ATLAS PROJECT FILM REPORT, THIRD QUARTER Part 6

Description

Summary: Convair film report AT-27 covering the highlights in production, research, development, testing at the San Diego plant, and other locations where major tasks are accomplished. VIP's shown are: Neil H. McElroy, Secretary of Defense, and William M. Holaday, Assistant Secretary of Defense. 1) Final assembly and checkout area in the Convair Plant showing "A" & "B" series missiles and scenes of Atlas A undergoing systems evaluation tests in the final checkout area. 2) Several shots of Neil H. McElroy, Secretary of Defense, arriving by C-121 on 25 September 1957 at the Convair San Diego Plant; and CU of the C-121 nose which shows flags of 25 countries. 3) MS of the March AFB main gate. 4) Convair engineers conducting a research project at March AFB with AF enlisted personnel -- shows airmen in the classroom and operating mockups of the liquid oxygen and fuel tanking consoles designed for the first ballistic missile base at Camp Cooke, California. 5) AV of the Point Loma laboratory. 6) Arrival and erection of a standard missile tank on tower A. 7) Testing in tower E to verify proper separation of the booster compartment from the Atlas missile -- a production section is shown being dropped from a stub tank, and technicians are shown in the tower blockhouse during the test. 8) Assistant Secretary of Defense William M. Holaday, visiting the new Convair Astronautics Plant and touring the construction area which shows various stages of completion. 9) AV of the Sycamore Canyon rocket test site. 10) Atlas missile 9A being delivered to the Sycamore Canyon static test stand No. l. 11) LS's of stands 1-A and 1-4 at the Edwards Rocket Base. 12) Hot firing tests of an Atlas B sustainer engine on stand 1-4 -- shows technician checking the accessory power supply unit mounted on the engine. 13) Arrival of the B thrust section on a trailer to the assembly hangar where it is readied for installation on the battleship tank. 14) Hot firing test 108 and 111 on stand 1-A including CU's of the vernier engines gimbaling during the run. 15) Atlas 5-A with a modified General Electric guidance antenna on static test stand -- shows CU of the copper vernier lined flame-deflector on stand. 16) Technician closing the case of one of the special cameras which are mounted around the test stand. 17) Footage from one of the special cameras that is mounted inside the thrust structure looking toward the flame-deflector during run No. 107. 18) AV's of buildings J and K, Missile Assembly, and Administration Center. 19) Missile 10A convoy arriving at AFMTC -- missile is then taken to hangar J. 20) Weight calibration test of missile 6A in the assemb1y and checkout hangar. 21) AV four Atlas launch complexes at Cape Canaveral. 22) Atlas missile 6A on launch pad 14 -- shows gantry being removed. 23) Static test firing of Atlas 6A on 20 September 1957. 24) Technicians in the blockhouse during countdown for launch. 25) Fixed and tracking camera footage of Atlas 6A on 25 September 1957 showing the engine ignition, launch, climb, engine malfunction, missile tumbling, then destruction. 26) Atlas missile 10A, the third flight test missile, in gantry on the launch platform. Good (Basic: Orig koda "A & B" rolls)

Collection

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

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Aviation Activities