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The Impossible Factory is available wherever books are sold. I'd prefer you support your local bookstore, because they are small businesses and are vital to the survival of this industry. They also support authors and encourage reading. Mine is Greenlight, in Ft Greene, by the way, so if you're strolling through Brooklyn, please stop in and buy some books. Rough Draft in Kingston, NY, is another favorite, and just a beauty of a place to hang out. To pre-order the book from an indie, there's the excellent Indiebound website. You can also order direct from the great Powell’s, whether you live in Portland or not. If you don't have a bookstore nearby, or prefer the convenience of one-click shopping, by all means hop on over to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Hudson Booksellers, or even Apple's iTunes store. They are big, but not bad. Drop me a line if you’d like a signed copy — it’s certainly possible to send me a copy, plus postage costs, and I’ll get one out to you. Or I can sign a book plate, and send that out, which costs you only as much as an envelope and a stamp. https://www.theimpossiblefactory.com/notes daily 0.75 2026-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/682cb0f17ab0536b3dc88827/01cff029-598a-4e96-8217-dd5484da8e22/AtMichigan.jpg Notes - sources & notes We ran out of space for notes in the book. So I’m putting this ever-evolving document of sources and notes up, here. A few key documents were accidentally left out of the selected sources in the book, in my rush to get that ready. One of them is Agency historian David Robarge’s excellent “Arcangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft (Second edition),” published by the CIA’s Center for the Study of Intelligence. If you’re curious about something, and don’t find the answer here, by all means reach out: theimpossiblefactory@gmail.com. PROLOGUE: OUT OF THE SHADOWS You can watch this interview yourself, if you can dig up a copy of that October 18, 1982 episode of “60 Minutes,” as I did. There’s also a copy of the transcript at the Huntington Library, in Pasadena, where I did a lot of the research for this book. CHAPTER 1: THE AMERICAN DREAM The primary source for Kelly’s youth is Kelly himself, via his slim but useful biography, “More Than My Share Of It All.” But accounts of his father’s journey from Sweden were supplemented with a variety of sources, including research into the family geneology and journey to America at the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana University, in Rock Island, Illinois. Kelly’s FBI background check in 1949 states that his father, Peter (né Per) was born on August 11, 1864 and that his mother, Christine Anne Anderson, was born September 8, 1868. Kelly tells the story of his father’s journey — trying to get Nebraska but being “Shanghaied to supper Michigan” by someone in Chicago, in the oral history he gave to WD Perreault for the Lockheed Oral History Project, using the pseudonym “L.E. Root.” He told the story of being called “Clara” on 60 Minutes, and added the detail of his bully Cecil’s broken leg in a speech given to the AIAA in 1976 (titled "Reminiscing with Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson and Neil Armstrong," AIAA Honors Night Banquet). He talks about his nickname, and his speech to the Lion’s Club in his 60 Minutes interview, in his oral history, and in an interview given much later for the Herald-Express (“P-80 Jet Designed by Former Ishpeming Resident" is the title, and I found it in his personal PR clippings file, in the Huntington collection.) That speech was also covered by the then-local Ishpeming paper, which is quoted in my chapter. I have seen a copy of his sketchbook with the Merlin biplane on the cover thanks to his stepson, John Horrigan. The account of the first balloon flight was verified by a history of ballooning on the National Balloon Museum’s website. Kelly’s account of having Jim Bishop talk him out of flying lessons is in his memoir, and in his 60 Minutes interview. The story of his first ulcer comes from More Than My Share of It All (henceforth referred to as “MTMSOIA”). The story of his car accident comes from an AIAA Student Journal profile of young Kelly. Accounts of Kelly’s time at Michigan are mostly from MTMSOIA but he talked about his professors in speeches throughout his career. Carl Haddon’s quotes are from his oral history, as part of the Lockheed Oral History Project. The story of Kelly and Don Palmer’s journey across America is in MTMSOIA, and is also told (including mention of borrowing a professor’s car) in an article titled Kelly Johnson to the Rescue, by Randy Milgrom, commissioned by the University of Michigan’s Heritage Project, and available on that project’s website. CHAPTER 2: THE RISE OF LOCKHEED The book “Beyond the Horizons” by Walter J Boyne (Thomas Dunne Books, 1998) is a tremendous history of Lockheed, starting with the Loughead brothers, and was a valuable resource for the company’s backstory. Lockheed’s own internal histories also have extensive accounts, including “Lockheed Story—A Boy’s Dream,” from the company history series “The Story of Lockheed.” The Dole Air Race was widely covered, but you can find an excellent account here. For the story of the winner, Goebel, try this. There are various accounts of the company’s purchase from bankruptcy that describe roughly the same events, including but not limited to “The Lockheed Story: June 6, 1932” by Denham Scott, from the May 5, 1969 edition of the Southern California Industrial News, “Lockheed’s Golden Anniversary,” from the June 6, 1982 edition of the Lockheed Star newsletter, “Looking Ahead, Looking Back,” by Judy Liebman, for the Starduster, on the 60th anniversary of Lockheed, and the Burbank Daily Review’s “The Lockheed Story” from the August 29, 1952 edition. Details on the original HQ, including that it was formerly a pottery factory, come from Hall Hibbard’s oral history, which can be found in the Huntington Library’s Lockheed collection. The stories from Harvey Christen, including the truck sitting, are from the Harvey Christen papers, at the Huntington (the account of Headle making engineers go on test flights is from one titled, “Quality Control in 1929.” Accounts of Kelly and Don Palmer arriving at Lockheed come from MTMSOIA. The design work on the Studebakers was reported in U Michigan Daily paper, in a February 17, 1933 article titled “Silver Arrow Designed by Students Here: Streamlined Model by Johnson, Palmer May be Accepted,” and then in a May 25, 1933 story titled, “Five Cars in Indianapolis Race Designed by Graduate Students.” Letters between Robert and Courtlandt Gross (quoted extensively in this chapter) are in the Huntington collection. Some details on the early days of wind tunnel testing are from John D Anderson Jr’s excellent book, “The Grand Designers: The Evolution of the Airplane in the 20th Century.” Kelly talks about his wind tunnel testing for Lockheed in his oral history (under L.E. Root). Hibbard’s observation that Kelly “looked so young, I was almost afraid he couldn’t read or write,” is from an AIAA tribute to Kelly. There’s a copy of Hibbard’s letter to Kelly, congratulating him on the twin tails fix, in the Huntington (addressed “to Johnson” and from “Hibbard,” dated Not 10,1933). “If a plane held anybody besides the