ge IC him by the 27th of October. On 24 October Betts sent a TWX to Schwartz of Sandia on the feasibility of air dropping 30 megaton and 50 megaton bombs from a BS2 type aircraft and with particular weights and particular heights of bursts and requests them to comment on the possibilities and make any suggestions by October 27. Out of order chronologically but in the file here is a copy of a TWX from Reeves dated approximately the 12th of October on the subject of the actions necessary based on the NTS Planning Board determinations on 27 and 28 September, Reeves sets forth to each organization such as Sandia, ALO, EG&G, U. S. Public Health Service, etc., what activities and planning they are to be doing at this time. One area worth mentioning is the requests made to Col. Kiley of Field Command who was asked to submit a statement on the DoD capability to support the AEC in the area of air support at the NTS, temporary support from the Air Weather Service to the U. S. Weather Bureau, and capability to support two different quick air drop programs, one for two devices to be air dropped in less than 30 days and one for three devices to be air dropped within 2-1/2 to 3 months. There is and has been frequent correspondence through this period mainly from ALO with the laboratories and DMA on the subject of fabrication of weapons, production of weapons, procurement of material for weapons, etc. On 26 October Henderson of Sandia Corporation sent a TWX to Betts on the subject of preparations for air drops. He reports that a test drop of a unit like the one to be used in actual air drop testing was dropped from a B52 tiown by AFSWC on the 24th of October and that after being dropped at 45,000 feet the unit detonated only about 3000 feet below the aircraft and although no damage was sustained this was of course an obvious malfunction which must be remedied prior to using the unit for actual testing. The message concludes "it is obvious that the suggested nuclear drop date cannot be met." A 27 October memo for record written by Lt. Col. O'Brien of DMA's Test Branch, covers the subject of sampling aircraft and notes the history of lab requirements for samplers through 1961 that seems to have evolved to a LASL position that they would like four B57B's plus two B57D's for high altitude sampling and an estimate of the LRL position which seems to be that they would prefer two BS7B's and five B57D's for shots over one megaton but if the D models are not available they would accept a force of six B57B's. According to a Lt. Col. Highley who is knowledgeable on the availability of samplers at the present time there were plans for 33 sampler aircraft to be made available for all the different jobs and that 13 of these B57's were being modified at this time. Only 3 of the B57D's are actually available for the AEC purposes and yet with the present plans which don't include shots above certain yields within certain periods of time apparently the Air Force seems to be saying that they feel that they can meet the requirements as they now see them. Mention is made of the B47 as a sampler possibility but it of course does not meet the high altitude requirements.