive computations, and, for this he turned to the most
modem computer available, an IBM CPC (card-programmed callcula
tor) installation at nearby Boston University. 17
" Ibid.. chap. I. pp. 7-8 (TS Codeword).
-Seeret

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