pilot, you could bet that the man would be Kelly,” is from a 1953 Lockheed Star article, on the occasion of Johnson’s 20th Anniversary with Lockheed. The reality of just how dire things were, when the Model 10 Electra nearly failed, comes from a letter from Robert to Courtlandt, on May 3, 1933. The specific figures showing Lockheed’s rebound, from loss into profit, are from an article in Feb 19, 1935 edition of the Lockheed Star (volumes of which are in the Huntington collection). CHAPTER 3: YOU GOTTA START SOMEWHERE Hall Hibbard really did roll up his sleeve and count bolts in those early days. I read about it in the company’s multi-part history “Lockheed Story: A Boy’s Dream.” His lesson to Kelly about using carrot, along with stick, is from the AIAA Tribute event. Kelly tells of sneaking Althea onto the Electra for a test in MTMSOIA. The anecdote about the couple roaring in, “a swirl of hard-boiled eggs and sandwiches,” is from a letter Robert Gross wrote to Kelly upon his 20th anniversary at Lockheed, on August 14, 1953 (a copy of which is in the National Archives). The only account of their wedding and honeymoon is in MTMSOIA, as are the details about Althea’s love of horses, and desire for a ranch. Kelly talks about both Roscoe Turner and Lindbergh in his Oral History, and the latter also on 60 Minutes. Hibbard’s quote about Wiley Post is from his Oral History. Personal details about Post come from his National Aviation Hall of Fame biography. Kelly “griping about” his bet with Wiley comes from an interview he did with Aviation Week. There’s a good account of Post’s fateful flight called “The Last Farewell of Will Rogers and Wiley Post,” posted by the Oklahoma State Senate. Amelia Earhart’s initial dealings with Lockheed are told well by Harvey Christen, in a “Biographical Sketch of Amelia Earhart” he wrote up in 1965 this is now in his papers at the Huntington. Kelly’s memo for Earhart is in his papers, at the Huntington, dated Feb 17, 1937. Kelly’s letter about the “preponderance of evidence” about Earhart’s crash was written to a PJ Harney, in 1980. It’s in his papers. The account of Hibbard’s intense schedule to accommodate Howard Hughes comes from an interview he gave, upon retiring, called “Hall Hibbard Ends 45-Year Career; Tells of Memories,” and also includes details from his Oral History. That’s also where you’ll find the amazing story about Howard Hughes, the borrowed suit, and the runway. Jack Duffendack’s encounters with Hughes are from his Oral History, also part of the Lockheed project. Kelly tells the story of taking the Connie plans to Hughes’ house in MTMSOIA. The quote about the Connie democratizing the air is from a Lockheed article titled “How the Constellation Became the Star of the Skies,” published October 01, 2020 and on the company’s website. Kelly talks about the B-29 engine as a power source in MTMSOIA. “The answer is Kelly Johnson” is from Hibbard’s talk at the AIAA tribute to Kelly Johnson. There’s a good account of Eddy' Allen’s first test flight in Beyond the Horizons, by Walter J Boyne, with additional details about Burcham’s role in Bill Yenne’s 1987 book, “Lockheed.” Hibbard called Allen the best test pilot in America in his oral history, which is also where he said “It was the only time I ever saw Bob Gross cry.” Kelly talks about Hughes at the helm in MTMSOIA. Hughes’ contribution to the design is from Hibbard’s Oral History. Kelly and Hall’s official history is called “The First Constellation Decade,” but in 1977 — long after Hibbard’s death — Kelly claimed in a letter that he’d written it alone. CHAPTER 4: LOCKHEED GOES TO WAR You might think that Calvin Coolidge quote is apocryphal. It is not. Many sources verify it, none more authoritative than the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, which handles his papers. Robert Gross’s lust for the sector was laid out in a letter to his brother written on October 29, 1936. FDR’s call for the urgent manufacture of 50,000 planes comes from Lockheed’s “Of Men and Stars,” volume 6. General Marshall’s statement about the woeful state of the US air forces comes from page 117 of the US Army Chief of Staff biennial report, july 1, 1943-June 30, 1945. Kelly writes of his early promotion to Chief Research Engineer in MTMSOIA. Otto Graf’s tip about the British delegation is courtesy of Jack Duffendack, in his oral history. Kelly himself attributed the visit to the British Air Attache in Washington. Kelly wrote about the Model 14 adventures in MTMSOIA, and talked about it in his oral history. There’s a good account of this, including the Queen Mary trip, in Boyne’s “Beyond the Horizons.” The observation that Kelly’s suit was “an unmade upper berth,” comes from remarks made by Courtlandt Gross about CLJ. Robert Gross’s assurance that “We have great confidence in Mr. Johnson” is from Kelly’s oral history, but there’s also an account in a speech Courtlandt gave during the AIAA Tribute to Kelly Johnson, which I have a video of. That same speech also states that this was the largest peacetime order made to date. It’s Boyne who adds the perilous state of Lockheed’s finances at that time. MTMOIA reports on the $1.25 loan and hiring spree, while the extreme unemployment is from “Lockheed during WWII” by Sol London, Lockheed Life. Marshall Headle and the intentional stalls is a story Kelly told on 60 Minutes, while the “Old Boomerang” nickname is mentioned in MTMSOIA. Duffendack’s story comes from … Duffendack, via his very colorful Oral History. That’s where he claims to have come up with one of Kelly’s key tenets — that individual draftsmen should be responsible for a plane’s design. Basically, delegate decisions. CHAPTER 5: THE FORK-TAILED DEVIL The account of Hall and Kelly sketching the Model 22 is from Lockheed P-38, by Warren Bodie. The specs laid out by Army Air Corps are from “Fork-Tailed Devil - the P-38” by Martin Caidin. That the concept should be made up of existing parts and concepts is pulled from a letter from Robert Gross to Courtlandt, written on 3 February 1937. The contract arrival date is stated in Bodie’s “Lockheed P-38.” Kelly’s encounters with his friend and emerging benefactor, Ben Kelsey, come from Boyne’s “Beyond the Horizons.” Kelsey’s giving him the job on the spot is in MTMSOIA. That’s also where we learn about the wedding to Althea. As well as Kelly’s excellent quote: “In design, you are forced to develop unusual solutions to unusual problems.” This quote is from his own Oral History: “You can have a different type of person doing production flying. We should all be smart enough, and I hope I was, to take people out of flying the dangerous airplanes at a reasonable time.” Warren Bodie reports on the remarkable fact of Ben Kelsey also flying the P-38’s maiden voyage, as well as on Kelsey’s remarkable speed run attempt. Gross’s purchase of the old distillery, though, comes from Boyne. Frank Bullock talks about the immediate changes at Lockheed after Pearl Harbor, in his oral history. The compressibility story has many homes, but there’s a good account in a Lockheed article: Compressibility Makes P-38 Act Like Crazy”, Lockheed Southern Star, June 10, 1954. The Air Corps’ major plummeting 12,000 feet and barely saving the plane also comes from that article. Kelly’s quote about the “funny-looking aircraft” is from the article, “Lockheed Consternation, compressibility and the P38 