58-0086Holloman

These photos were taken at Holloman AFB NM in the early to mid 60s when 59-0086 was assigned to the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) as one of their test birds. At the time this photo was taken, the aircraft had the first version of the Rapid Tune Magnetron (RTM) and the RTM hydraulic pump was installed inside the radar door. The hole in the AFSC emblem (on the radar door) was to allow cooling air into the pump while airborne. The people are Hughes and AF people that worked on the program known as IIP Block II.

In the back row - left to right are: (1) Carl Holsopple, instrumentation (2) Jerry Kachel, scheduling, briefing & debriefing (3) Doug Peck, test hardware maintenance (4) Lou Harris, engineering supervisor (5) Ralph Gifford, data analyst.

In the front row - left to right are: (1) Frenchy Guenoit, airframe maintenance (2) Snuffy Grimes, airframe maintenance (3) Don Daigle, MA-1 maintenance (4) Bill Russell, in charge of MA-1 maintenance (5) Amos Davis, MA-1 maintenance (6) Raymond Massey, Hughes liaison

Seated officers - left to right (1) ?? (2) Major Bogan, pilot (3) ??

On the radar door are symbols for drones shot down with AIM missiles and MB-1s. One MB-1 didn't ignite and fell like a bomb landing in the lake used for slowing down the rocket sled, thus the big splash symbol scaring the ducks off the pond. Also includes the symbol for three 'sand seeking missiles'.

Bill Russell also mentioned that later in the Holloman test program, 59-0086 had all the MA-1 equipment (except CN & L, and MA-1 power) stripped from it at another location (possibly Sacramento) and was sent to Greenville, TX, to be used by LTV for some test project. Bill doesn't recall what the test project was. Thanks for the info Bill.