damage of note and very minor blast damage similar to that incurred on
ROMEO,
The shock time arrival was at 81.04 seconds after Time Zero.
This was the only shot the back-up controller-sampler participated in.
The
primary sampler had landing gear trouble and a fracture in one of the
plexiglass bubbles which made it lose pressure.
None of the PEWTER photography aircraft was able to get pictures because Of extensive cloud cover below,
Although the photography aircraft
climbed to 15,500 feet and were in the clear at H-hour, they were unable
to see the blast.
On this shot it was found that a 120° angle between
PEWTER ONE and PEWTER THREE was too great for triangulation purposes used :
é
in Project 9.1.
In February, it had been believed that a four-day maintenance period
was required between shots, provided a shot was postponed after H-5 hours,
As the delays continued, however, it became more and more apparent that
the four-day period had to be reduced.
In March there seemed to be mini-
mum flexibility in the Task Group 7.1 shot plans,
except sit and wait for the proper firing winds.
Nothing could be done
Following ROMEO, Task
Group 7.1 decided to have one shot ready for firing at Bikini and Miwe-
tok, respectively, so that either could be fired on a short notice whenever
the proper firing winds occurred at either shot site.
This added flexibility in the shot schedule placed additional burdens
upon the Air Task Group.
Their first project was to find out how fast
they could accomplish aircraft "turn-around" for two missions within possibly three days.
Two things were required:
a revised decontamination
procedure and a maintenance system capable of giving priority maintenance
to the RB-36 controller, a B-36 sampler and eight -F-84 samplers, in order
to assure their readiness within a three-day turn-around period.
Following ROMEO, the Air Task Group found it could, without undue
effort, pursue a three-day turn-around between shots and be assured of
AFWi/He
gy