ANNUAL GUIDED MISSILE REVIEW ON THE ATLAS, TITAN, AND THOR WEAPON SYSTEMS (INPUTS FOR ARDC REVIEW) Reel 1 · Part 1

Description

Summary: Coverage of Weapon System developments by contractors; flight readiness firings; launchings of the Atlas and Thor; early construction of launch pads and assembly buildings; and construction of facilities at Cooke AFB. (Shot list to follow.) Reel 1, 805': MLS Thor No. 101 in the gantry on launch stand 17B. 3' Series of night shots of the flight readiness firing of Thor No. 101, 16 January 1957. 22' MLS Thor No. 101 on launch stand 17B. 23' Night shot of the Thor on launch stand -- engines are started. 26' LS high angle, Thor on transport trailer under the gantry. 27' MS low angle, Thor in the gantry which is moving toward the launch stand in fg. 32' MS pan right, Thor in gantry being moved toward stand at right. 34' SLATE: 19 APRIL 57. 35' LS & CU camera pans up with launching of Thor No. 102, 19 April, at 2333 hours EST -- after a short climb the missile is destroyed. 178' Several CU's of a large piece of wreckage on the ground from Thor No. 102. 193' ALS of Cooke AFB during early construction. 194' CU of relief map of Cooke AFB. 195' MS Thor No. 110 being checked out in Douglas assembly building. 196' LS & CU of the Douglas dual-captive test stand at a site near Sacramento. 202' LS & CU of a single captive missile test stand. 208' SLATE: 30 AUGUST 57. 24" LENS. 64 FPS. 211' MS to ELS camera pans up with launching of Thor No. 104, 30 August, at 1510 hours EST -- shows missile climbing, then a contrail. 332' SLATE: 30 AUGUST 57 48" LENS. 32 FPS. 334' MCU to ELS camera pans up with launching of Thor No. 104 -- shows missile climbing, then leaving contrails. 404'ELS pan down with the two pieces of the Thor No. 104 after it breaks up in the air. 439' MLS to ELS of launching of Thor No. 105 from stand l7B, 20 September 1957. 565' MCU Thor No. 105 on launch stand -- severa1 technicians are working around the tail. 571' MCU camera pans up and down the length of the missile on the bare launch stand. 594' MCU camera pans with launching of Thor No. 105, and tracks it into extreme bg. 717' LS looking across basin toward several of the rocket engine test stands at the North American aviation Rocketdyne Field Test Laboratory. 726' MS of technician on test stand turning several valves mounted on a panel. 731' LS zoom in to MS of a Thor engine being test fired on vertical test stand at Rocketdyne Field Laboratory. MS high angle of technicians installing the AC spark plug guidance unit in Thor No. 112 in the Douglas plant. 747' Several CU's high-angle of a scale model of a Thor operational site. 763' Three-quarter FV Thor No. 111 under the gantry, being lifted off trans-trailer. 766' Series of shots of Thor missiles in production at the Douglas plant. Reel 2, 902': MS to ELS camera pans with launching and flight of Thor No. 108, 11 October 1957. 212' Two MCU's to ELS's camera pans with launch and flight of Thor No. 109, 23 October 1957. 569' MS two technicians working on the guidance unit of Thor No. 113 at AFMTC. 575' CU of the number "113" on the side of the Thor. 579' MLS low angle of an early Atlas missile on launch pad at AFMTC. 581' MS of flame deflector of test stand 1-1 at Edwards AFB during the static test firing of Atlas 2A. 585' MS of the base of test stand 1-1 during the captive test firing of Atlas 5A, October 1957. 588' MS & CU of test stand S-1 at Convair Sycamore Canyon test facilities during the captive firing of Atlas 3A, 18 February (night scene). 659' MLS of an Atlas missile being raised into captive test stand S-1. 660' MS Atlas 9A on the trans-trailer prior to being lifted into test stand S-1. 664' MLS of test stand S-3 at Sycamore Canyon. 664' MS pan with AF station wagon traveling up blacktop road in hilly country -- auto passes sign reading: ROCKETDYNE PROPULSION FIELD LABORATORY. 679' CU high angle of an Atlas vernier engine on test stand making a duel flow test (night scene). 