Lightning,” in Aviation history, issue 23. The “banshee howl” is from a Lockheed Star article. Warren Bodies writes in detail about Virden’s tragic crash.” There’s also an account in the November 5, 1941 copy of the LA Daily Mirror. Kelly’s fix being too strong is suggested in the Lockheed Star. Althea treating his ulcer pain with whiskey is from MTMSOIA. The wind tunnel being booked for B-29 testing was reported by Matt Bearman in Aviation Historian magazine. The discovery of the root cause by John Stack was reported by Anderson in “The Grand Designers.” Bearman also reports on the suggested fix. The flaps being easy to install in the field is from the article, “Precipice in the Sky,” Colliers, Sept 30, 1944. “Violinists and paperhangers, morticians and midgets, schoolboys and housewives, Hollywood extras and shoe clerks worked side by side,” is from Lockheed’s own “Of Men and Stars,” which covered this period extensively. It’s Warren Bodie who states that the P38 registered 1,358 kills in the Pacific. Ben Kelsey’s wonderful quote that “(That) comfortable old cluck would fly like hell, fight like a wasp upstairs, and land like a butterfly” is quoted in “The P-38: When Lightning Strikes” on the Lockheed website. CHAPTER 6: BORN OF NECESSITY The story of Kelly bursting into Robert Gross’s office with the contract for the jet appears in many places, including in Anderson’s “The Grand Designers.” There’s also a good account in MTMSOIA, which focuses on Kelly being granted his dream shop, and in Mark Clevenger’s “Lulu-Belle’s Children.” Anderson also tells about the Bell being a “dog.” The quote that it is “not believed that the P-59 is operationally or tactically suited for combat,” is from Jay Miller’s Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. Kelly being asked to use the British engine, at first, is from his Oral History, where he also talks about delivering his slim report, of barely a dozen pages. As you surely noticed, Kelly kept EXCELLENT logs, and they’re all public now. So the accounts of the XP-80’s development were closely tracked and provided all the spine I needed to recreate those days. Richard Boehme’s quote is from the article “CL “Kelly” Johnson: Aircraft Innovator,” in the November 4, 1968 edition of Project Engineering. Kelly’s estimate that drawings travel on 600 feet is from an interview he did with Mark Clevenger, for an article titled “Lulu-Belle and Her Children.” Warren King’s stories are from his Oral History. The “circus tent” was described in Mark Clevenger’s article and Joe Szep calls the first base a “lean-to” in his Oral History. He also described the “Key Men.” Don Palmer’s writing of the operating rules is told in his Oral History, but also in many other accounts, including Jay Miller’s book, Skunk Works. Charles Van Der Zee gave an Oral History, quoted widely here. Kelly described the “wind tunnel wing” in “Fighting Hitler’s Jets: The Extraordinary Story of the American Airmen Who Beat the Luftwaffe and Defeated Nazi Germany” by Robert F Dorr. Kelly talked about his special line to the AF Special Project Office in his interview with Clevenger. Henry Rempt’s slideshows is courtesy of Joe Szep’s Oral History. He’s also the source for the 8-foot boards being repurposed as desks. The metalworker who said “We had some crackerjack metal men, people who were just spectacular,” was Carl Rhodin, from his Oral History. The warning shot over the security guy comes from Art Vierick, via Charles Van Der Zee. Irv Culver described the multiple 24-hour work days in a row. The lone stove heating the freezing room comes from Ed Baldwin’s self-published autobiography. Kelly finally giving people Saturdays off comes from Joe Szep. He also tells the talk of Guy Bristow and his bruised face. The XP-80’s disassembly and secret transport account comes from Jay Miller’s Skunk Works. Oddly enough, there’s also a pretty good account of it in Kelly’s official Lockheed biography. The collapse of the ducts is from Charles Van Der Zee’s Oral History, and Warren King’s provides the story of Lulu Belle being threatened into working. Jay Miller writes about the rushed replacement of the Goblin engine. The differences between Tony LeVier and Milo Burcham come courtesy of Irv Culver. Kelly told Morley Safer, on 60 Minutes, that he liked to let a new plane sit for two days in a hangar before testing. The staff outing by bus to watch the maiden flight comes courtesy of Szep. Rhodin’s Oral History provides support. Van Der Zee tells the story of this day, too. As does A.M. “Tex” Johnson, with Charles Barton, in “Text Johnston: Jet-Age Test Pilot,” from Smithsonian Books. Kelly’s quote that “a blast of sound that surrounded us without seeming to originate anywhere. It was a new sensation” comes from Of Men and Stars, Vol 7. Warren King’s Oral History talks about the FBI tails, at Muroc, to help ward off spies.and land like a butterfly” is quoted in “The P-38: When Lightning Strikes” on the Lockheed website. CHAPTER 7: ITERATIONS The SW move to more permanent digs is reported in various places, including Joe Szep’s Oral History. Kelly’s Project Log (this time for the YP-80) also greatly informs this chapter, as do the Oral Histories of Baldwin and Boehme. That it took 135 days to complete the Gray Ghost prototype comes from Mark Clevenger’s “Lulu-Belle and her Children.” The company history describing Harvey Christen’s move to a closet is Of Men and Sky. Kelly’s idea to put the fuel tanks on the wingtips is from “Fork-Tailed Devil - the P-38,” by Martin Caidin. “I spent more than 5 hours each day, at 25,000 feet, wearing tennis shoes, shorts, and a parachute — riding ‘piggyback’ in a modified P-38 with Tony LeVier, watching them try to gun down the jet,” is from MTMSOIA. That’s also where he talks about the impact of Milo Burcham’s death. The account of Bong’s death is informed by This Day in Aviation. LeVier’s account of his promotion is from his Oral History. Arnold’s introduction of the “secret” P-80 is from Lockheed Star, March 1, 1945. There’s a good account of history’s first jet battle, in November 1950, on the Aviation Geek Club’s website. The Shooting Star’s financial impact on Lockheed is from Of Men and Stars, volume 7. It’s Kelly’s Oral History where you’ll find his quip to Robert Gross: “Bob, you said nothing much could come if this, but something has come.” You’ll find Irv Culver’s account of coining Skunk Works in his Oral History, but Kelly also told that story many times, including in his 60 Minutes interview. CHAPTER 8: YOU CAN’T WIN THEM ALL Dick Heppe’s account comes from his own Oral History. And Jay Miller’s “Lockheed Skunk Works” also lays out the start of this new program, including Kelly pulling the plug on the delta-wing design. The logs also back this up. The fact that Lockheed lost $21,860,000 in 1946 is from the April 24, 1955 edition of the Lockheed Star. Kelly’s temporary doubts about the Skunk Works methods and programs comes from Miller’s book. Tony LeVier going supersonic for the first time was reported in a Redlands article about Hall Hibbard’s aviation predictions. Heppe’s harsh criticism of the period and of the XF-90, is from his Oral History. Jay Miller reports on the F-90s’s participation as an atomic test dummy. Kelly talked often of the XFV-1 failure — in MTMSOIA, on 60 Minutes, and in various speeches. Jay Miller also writes about it, as does TK in