IV
cloud penetration and the landing at Indian Springs,
The aircraft had
always collected “residual contamination" on outer surfaces,
But after
personnel cleaned the aircraft with acid brightener, the polished aircraft
reduced radiation from 50 to about 17 per cent of the total,
Secondly,
radiation to the pilot was reduced through lining the interior of the
cockrit with 1/32-inch sheets of lead,
There was a delay obtaining this
material but all the F-8) samplers received the lead by RAY Shot, 11 April
1953.
The third protective device was a lead-glass vest designed to cover
the sides and front of the torso,
This device, like most of the sampling
equipment developed during this period, was the result of cooperation by
Lieutenant Tolonel Fackler, Colonel Houghton, and Dr. Plank.
Dr, Flank
estimated that the vest reduced dosages from 10 to 15 per cent.
‘when the
vest was actually tested duringNANCY Shot, radiation appeared lessened
by 17 per cent.
Production of the vests was delayed because of
limitation in personnel and equipment,
However, there were enough vests
available to fit all the sampler pilots for BADGER SHOT, on 18 April 1953,"
After the first shot of the series, one of the flying duties was
taken away from the F-8h sampler pilots.
Colonel Fackler and Dr, Plank
worked out a system of airplane control whereby the navigator aboard the
B-SO sampler control provided the sampler pilot with time and vectoring
information,
This relieved the F-8& pilots of the duties of navirating
their aircraft from Indian Sprines to the control airplane.
When the
sampling mission was finished, the B-50 navigator had the sampler's
1
course plotted hack to the base, iy
87
Arai
SWEH-2-003),
6"
ne
6