680' MS SV of an Atlas vernier engine oscillating up and down on test stand during a hot firing at the Rocketdyne Field Laboratory. 683' CU left SV of an Atlas vernier engine during a stationary hot firing from a test stand at the Rocketdyne Field Laboratory. 690' MS high angle, Atlas vernier engine oscillating back and forth on test stand during a hot firing (night shot). 692' LS high angle of the hot firing of a complete Atlas three-engine cluster combustion package on the test stand at the Rocketdyne Field Laboratory. 697' MS of technicians installing G.E. guidance equipment in missile control facility No. 1 at Cape Canaveral. 703' LS high angle SV of a General Electric nose cone sled on the Sandia Corp. test track at Albuquerque, New Mexico. 705' High-speed split-frame photography of the nose cone impacting. 709' MCU high angle of two technicians working on mockup of a General Electric Mark II nose cone. 712' CU of a man's hand tracing a route along one of the plumbing lines from a cylinder near the bottom of the nose cone to a "T" connection. 720' CU pan around the top of the Mark II nose cone mockup showing the plumbing and wiring inside. 735' MS flight readiness firing of Atlas 4A on launch pad No. 14 at AFMTC, 3 June 1957. After the firing the water spray system can be seen operating on the pad (night scene). 797' MS pan up with Atlas 4A climbing after launch at 1427 hours, 11 June 1957. 819' MS pan with Atlas 4A breaking up in a ball of flame -- camera pans with one of the larger burning pieces. 829' MS low angle of Atlas 6A on launch pad No. l4, AFMTC. 834' MCU Atlas 6A on launch pad No. 14, AFMTC, showing firing of the engines prior to launch at 1457 hours, 25 September 1957. 836' MS pan up with Atlas 6A after launching. 857' LS Atlas 6A maneuvering violently in the sky, trailing sheets of flame and falling. 871' LS & MS right RV high angle, Atlas 10A undergoing modifications in Hangar "J" at AFMTC. LS & MS right RV high angle, technicians working on Atlas 10A during its modification in Hangar "J" at AFMTC. 897' MS high angle of three technicians taping a joint in the body of the missile just behind the nose cone section inside Hangar "J". Reel 3, 912': LS pan up with X-17 climbing after launch. 9' SLATE: FASTAX 16. TEST 3-11-7. 10' MS right RV high-speed footage showing launch and climb of X-17 test vehicle missile rises out upper frame. 92' MS SV of a Shape 52 nose cone for the Titan missile in a vertical hydraulic test stand. 95' SLATE: AVCO UNIT B-52. 25 JULY 57. FALL AWAY. 96' ALS to ELS camera in carrier aircraft showing free-fall of Avco re-entry vehicle. 113' CU of a preliminary engineering inspection of mockup of the Arma Corporation's inertial guidance platform showing the pendulums, gyros, accelerometers, and servos. 130' MS of bench assembly line at the Arma's Hicksville, Long Island plant, showing construction of the bench ovens and the power panels for accelerometer test equipment. 142' MS & CU of a man dressed in white clothes assembling a gyro in a sterile area in the Arma Garden City plant. 158' MLS pan to left showing a sled test of the Arma all-inertial guidance system. 159' Series of scenes showing the arrival by commercial trailer, and installation of the Bell Telephone Laboratory's ground guidance system No. 1 at AFMTC. 186' MS right RV high angle, three men seated at controls of the Bell Telephone Laboratory ground guidance system No. 1, during skin-tracking target of opportunity test. 190' MCU of a ball-shaped tracking head, which is part of the ground guidance system, functioning on top of roof. 194' MS high angle of three men in lab coats sitting at controls of the ground guidance system. 197' CU FV radar antenna -- the dish is constructed of wire screening. 199' MCU of man adjusting radarscope for the ground guidance system. 202' MCU of a search-type radar antenna rotating. 204' MS two men working on a large panel of ground guidance system No. 2 at the Bell Telephone Laboratory, Whippany, New Jersey facility. 