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USAF on allocation of the aircraft," the Chief, Aircraft Allocations
Division, Charles W. Early, wrote,-°
Then the Center received additional
information concerning the B-57D on 9 June 19595,
The letter also informed
the Center that the Glenn L, Martin Company was making a study at the
direction of Air Force headquarters to determine the possibility of
converting the model to a cloud sampler,~”
The need for personal contact, additional to official authorizations
and channels in achieving military tasks was demonstrated in a letter from
Dr. Plank to Golonel fT. T. Omohundro of the Air Force Special Weapons Center,
In the letter, Dr. Plank listed many questions regarding the status of the
B-57D, also several rumors he had heard regarding it and stated, "As you —
know, our contact with Martin no longer exists so that questiéns with which
we may be able to help cannot be answered informally in connection with
other matters,"
30
After all this paperwork and coordinating and without
receiving word of approval for the three B-57D aircraft, Special Weapons
Center personnel felt the need for early equipment planning.
By July
1955, Center engineers proceeded under the assumption that the B-57D would
be available and drew up specifications for special modifications,
However,
final planning could not be accomplished until Air Force headquarters
approved allocation of the aircraft and forwarded expected delivery dates,
It appeared these aircraft would not take part in REDWING.2! Then on
2 November 1955, the Glenn L, Martin Company had finalized its design
“of the sampling version of the B-57D and Colonel Herschel D, Mahon submitted
the drawings and specifications to Eos Alamos Scientific Laboratory to insure
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