Beyond the Horizons. Miller also reports on Herb Salmon’s adventures flying it, and Salmon himself was quoted liberally in the article “Lockheed’s Prop Hanger- the XFV-1.” Kelly’s quote this was “the only time I ever had to eat that much crow on an airplane” is from 60 Minutes. Willis Hawkins leading the Model 82 program is from Beyond the Horizons. That’s also the source of Kelly’s quote: “If you send that in, you’ll destroy the Lockheed Corporation.” Hawkins also recalls this period, including his quotes here, in his Oral History. CHAPTER 9: THE MISSILE WITH A MAN IN IT Kelly told the story of Chidlaw coming to see him about help over Korea on 60 Minutes. It’s supplemented by his writings in MTMSOIA. Dick Heppe picks up the story of that project spinning up at the Skunk Works in his Oral History, which provides much of the meat for this chapter, and is behind any place you see Heppe quoted. The Pentagon research spike figures are from Lockheed’s Of Men and Stars, Volume 9. The stat that 1953 was Lockheed’s most lucrative to date comes from the Lockheed Star, October 1, 1953 edition. Kelly describes replacing Hall as the company’s Chief Engineer in MTMSOIA. Willis Hawkins’ quote “We look to the F-104 to maintain our record for building the best and fastest fighter planes,” is from the September 17, 1953 edition of the Lockheed Star. Kelly describes LeVier’s first flight in MTMSOIA. The F-104’s coming out party was described as “a Hollywood-type preview at the Palmdale jet center” in Of Men and Stars, Volume 9. Kelly’s quote “every time the F-104 flies it breaks the so-called world’s speed mark” is from Of Men and Stars 9, and the notion that extreme heat from the plane’s speed caused structural comes from his talk to the Society of Automotive Engineers, Southern California Section on Monday, November 19, 1956. CHAPTER 10: LITTLE GREEN MEN Kelly’s account of this supposed encounter with the unexplainable object in the sky comes primarily from a detailed he gave to investigator's for the Air Force’s “Project Blue Book,” which is now in the National Archives. The stories of how Thoren and the others saw nearly the same thing, while over the Pacific, comes from a memo drafted on December 16, 1953, titled “Sighting of a Flying Saucer by Certain Lockheed Aircraft Corporation Personnel” and submitted to the commander of the Air Force’s Air Technical Intelligence Center, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Ohio. CHAPTER 11: INTO THE STRATOSPHERE Kelly noting the Pentagon’s “desperate need” for a plane that could overfly Russia comes from his cover letter to Jim Cunningham, on the occasion of the CIA’s preparation of a history of the U-2 program. He told the U-2 origin story many times, including in MTMSOIA, and his exhaustive U-2 Project Log provides a contemporaneous factual spine for this entire chapter, and provides a lot of additional color (like the story of the meeting at Gross’s house, and the mention that his boss’s concern that he’d have to take a leave of absence from his regular job to lead this project). Another thorough and reliable report of the entire project is the 54-page “Developing the U-2” chapter from the CIA’s Studies in Intelligence. Ed Baldwin wrote a letter to Ben Rich on October 30, 1992 with his recollections of being called in to that now famous meeting where they were asked to devote their lives to a project they could not discuss, and reports on how they used the F-104 as a starting point. He also talked openly about the program’s early days in his “My History” self-published autobiography. Killian’s study group (“Committee on Surprise Attack”) is discussed in Dick Bissell’s Oral History. Some of Kelly’s more radical ideas, like the detachable landing gear, are discussed in Jay Miller’s “Skunk Works.” Descriptions of Gardner and Eisenhower, as quoted, come from Killian’s book, “Sputnik, Scientists, and Eisenhower.” The grilling that reminded Kelly of his college days is from MTMSOIA. Dulles taking the proposal to Eisenhower in person, to prevent leaks, is told in both Killian’s book, and Bissell’s Oral History. Eisenhower himself recalled this account in his Oral History that’s part of a collection at Princeton. That Lockheed “full responsibility for the design, mock-up, building, secret testing, and field maintenance of this unorthodox vehicle” is laid out in the CIA’s AQUATONE Project Outline. Kelly’s letters and memos to the CIA — and theirs back to him — are all declassified now and available via the CIA’s digital “reading room.” He wrote about floating the government in those early days in MTMSOIA, but mentions getting the first checks, for $1,256,000, sent to his house in Encino in the Project Log. Bissell wrote about the rickety early digs of his secret CIA special projects branch in his Oral History. The new Skunk Works digs, in Building 82, are described in a letter from former engineer Ray Passon to Ben Rich, when he was working on this book. That book, “Skunk Works,” provides a detailed account of Rich’s involvement in the program. That’s where you’ll find this characterization of Kelly: “All of us had seen him rushing around in his untucked shirt, a paunchy, middle-aged guy with a comical duck’s waddle, slicked-down white hair, and a belligerent jaw.” Kelly’s description of the SW as a place to “tear down long-established empires” is from a speech he gave to the NSIA in February 1972. The political battle for control of the plane once it was flying is told in the CIA’s “Developing the U-2” history. Leo Geary’s claim that the U-2 was “probably the finest bargain the American taxpayer has ever had under any circumstances” is from his speech during the AIAA “Salute to Kelly Johnson,” in 1978 CHAPTER 12: No-Man’s Land The scene with Tony LeVier that kicks off this chapter is all drawn from an interview he did with Leo Janos, co-author of Ben Rich’s “Skunk Works” on October 18, 1993. Ossie Ritland’s account comes from his Oral History in the USAF oral history project. The site’s selection and location is also laid out in the CIA’s “Developing the U-2.” The March 25, 1955 memo about Kelly’s health is in his papers, in the Huntington Library’s collection. The Agency’s cover story and public announcement is drawn from a timeline about Area 51 constructed by Roadrunners Internationale, and is on their website. The fake contractor using Kelly’s initials is from MTMSOIA. The budget jumping from $200,000, before there was a location, to $832,000 once the site had been selected, is from the U-2 Project Log, May 17-19. That’s also the source of the testing dates and details. Kelly’s selection of the name so that people would pass it by as “unimportant” is drawn from U-2’s Silent Father,’ by Ralph Dighton, Arizona Republic, 11/22/63. The account of the Skunk Works logo and name is from “Of Skunks and Men,” from the December 1993 edition of the Atlantic Flyer, by R.E. Baldwin. CHAPTER 13: Such Great Heights The stories of the pilot studies on how the human body would adapt to flight at extreme heights are drawn from the CIA’s official history, “Developing the U-2,” downloadable from the Agency’s FOIA reading room. LeVier talks about his experiences in his interview with Leo Janos, for “Skunk Works.” The accounts of his first flights, and the popped tires, come from the U-2 Project Log (July 27-Aug 5, 1955). The arm wrestling anecdote comes from Ben Rich’s “Skunk Works.” LeVier making 20 flights, then returning to Burbank to continue flying the F-104 comes from Jay Miller’s “Lockheed Skunk Works.” The struggles with fuel in this radical plane come from the CIA’s “Developing the U-2.” The unreliable P&W engine troubles come from Dick Bissell’s Oral History. The failed experiment using Greek pilots is from “Developing the U-2.” The story of Francis’ Gary Powers first meeting with Collins in a motel is told by Michael Beschloss in “May Day,” his book about Powers. His fake name, Frank Palmer, is from”Dreamland.” Marty Knutsen’s reaction — that he “almost died of disappointment” — upon seeing the U-2 is from Ben Rich’s “Skunk Works.” James Cherbonneaux’s accounts are from his Oral History. That the program also pioneered many of the first ready-to-eat foods in squeezable containers is from the CIA’s “Developing the U-2.” The excellent Ben Rich quote that “The slowest it could go safely, was right next to the fastest it could go as it climbed steeply to above 65,000 feet,” is from his book, “Skunk Works.” CHAPTER 14: Go Time Bissell writes of the NACA cover story in “Reflections of a Cold Warrior,” as does Kelly in MTMSOIA. The story of Cunningham covering for the U-2 that had to make the emergency landing in NM comes from “Developing the U-2.” Eisenhower’s green light, and the events around those days and decisions, are from Bissell’s Reflections of a Cold Warrior, and are backed up by declassified CIA memos. Bissell’s feeling that the plane was too high for Soviet missiles is told in “CIA and the cult of technology,” a Washington Post story by George Wilson, from January 6, 1975. Herb Miller’s assessment of that first overflight is from an official memo (“Suggestions re: the Intelligence Value of Aquatone,” 17 July 1956). The photos being so clear you could read street signs is something Kelly said in his 60 Minutes interview. The Art Lundahl stories are drawn from Bissell’s book, as are the QUICKMOVE stories. It’s the key source for this chapter. CHAPTER 15: The End is Nigh Bissell’s memo about Article 341 was dated October 7, 1955 Memorandum. The strategies considered to hide the U-bird from certain Russian radar bands are discussed in a letter of answers by Ben Rich sent to Stanford Professor Nicholas Hoff on June 11, 1993, which is in his papers at the Huntington. James Cherbonneaux relayed his memories and experienced in a letter to Ben Rich sent on January 9, 1993. Also in his papers. He was also interviewed by Leo Janos. Frank Rodgers writes of breaking the bad news to Rich in his self-published “memoir.” (To which Rich said, “You’re telling me the ship is still sinking, but maybe more slowly?”) Lockheed’s work on the hydrogen concept is covered in the paper, “cryogenic fuel handling,” by Ben Rich and R.C. Sessing. The authors report that this engine was one of the first to use electronic fuel controls. Rich shares the colorful anecdotes about his work on the program, in his book “Skunk Works.” The 61 controlled explosions are reported in “SF-1 Handling,” published on November 1, 1957, by TK Robertson. Ben Rich and Russell Sessing also detailed the program in a speech at Langley Research Center given on May 15, 1973. Rich’s speech Rensselaer Polytechnic, April 1983 (Aircraft Development at the Skunk Works) also helped fill in some gaps. Kelly’s assertion that this was “the first time in which Skunk Work procedures were used to build a completely new engine” comes from Jay Miller’s “Lockheed Skunk Works.” CHAPTER 16: Mayday, May Day Two books in particular helped inform this chapter — Michael Beschloss’s “Mayday: Eisenhower, Khrushchev, and the U-2 Affair,” and Dick Bissell’s “Reflections of a Cold Warrior.” Powers own “Operation Oversight” is also a vital source of his personal story. Kelly wrote about the incident in the greatest detail in his CIA-approved history of the U-2 program. That’s where he writes about his investigation and the debrief of Powers. This quote “I was given the job of insulting them to the point where they would show us what they had, because we did not know whether Powers had just defected,” is from his 60 Minutes appearance. That’s also where he talked about tricking the Soviets into revealing what they had. He talked about keeping a pistol by his bed in MTMSOIA. The Soviet general quote “Simple but very clever” is from the article “A New Look at the U-2 Case,” from US News & World Report (March 15, 1993). That’s also the source of the quote from 23-year-old Russian farmer Mikhail Vasilyev. The pilots’ instructions to lie were reported in an interview with with former DDCI John N McMahon. CHAPTER 17: The U Bird Soars On Dick Bissell’s “Reflections of a Cold Warrior” is the source of the facts on the U-2’s success (and cost) that open this chapter. Jack Nole’s eventual landing at Laughlin is retold on the base’s own website. The account of Operation Brass Knob and the constant overflights of Cuba comes from the Skunk Works U-2 log. Details on the missile crisis are from the State Department’s Office of the Historian. The account of Rudolph Anderson, featuring General Stepan Grechko, is from the article “How the Death of a U.S. Air Force Pilot Prevented a Nuclear War” from History.com. Kelly wrote this quote (“It is apparent that the U-bird has just about reached the end of its reconnaissance capability”) in the U-2 log. CHAPTER 18: The Impossible is Possible The story of Ken Collins is from his own account, published on the Roadrunners Internationale website. The title is “THE BLACKBIRDS: Project OXCART, A-12 CIA Induction.” Ben Rich’s quote (“All the fundamentals of building a conventional airplane were suddenly obsolete.”) is from his book Skunk Works. “The result, head on, looks like a snake swallowing three mice” is a line from Kelly’s memoir, More Than My Share of It All. The Steve Justice quotes are pulled from Episode 1 of the “Inside Skunk Works” podcast. Some of the challenges of the design are from a paper Kelly wrote, titled “Some Development Aspects of the YF-12A Interceptor Aircraft” that is at the Huntington, in his papers. The quote about using a blowtorch to heat the hydraulic fluid from a powder is from MTMSOIA. Both that book and Ben Rich’s “Skunk Works” lay out this part of the plane’s development in detail. “We put into effect a quality control program that I believe was and is unequaled anywhere,” is from Kelly’s Oral History. Kelly talks of the over-testing in MTMSOIA. This outstanding quote is from Rich’s “Skunk Works”: “this goddamn titanium is causing premature aging. I’m not talking about on parts. I’m talking about on me.” The fact that 90% of the titanium went to waste is from wisconsinmetaltech.com/titanium-and-the-sr-71/. The anecdote about the Russians thinking the metal was for pizza oven was told by SR pilot Rich Graham in an interview with The Aviation Geek. Bissell’s quote about the 2,400 machinists is in Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft (Second edition), the official CIA history of the project, written by David Robarge — and a tremendous resource on the history of the Blackbird program from the CIA’s POV. Kelly’s assertion that 57% of the total computer capacity at Lockheed’s headquarters was used for OXCART was said on 60 Minutes. The miraculous inlet fix by radio is from an interview Ben Rich did with Defense News, on June 25, 1990. The last three paragraphs