207' MS high angle of man sliding a vertical rack out of a portion of the Remington Rand unit rack guidance computer No. 2 at their St. Paul facility. 208' AV from aircraft flying at low altitude over the Aerojet General Corporation's Sacramento plant. 224' MS to CU dolly of an addition being built to the Aerojet General Fabrication and Laboratory building. 246' MLS machine tools being placed in the Aerojet General Liquid Rocket plant (No. 70). 256' MS of Aerojet dual exhaust liquid rocket engine in an assembly jig. 267' MLS of a single exhaust rocket engine being placed in a shipping container outside the plant. 279' CU of the Aerojet, Azusa plant used for the production of auxiliary power supply units for the rocket engines. 283' MS RV of a single-chambered rocket engine being test fired in a vertical stand. 320' MS 3/4 view of the Martin Aircraft Company plant at Denver, Colorado parking lot in fg; mountains in bg. 322' MLS construction workers inside the unfinished Martin plant. 327' MLS INT Martin plant as equipment for Titan airframe construction is installed. 333' MCU left FV nose section of a full-scale mockup of the Titan missile. 336' Several scenes of construction of the first ten-foot diameter tank for the Lot "A" vehicle. 354' MLS high angle of Titan LOX and fuel tanks in the assembly jig being constructed in the plant. 361' MS left FV two men working on the installation of a Stage l engine on a battleship tank in the Martin Plant. 366' MLS right FV showing she erection of the first test stand at the Martin Company's facilities. 375' ALS of the Cold Flow Laboratory. 380' LS 3/4 FV of the vertical test fixture nearing completion -- mountains in bg. 388' MS FV of the partially completed hydrostatic test stand tank cleaning building. 392' AV of three launch pads under construction along the shore at AFMTC. 401' AV from aircraft flying past three missile assembly buildings under construction near the launch pads at AFMTC. 411' CU from camera mounted on launch stand showing firing of the vernier engine, then the main engine of Thor No. 114 on launch pad l7A, 28 January 1958 -- missile then rises out upper frame. 427' MS to ELS camera pans with launching and flight of Thor No. 114 -- after climbing to a high altitude, missile starts a left turn and is destroyed. 571' SLATE: THOR TEST NO. 152. MISSILE 114. 20" LENS. 32 FPS. 580' MLS SV Thor No. 114 on launch stand during countdown. 586' ELS pan with flight of Thor No. 114 at high altitude. 658' MLS high angle of Bell Telephone Laboratory ground guidance system installation at AFMTC. 673' MCU sign: BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES, INC., GUIDED MISSILE CONTROL FACILITY NO. 3, REMINGTON RAND UNIVAC, WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY. 679' MCU left SV tail section and left wing of C-131 -- cargo door is open. 693' Animated explanation of the operation of the Bell Telephone Laboratory guidance system. 708' Several scenes of the INT of the computer area. 723' MLS of three men working on the alignment of the ground guidance system antenna which is mounted on a trailer. 733' MS RV four men seated in front of the guidance unit panel at the radar control area. 745' SLATE: SCENE 18. TAKE 2. ROLL 5. 746' MS RV man standing next to ground guidance svstem antenna -- aircraft is approaching from extreme bg. 753' LS pan left with an aircraft flying past and away from the system antenna in fg. 763' MS high angle RV men seated at the ground guidance system control panel as it locks on target. 791' Several scenes showing the ground guidance system vertical plotting board, tape recorders, and pen trace recorders. 854' CU of TV screen which shows the image of a C-131 in flight. 861' MS of a man and woman pinning pen trace recordings on a large pin board -- the man then reads off figures from the recordings which the woman writes down. 891' MCU of two men seated at a table comparing data from pads in front of them. Reel 4, 906': MS low angle Atlas 10A on launch stand -- work platforms on the gantry are being raised. 