IIT
the sampling unit was flight testing the aircraft and turned up a
multitude of minor discrepancies but these were hunted down and
corrected,
The prototype sampler cost $22,760 to modify while each
of the other 15 aircraft cost $19,260.°
Concurrently, the control
aircraft were modified and sent to Wright Air Development Center for
flight testing and from there to Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico,
early in August 1962,"
Training For Sampler Pilots
On 2 March 1952, Dr; Plank visited the Special Weapons Command
when plans were drawn up for training the F-8LG pilots to sample atomic
clouds,
Also, a letter from Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory formally
requested that the Task Group 132, sampler pilots be allowed to
participate in TUMBLER/SNAPPER and the Center approved the program on
26 March 19528 During one of his visits, Dr, Plank explained the
reasons and theories behind cloud sampling,
The Strategic Air Command
pilots picked to fly the F-8)G sampler aircraft were pleased to learn
that they were doing something useful, ", . . not Serving as guinea-pigs
as they seriously believed when first called upon to do the sampling."”
In late March and early April 1952, the F-8l,G pilots passed through
Kirtland fora short period of training in theory of radiation and in
the use of radiac instruments.
Afterwards, in groups of five, they took
additional training at Indian Springs Air Force Base where, as noted
previously, they penetrated atomic clouds during the TUMBLER/SNAPPER
detonations,
To avoid excessive radiation which might inhibit sampling
66
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