are all drawn from Kelly’s Oral History. CHAPTER 19: Too Many Miracles The best account of the engine struggles, especially regarding Pratt & Whitney is William H. Brown’s “J58/SR-71 Propulsion Integration or The Great Adventure Into the Technical Unknown,” Lockheed Horizons, Issue 9, Winter 1981/82, Lockheed Corporation, Burbank, Calif., 1981. The contracting or “interface agreements” comes from Rich Graham’s “SR71 Blackbird: Stories tales and legends.” All Colonel Byrne quotes come from that. Rus Daniell’s Oral History was also helpful. Kelly’s note about the budget increases are from the YF-12 log. Bissell’s accounts are from his book, “Reflections of a Cold Warrior.” Kelly’s letter to Bissell, after the Bay of Pigs, is in his collection at the Huntington. The part about Norm Nelson, and Kelly returning money to Langley is all from Ben Rich’s “Skunk Works.” Same with the quotes from Kelly about his tangles McNamara. Mele Vojodovich wrote up his personal recollections and shared them with Roadrunners Internationale. The visit from the Air Force generals comes from the YF-12 log, which was drawn from extensively in the last third of this chapter. CHAPTER 20: Back to the Ranch Thomas Powers’ quote about Bissell is from Michael Beschloss’s book, “Mayday.” The changes at Groom Lake, at Bissell’s direction, are from Kleyla and O’Hear’s “History of the Offices of Special Activities,” produced by the CIA and now unclassified. That’s also the source for the renaming, as Area 51. The origin of that number, derived from the specific project number used for invoicing is from “Dreamland.” The studies about how to transport fuel are pulled from McInich’s “Oxcart Story,” from Studies in Intelligence. The story of the plane in the box has been told many times, but the unique details here come from Frank Murray’s essay “Oxcart Convoy,” via Roadrunners' Internationale. “Dreamland” was also heavily drawn upon here. “SR-71 BLACKBIRD Stories, Tales, and Legends,” by Richard H Graham, Zenith Press, was also a huge help. And most of the pilots have accounts on the Roadrunners website. CHAPTER 21: The Miracle Plane Takes Flight The report of 68 leaks is from Kelly’s 1968 Oral History. Ben Rich reported on his Suntan work in his book, Skunk Works. Steve Justice talked about the absolute power of the J-58 engines on Lockheed’s short-lived Skunk Works podcast. The hiccups on the day of the first test flight are explained by Kelly in his 1968 Oral History. That day is also supplemented by details from the document “Flight Test Engineer.” The matte black paint solution comes from Peter Merlin’s Dreamland (pg 136). That’s also the source of the report of the “Siren shot” nuclear test. The stats on the Lockheed flights into the Ranch, as of 1968, are from Kelly’s “History of the Oxcart Program,” page 11. Kelly’s annual Christmas speeches are all held (most of them in both hand written, and typed forms), at the Huntington collection. CHAPTER 22: Damn That’s Fast The assertion that the inlets gulped the equivalent of two million people breathing at once is from Ben Rich’s speech for Bill Park. Ken Collins told his own story, in an essay published on the Roadrunners Internationale website. It’s called THE BLACKBIRDS: Project OXCART, A-12, Pilot Training. The CIA clean-up of the wreckage, including asking anyone who’d seen anything to sign a secrecy agreement, is laid out by David Robarge in the “Arcangel” official CIA history. The story about ice in the pitot tube is from Kelly’s 1968 Oral History. CHAPTER 23: Movin’ On Up There’s a copy of Kelly’s speech at the new Skunk Works, which Althea attended, in the Huntington Collection. He also mentioned this event in MTMSOIA. And leaving the old location is memorialized in the SW log. The amusing “Idiot Charts” memo is also in the papers at the Huntington. The idea that they could use a telescope atop the U-2 to look at satellites is noted in the Skunk Works U-2 Log, on June 15, 1963. All of these WHALE TALE quotes and moments are also from that log. CHAPTER 24: Escape to Star Lane Kelly wrote about the economics of his ranches, and the move from Lindero to Star Lane, in More Than My Share of it All. But Lake Lindero estates is still there — in what’s now known as Agoura Hills. That first vacation, and his first equipment haul, comes from the November 1963 Ranch Logs, which are in his collection at the Huntington. I learned about Kelly’s hyper organization — using the baby jars — from Steve Justice. Steve also told me about Kelly’s reinforced bridges, and the letter he wrote to the Pentagon. The story of his near-miss with the cow is from MTMSOIA, including Kelly’s incredible quote about being safer in the air than on the ground. You can find Warren Hughes’ brief for the AP (“Kelly Johnson Biographical Data”) in the Huntington collection, and it’s pretty easy to see Kelly’s fingerprints all over it. The revised version, approved by Kelly, is also in the collection (“KJ "New" Biography in 1963 (with edits from PR)”). CHAPTER 25: Problems, Problems The spikes were one of the most brilliant designs on the A-12, and also one of the most challenging. It’s anecdotal that unstarts occurred on nearly every early flight, but pilot Bob Gilliland talked about it plaguing him on the Skunk Works podcast. Gilliland explained how the unstarts violently shifted the drag, too. The servo failure quote comes from the project log. Area 51 reaching its peak of 1800 people is from Peter Merlin’s Dreamland. The October 23 test flight, with two refuelings, is reported in the project log. The memo about Parangosky’s visit to the ranch was declassified by the CEO is now available in the Agency’s online reading room. Peter Merlin reports on Vojvodich’s excuse that he’d hurt himself playing tennis, in Dreamland. Kelly being frustrated and blaming the pilots is reported in the May 2009 Roadrunners newsletter. Kelly’s letter to General Ledford is in the Huntington collection (titled “Lockheed recommendations on changes in operating procedures resulting from aircraft #126 Accident,” Jan 4, 1966). Kelly writes about Althea’s cancer (and his struggles with it) in MTMSOIA. CHAPTER 26: Blowing Cover, and Minds LBJ’s surprise announcement was widely covered, but the fact that it was approved just that morning by the NSC covers from David Robarge’s internal CIA history, Arcangel. Douglass Cater’s report, “The Secret Life of the A-11,” was in the April 23, 1964 edition of The Reporter. Frustration in Congress about the secrecy, including Senator Allot’s quote, was reported in “Less Than the Whole Truth,” by Claude Witze, Air Force Magazine. The secret subcommittee trip to Oak Ridge, is also from Cater’s report. You can find the article by J.S. Butz (A-11: Born in the Skonk Works, Reared in Secret, It Blazes New Heights in Aircraft Performanc in the April 1964 issue of Air force magazine. The sonic boom shattering a window at Star Lane is in Kelly’s 1981 history of the SR-71, at the Huntington. Warren Hughes letter to Springer News Service (“Copy of Outgoing telegram” written by Warren Hughes, for “springer”, on 3/23/64) is in the Huntington collection, as is the memo for Holloway (“Memo on CLJ posture” memo 1964). The interview with Kelly is in the October 6, 1964 edition of LOOK magazine. You can read about the first in-flight missile test in an essay called YF-12 STORIES by Fred Trost, on the Roadrunners