11' Series of low angle and dolly shots from the entry as it moves away from the Atlas 10A on launching platform. 82' MS SV from camera on ramp, of Atlas 10A standing upright on launch platform. 85' MS SV flight readiness test firing of Atlas 10A on launching platform at AFMTC, 3 January 1958. 118' NG. 125' Several MS's SV of the gantry moving away trom the Atlas 10A missile on the launching platform. 172' LS SV launch of Atlas 10A at 1047 EST, 10 January 1958 -- the missile rises out upper frame. 210' SLATE: DATE: 1/10/58. 211' LS SV launching of Atlas 10A -- missile rises out upper frame. 248' MLS to ELS pan left with launch and climb of Atlas 10A. 338' SLATE: DATE: 1/10/58. 339' MS Atlas 10A on launch platform -- ramp in left fg; gantry crane not visible. 347' MCU FV low angle, work platforms on gantry around missile are starting to lift. 351' Several MS's FV and SV of gantry moving away from Atlas 10A on launching platform. 401' MS right RV Atlas 10A on launch platform -- ramp in left fg -- engines are fired. 427' MCU to ELS pan with Atlas 10A climbing and in flight after launch. 541' SLATE: 10 JAN 58. ATLAS TEST NO. 10. 48" LENS. 32 FPS. 545' MS of sign on wall: UNITED STATES AIR FORCE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN LABORATORY, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA. 549' Blank footage. 550' MCU to ELS Atlas 10A on launching platform -- vernier, then main engines are fired; hold downs released; and the missile is launched -- camera pans with climb and flight of missile. 700' AMLS of the temporary quarters area at Cooke AFB, California. 715' AV of future launch pad site at Cooke AFB -- ocean in bg. 732' MCU of sign on stake: COOKE AFB, LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA. 736' Series of shots of the official groundbreaking ceremony, 9 May 1957, at Cooke AFB, by Brig. Gen. O.J. Ritland, Vice Commander, AFBMD. 785' CU sign: COOKE AFB, CONSTRUCTION STATUS. 788' CU sign: SM-75 LAUNCH OPERATIONS BUILDING. 790' Several views of foundation of Atlas launcher "A" under construction at Cooke AFB. 798' CU sign: 65-1 MOD 2 GUIDANCE OPERATIONS BUILDINGS. 800' LS & MS of foundation for the Thor launch Operations Building under construction. 824' CU of sign: 65-1 LAUNCHER A. 826' Several shots of the foundation walls of Atlas launcher "A" under construction. 839' CU of sign: 65-1 LAUNCHER B. 840' Several shots of Atlas launcher "B" under construction, showing the reinforced concrete foundations and steel work rising from it. 856' CU sign: B.O.Q. REHABILITATION. 857' MS 3/4 FV of several scaffolds on side of two-story barracks type building which is being rehabilitated. 861' Sign: AIRMEN'S BARRACKS REHABIlITATION. 862' MS 3/4 FV of scaffolding built alongside of two-story barracks being rehabilitated. CU sign: SM-75 GUIDED MISSILES SHOP MAINTENANCE BUILDING. 869' MS pan left to show reinforced concrete supports for the Snark missile maintenance shop. 885' Sign: SM-65 GUIDED MISSILE ASSEMBLY BUILDING. 887' LS & MS of trenches being dug for the foundation of the Snark assembly building. 893' CU sign: CAPEHART AREA COMMUNITY CENTER. 896' LS pan left over open countryside alongside of blacktop road, which is future site of Capehart housing area. Reel 5, 957': SLATE: 7 DEC 57. 96" LENS. 32 FPS. 4' MS SV Thor No. 112 on launching platform (quality poor). 8' MS pan with launch of Thor No. 112, 7 December 1957 -- missile goes out upper frame (night scene). 32' Camera runoff. 46' ELS camera picks up the Thor missile in flight. 57' SLATE: 7 DEC 57. 61' LS 3/4 view of Thor missile in gantry on launch platform. 69' SLATE: 11 DEC 57. 74' Several LS's SV of Thor on launch platform -- gantry crane up close -- second launching platform is in left fg. 80' MS SV Thor No. 112 on launching platform -- LOX vents from the overflow halfway up the missile. 116' MS to ELS SV pan with launch and climb of Thor No. 112, 7 December 1957. 230' Several MS's of Thor No. 113 on launching platform -- LOX vents from the port midway up the missile. 