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"

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6

Select target paragraph3