Internationale site. You can find the testy “Method of Contracting Between the Government and ADP” memo in the Huntington collection. CHAPTER 27: Mother Daughter Detailed accounts of the new Chinese overflight project can be found in the CIA’s “overhead surveillance” U-2 history, which has been declassified and is in the Agency’s virtual reading room. All of these details come from that incredible document. Denis Overholser shared his story of joining the program in an interview with his hometown newspaper, the Statesman Journal (April 4, 2016). Alan Brown talks about the “Berlin Wall West” in his Oral History, which is a fascinating document if you’re interested in the history of stealth. The D-21 program details are also thoroughly tracked by Kelly in the “Drone log,” which you’ll find in the Huntington collection. There’s also a great Air Force report on the “secret history” of UAVs, in the Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies. Kelly offering to return the funds is from his Sept 2, 1966 speech at the VFW. Parangosky’s sarcastic note is from a memo (Memorandum for Deputy Director S&T Subject: Tagboard program) written on 17 August 1967, and available in the CIA’s reading room. CHAPTER 28: Big Brother Takes Flight Bob Gilliland talks about flying the SR in his interview on the Skunk Works podcast. Kelly’s write up is from the December 22, 1964 edition of the project log. You can find a copy of Kelly’s 1964 Christmas speech in the Huntington collection. The Cutie Pie comment is from the November 1963 Ranch Log. CHAPTER 29: Go Time, Again Raborn’s memo “Memorandum for the President,” was written on August 20, 1965. Kelly’s memo to Parangosky is titled “Operational Readiness of the OXCART system,” and sent on November 12, 1965. The ongoing problems (including “duct leakage”) were reported in the Oct 10 project log. Bill Park’s 10,000 mile flight is reported on pages 41 and 42 of the CIA’s Oxcart Story by “Thomas McIninch” (Parangosky’s pen name). Walter Ray’s accident is thoroughly covered in The Walter Ray A-12 Accident by Oxcart test pilot BG Dennis Sullivan - Dutch 23, from the Roadrunners website. The date that the detachment was ready is from Miller’s “Skunk Works” book. Vojvodich wrote about his experiences in a piece on the Roadrunners site. Tom Ferrell delivering the photos was told in a speech by General Hayden you can find in the CIA’s reading room. The backup tanker (and all the details about the refueling process) are explained in “The CIA Mission” by Frank Murray, on the Roadrunners site. The near misses and shrapnel stories are from “Pieces of History: Missile Debris from A-12 OXCART.” The Jack Weeks story is also in the Roadrunners collection. Ben Rich writes about the Pueblo negotiations in Skunk Works. Sharlene’s interview is from the May 25, 2008 editions of the Tuscaloosa News. CHAPTER 30: A New Era Dawns The story of the $1 million paint is from Development of Aircraft in the Lockheed Skunk Works from 1954 to 1991, WPAFB Lecture, 9/22/92. The Habu stories are also widely told, and in most of the pilot accounts from that detachment on the Roadrunners website. CHAPTER 31: Dark Days Kelly’s lows regarding the YF-12 are all over his ranch logs from those years. (The July 27, 1966 entry is especially glum.) He wrote that the program was nearly over, on August 5. Althea’s temper comes from a November 1963 entry. He writes about the downed U-2s in the program log. Admitting that the country didn’t need a huge fleet was also in the log (19 January 1967:; Log/SR-12). His March 1967 speech to ADP engineers is at the Huntington. On July 21, 1967 he wrote in the log about the fainting spells. His Christmas 1967 ranch log entry seems to be the low of his relationship with Althea. The Air Force canceling the YF-12 program is from Page 43 of the program log. McNamara’s report to the Senate is 5 February 1968: Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, Feb 5, 1968, page 135. Kelly’s assertion that Bellis was the “hatchet man” is from the YF-12 log. CHAPTER 32: Ray of Hope Kelly’s optimistic “hope is not lost” is from the February 14 YF-12 log, which heavily informs the first few pages of this chapter. McConnell contradicting McNamara is from April 22, 1968 issue of Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, Vol. 30, No. 35, page 221. The committee’s support for the F-12 was in the September 24, 1968 edition. Kelly’s latest promotion is noted in the Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, Vol 40 No 22, page 149. The Christmas 1968 speech is in the Huntington collection. Ben Rich called February 5, 1970 “one of the most depressing days in the history of the Skunk Works” in his book, Skunk Works. Kelly denied reports that he was retiring: Aerospace Daily & Executive Report, Vol. 41, No 31, page 251. “Won’t be too long before I’m all alone or moving up to the ranch,” is from a January 19, 1970 letter to Leo Geary. His plan for the CL-1200 lightweight fighter was reported in 20 November 1970: Aerospace Daily Reports. His quote about the resilience of the Skunk Works (that it’s not “so decrepit”) is from Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, Vol. 46, No. 14, page 109-110. The incredible April 1970 “Trip Report” about his hospital trip is in the Huntington collection. He wrote extensively about his health in the ranch logs that year, too. Rus Daniell’s failures as temp leader are covered in Ben Rich’s Skunk Works. Althea’s suicide attempts are covered in MTMSOIA. He also covers her last wishes and the flight to deposit her ashes. Ben Rich talks about MaryEllen’s arrival on the scene in his book, Skunk Works. CHAPTER 33: Hail Mary Ben Rich said “Everyone wants to read secrets so we stamp nothing” in How the Skunk Works Works, by William Burrows, Air & Space magazine. Rich details his arguments with Kelly about the lightweight fighter in his book, Skunk Works. Kelly pointed out the Soviets’ far faster pace of innovation in a memo to Packard about the CL-1200. His pessimism about Lockheed’s chances at winning the bid are noted on 11 January 1972 in the CL1600 log. Kelly’s assumption that he He was had inspired the competition, by sending that letter of concerns about the F-15 in January 1971 is from April 13, 1972 CL1600 log. The self-correction on his boast about how quickly he could have built the new fighter is from Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, Vol. 55, No. 11, pages 82-83. Rich explains how much the winning fighter design grew in every way by the time it was actually built in his book, Skunk Works. The end of the program is noted in the CL-1600 log. CHAPTER 34: A Scare All this personal stuff about his marriage, and work on the ranch, is from the ranch logs, including Kelly’s use of Seconal and his frustration with rising taxes. He writes of his 1973 Australia tour in a letter you can find in the Huntington collection. The Katena squadron’s return, after 600 combat missions, is from the AF-12 log. The budget allowing just a single squadron of 12 planes is from Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, What’s Ahead in Aerospace, Vol. 62, No. 1, page 3. Ken Collins’ case for how important the plane still was is reported in Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, SR-71 Reconnaissance Aircraft ‘Superior To Satellites,’ AF Officer Says, Vol. 63, No. 32, page 254. The “non-nuclear