XTIT
aloft to an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet above the reactor,
The wind being relatively calm, the smoke cloud hovered over the reactor
for a short time, then started to drift off in a northeasterly direction,
The jet smoke was the only means used to identify the exhaust cloud and
debris.
During "runs" by the sampler aircraft, the pilots relayed the
radiation level and dosage readings from cockpit instruments to the
airborne control aircraft.
These were noted and monitored by the scientific
controller riding in the rear cockpit of the control aircraft,
Upon
dissipation of the identifying cloud, the samplers continued to track the
exhaust debris by cockpit instrumentation until they could collect no
further samples,
After approximately five minutes at high power, the fuel
modules in the reactor started to deteriorate and expel large pieces of
carbon from the nozzle,
The pieces were propelled approximately 300 feet
into the air and then fell to the ground around the reactor,
There was no
contact of these pieces with the sampler aircraft,
It was decided ona follow-up meeting with the KIWI test director
that these fuel elements had an extremely high radiation count.
In the
event one of these elements was ingested by a jet engine or adhered to
the airframe, except fuselage cockpit area, the aircraft would have to ba
abandoned
bythe aircrew within five minutes or suffer unduly high
radiation dosage,
Preventive measures were followed to preclude contact
with these or similar expelled parts.of the reactor .u?
During K¥WE III, sampling procedures were similar, except that pilots
flew at not less than 750 feet above the reactor and 750 feet to one side
289
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SWEH-2-003),
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