QT-2PC PRIZE CREW

LOCKHEED QT-2PC PRIZE CREW OPERATED IN RVN 1968. SILENT, NIGHT, SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT. FORE RUNNER OF THE ARMY-LOCKHEED YO-3A. (WWW.YO-3A.COM)

Sunday, October 10, 2004

OPERATION PRIZE CREW

OPERATION PRIZE CREW

"In mid-1965 the Lockheed Corporation Board Chairman asked the various Companies to see what they could do to solve some of the problems in Southeast Asia. The Advanced Program Goup at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company Sunnyvale, CA, then run by Stan Colby and me (F.David Schnebly), commenced an intensive look into the problems impposed by the operations in the theatre. Considerable attention was given to the difficulties associated with enemy infiltrations and nighttime reconnaissance......


"Lockheed engineer turned their attention to the challenge of designing a quiet platform.....

"We built two QT-2 aircraft at the Lockheed aircraft facility within the San Jose, CA airport, under the highest of security measures...

"The basic platform was the modified Schweizer Model 2-32...

"Jack Bauman would make necessary design changes right on the shop floor..

"The propellers were handcrafted out of seasoned birch stock by a noted propeller designer and builder, Olie Fahlin...

"Lt. Cmdr. Leslie J Horne, United States Navy...recommended that the two aircraft be "tacticalized" and sent to RVN for combat evaluation...

"We were only given 90 days...in RVN...

"The program was known as "OPERATION PRIZE CREW"

from the book A GREENHOUSE ANTHOLOGY, by F. DAVID SCHNEBLY

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