clean kill” is from the AF-12 log. Maryellen’s struggles are covered in the ranch log. Willis Hawkins’ retirement is covered in Aerospace Daily & Executive Report, Vol. 66, No. 7 page 54. Tony Levier’s retirement is in Aerospace Daily & Executive Report, Vol. 67, No. 2, page 12. Goldwater’s request of the special flight: Aerospace Daily and Executive Report, Vol. 67, No. 38, page 298. Kelly credits him in the project log. That “we’ve lost our chance” to restart production even if we wanted to: Aerospace Daily, Vol. 68, No. 40, page 314, August 26, 1974. V: A LION IN WINTER CHAPTER 35: Passing the Torch The basis of this first section, including Kelly’s conversation with Kotchian about succession being relayed to Ben Rich by Roy Anderson, appears in Rich’s book, Skunk Works. Because Lockheed was a public company, the financial particulars of Kelly’s consulting deal are publicly available. There’s a video of that ceremony for Kelly, at the Sportman’s Lodge. I’ve watched it. Kelly recalls being on the plane for 9 first flights in his Oral History, at the Huntington. Ben Rich describes his first day as boss in Skunk Works. Willis Hawkins’ words about Rich are from an obituary, upon Rich’s death. Tellep’s note to Rich, upon his retirement, is from a letter that’s in the Rich collection at the Huntington. As is the memo about Kelly’s SW operation (“The Skunk Works Management Operation (strengths and limitations) by Ben Rich to Karl Kunze”). The anecdote about being ignored by McNamara is in Rich’s book, as is the stat about the Skunk Works shrinking to 1,500 employees. He writes about trying to restart production of a new and improved U-2 in Skunk Works. CHAPTER 36: Life After Kelly The account of Overholser’s discovery and hiring is assembled from a variety of sources — especially an interview he game to his hometown paper late in life, an interview he gave on the Skunk Works podcast, and, incredibly, an article on the National Wrestling Hall of Fame website. You can read about Pyotr Ufimtsev’s paper, and its importance, in Boyne’s “Beyond the Horizons.” His work with Schroeder is explained in Jay Miller’s “Skunk Works.” Faceting is explained by Boyne in Beyond the Horizons. Kelly telling Rich the future is in drones is from Rich’s Skunk Works. That’s also where Rich lays out his dance with the DOD and CIA over the stealth fighter proposal process. He also talks about Kelly’s less than enthusiastic reaction to the “hopeless diamond.” Ed Baldwin wrote about his role in his self-published personal history. CHAPTER 37: Old Habits Die Hard The ranch logs heavily inform this chapter, as I’m sure you can tell. The engineers rigging up a special reading magnifier for Maryellen comes from a draft of Ben Rich’s “Skunk Works” that’s in the Huntington collection. Kelly’s letter to Kissinger, written in September 1976, is in the Huntington collection. CHAPTER 38: Reinventing, Again Avionics off the K-Mart shelf is from Ben Rich, in Skunk Works. The emergency drag chute is from Merlin’s Dreamland. Steve Justice told me the story of the unlucky pilot, and his wife. Ken Dyson’s account can be found on the National Air Force Museum’s website. Alan Brown is quoted here from his interview on the “Secrets in the Sky” documentary. Bill Park’s account (“Now It Can Be Said - He Has the Right Stuff”) is from the Roadrunners website. Dyson flying 65 test flights is from Ben Rich’s Skunk Works. CHAPTER 39: Hold On, Sweetheart Willis Hawkins described Kelly’s peculiar golfing in an obituary upon Kelly’s death, in the Dec 22, 1990 edition of the Daily News. The ranch logs, again, provide much of this chapter’s details around Maryellen and the couples’ health. It’s also covered in MTMSOIA. You can watch the video for the AIAA “Salute to Kelly Johnson” on YouTube. The handwritten “12 milestones” are in Kelly’s Huntington collection. CHAPTER 40: The Hopeless Diamond Takes Flight Most of the details in this opening section, about Ben Rich, come from his book, “Skunk Works.” Hal Farley recounted that first-ever test flight to Tyler Rogoway, in an interview for The War Zone website, posted in December of 2019 (“Test Pilot Recounts F-117’s Wobbly First Flight And Entering Into Its Top Secret World”). The audit that nearly derailed Sherm Mullins career is described in an article titled “How the Skunk Works Works,” by William Burrows, in Air & Space Magazine. The assembling of the first pilots — and their stories — comes from “The Secret Doings at Tonopah,” in the January 1, 1993 article in Air & Space Forces magazine, by James C Kitfield. The fact that the staff lived the first year in rented mining cabins was told to Ben Rich by Colonel Alton Whitley, and is reported in Rich’s book. CHAPTER 41: Farewell, Sweetheart The sad events of this chapter are compiled from two primary sources — Kelly’s autobiography, and from the ranch logs. CHAPTER 42: Out of the Shadows The 60 Minutes interview, which also opened this book, is available on YouTube. There is also a transcript in the Huntington collection. The passages about Nancy are primarily pulled from the logs, but Nancy’s son John also spoke to me for this book. CHAPTER 43: Coming Out Party The F-117’s unveiling is described by the New York Times in an article titled “Air Force Lifts Curtain, a Bit, on Secret Plane” from the November 11, 1988 edition. Melissa Healy also covered this for the LA Times on the same day (“Pentagon Ends Long Silence on Stealth Fighter”). You can find the official USAF “fact sheet” online. The official Lockheed press release quoted is titled “Lockheed Delivers Final F-117 Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget.” A copy of Ben Rich’s final remarks, from the final delivery ceremony, are in the Huntington collection. CHAPTER 44: Stealth The story about bats was told to Ben Rich by Colonel Barry Horne, and is used in his book. The transcript is also in his collection at the Huntington. Ben’s statement about Kelly “dumping” the U-2 if he had to build it under current DOD conditions is from an essay he wrote titled “The Defense Dilemma.” It’s at the Huntington. He went into more detail on this in a 1990 interview with “Aerospace America” called “Face to Face with Ben Rich.” The million sheets of paper a day fact is from “How the Skunk Works Works,” by William Burrows, in Air & Space. I read about the dedication of the new Skunk Works site in “Lockheed Dedicates New Skunk Works site, from LA Times, May 13, 1994. CHAPTER 45: On the Future You can find a copy of Kelly’s 1981 speech to the marketing group (in La Costa, CA) in his Huntington collection. He talks about his fix for the Concorde in his official Oral History. CHAPTER 46: Last Days Ben Rich describes visiting Kelly and seeing him failing, in his book. He talks about his disappointment with the final flight in his 1990 Aerospace America interview “Face to Face with Ben Rich.” He writes about Kelly attending the final flight in Skunk Works. Rosemary Gomez’s comments are from “Jet flyover marks Johnson’s funeral,” in the December 28, 1990 edition of the Daily News. There’s a copy of that Skunk Works ad/dedication in the Huntington collection, AFTERWORD Joe Szep’s comments are from his Oral History. I got a copy of Kelly’s letter to Leo Geary from Nancy’s son, John Horrigan. And if you want to go visit Kelly’s grave, it’s not hard to find. 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