shot morning, the control aircraft would take off from Kwajalein and fly
to Eniwetok.,
The ground controllers would launch the B-17 drone samplers
and the control aircraft took them over,
After the samples were collected,
the control aircraft returned the drones to Eniwetok where they landed and
the control aircraft proceeded to Kwajalein,
This new plan added }1
additional personnel to the population on Eniwetok, but was considered
worthwhile because of the added ability of the drones to secure
satisfactory samples.°° To establish a routine, Task Unit 7.4.2 accomplished many early morning drone flights, simlating missions,
X RAY Shot. The day before X RAY, on 14 April 198, eight drones
were flow from Kwajalein toEnivetok, On the way, pilots made final
electronics checkouts.
Before daylight the next morning the control
aircraft from Kwajalein arrived overhead and the drones were launched and
given over to the control aircraft,
At 0550, about half an hour before
the shot, the drone unit reported to General Kepner that they were on
station, 2 Four were north of the target and four south of it, at 1,000foot intervals on each side, starting at 14,000 feet and going up to
28,000 feet,
When they went into the cloud a sample would be taken from
2,000-foot altitude intervals,
The drones were scheduled to make three
passes through the cloud before going home .°?
Just two minutes before detonation, the B-17 drone aircraft flying
south of the target at 1,000 feet altitude, suddenly went out of control,
and though the control B-17 attempted chase, the drone crashed and
exploded in the ocean near Engebi Island, ©?
19
AFWLRO
SWEH-2-003h
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