284' MCU high angle SV, Thor No. 113 on launching platform -- cooling water basin and ocean are in bg -- LOX starts to vent from the missile, then engines are started. 335' ELS pan with the Thor in flight. 359' SLATE: 20 DEC 57. 48" LENS. 32 FPS. TEST 1419. 361' MCU of Thor No. 105 on launching platform -- LOX is venting from the missile -- several men are on platform. 367' MCU Thor No. 105 on launching platform -- LOX is venting from the missile, the vernier engines are started. 372' MCU to ELS pan with Thor No. 105 climbing after launch at 0925 EST, 20 September 1957. 386' SLATE: 20 SEP 57. 6" LENS. 30 FPS. TEST 1419. 472' LS to ELS pan with launch and flight of Thor No. 105. 553' SLATE: 20 SEP. REMOTE. 554' LS SV launch of Thor No. 105 -- missile rises out upper frame. 574' SLATE: 20 SEP. CAMERA REMOTE. 575' LS launch of Thor No. 105 -- missile rises out upper frame -- gantry is at right mid fg. 596' SLATE: CAMERMAN: LONGO. 20 SEP. TEST 1419. 597' LS to ELS pan with launch and climb of Thor No. 105. 652' SLATE: DATE: 20 SEP. 24" LENS. 64 FPS. 655' MS SV Thor No. 105 on launching platform -- LOX is venting from midway up the missile. 679' SLATE: 25 SEP 57. TEST 1422. 48" LENS. 32 FPS. 680' MS pan with Atlas 6A climbing after launch, 25 September 1957. 681' MLS pan with Atlas 6A rolling and tumbling in flight -- missile is burning. 693' MLS pan down with the exhaust chambers of rocket engine which land in the water behind a row of trees in fg. 704' SLATE: 25 SEP 57. TEST 1422. 24" LENS. 64 FPS. 706' MLS right RV Atlas 6A on launch platform -- LOX is venting from the missile. 709' MLS to ELS pan with launch and climb of Atlas 6A, after which the rocket engines cut out -- missile starts to roll and tumble, bursts into flames, and explodes. 844' MS sign on an ornamental pole: MURRAY HILL LABORATORIES, BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES. 848' Several MS's FV and RV of two men installing the central component in the Bell Telephone ground guidance system No. 2 tracker. 883' MS of two men placing one of the racks of the ground guidance system on its base in the guidance system building at Cape Canaveral. 902' MCU of a row of equipment racks along one wall in the guidance system building. 905' MS of man seated at console of the guidance system -- second man is seated in bg -- equipment racks are along the walls of the room. 914' MS of a large sheet of metal in a bilateral stretch press in the Martin plant, Denver, Colorado. 919' MS of workman positioning the sheet of metal in the stretch press. 926' MS & CU of Numericord skin milling machine in the Martin plant, cutting a test pattern on a thick slab of metal. 933' CU of workmen placing a programmed tape in the control unit of the milling machine. 942' Several MS's of workmen installing wiring in a Lot "A" Titan missile in the Martin plant. Reel 6, 895': SLATE: 3 OCT. TEST 1534. CAMERA REMOTE. 1' MLS SV Thor No. 107 on launch stand 17A, 3 October 1957 -- rocket engines are started, missile rises approximately ten feet from the stand, then settles back down and explodes on stand. 19' DATE: 3 OCT. TEST 1534. 21' Several MLS's from different angles of Thor No. 107 on launch stand 17A, 3 October 1957 -- rocket engines are started, missile rises approximately ten feet above the launch stand, then drops down, explodes, and burns. 49' MCU SV Thor No. 108 on launch stand -- LOX is venting from the missile, then vernier engines are started. 67' MCU to ELS pan with climb after launch and flight of Thor No. 108. 296' Camera runoff. 320' MS to ELS launch of Thor No. 108, 11 October 1957 -- camera pans with missile climb and flight. 584' MS SV Thor No. 108 on launch stand -- LOX is venting from the missile. 603' ELS pan left with Thor No. 108 climb and flight (missile rises out of glare of sun). 758' Camera runoff. 760' MS to ELS pan with launch, climb, and flight of Thor No. 108. Good (Basic: Mas color pic, R-6 Pic Print)

Collection

Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities