CHAPTER III OPERATION IVY In January 1950, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory began work on a thermonuclear weapon, Within eighteen months, development was far enough along that a test detonation could be planned, For this purpose, Joint Task Force 132 formed in July 1951, and in January 1952, the AirForce established Task Group 132.4 at the Special Weapons Command and placed Brigadier General Frederic E. Glantzberg in command, -- Aircraft For Sampling Because of the enormous cloud expected, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory requirements ‘for IVY sampling called for six sampling aircraft for altitudes above 3,000 feet, Samples from lower altitudes would not give a true picture of what was in the cloud. The sampling aircraft should be capable of flying five hours, two hours of which would be orbiting and sampling in the vicinity of the cloud. The laboratory recommended a cockpit filter system to protect the crew, The control aircraft for the sampling mission should operate above 30,000 feet altitude and be capable of flying at least 10 hours 5“ Dr. Plank outlined these altitude requirements for sampling the "“super® bomb's cloud and declared that six Bel? aircraft were needed for the basic missiom,. Because of the unknown amount of fission product fractionation that would occur, he continued, ",. . . it is desired to useas many of the B-l:7B aircraft in excess of the basic six as are operational on shot day." 63 AFWL/HO Concurrently, filter equipment SWEH-2-0034, gr “ee