Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-01
U. s. Sure 10 Produce
Atom Plane Engines,
Senator Jackson Says

Senator jackson. Democrat.
Of Washington. said today "there
Is not any question" that the
United States win produce .
nuclear powered aircraft engine.
"The important question: he
said In an interview, SIS wheth-
or Soviet Russia will produce
one first. or beat Us In develop
ing an intercontinental bombing
missile.
1--WE must remember that So
Wet Russia produced . hydrogen
blast within. seven months Of
ours" he added.
Senator Jackson's comments
followed up secret testimony
presented before the Congress
sional Atomic and Senate Armed
Services Committees. He Is q
member Of both
Nuclear Planes Forecast 4.
Yesterday. the Armed Services
Committee made public testi-
mony by DR.. Hugh L. Dryden.
director Of the National Ad-
visory Committee for Aero
nautics, that there are un-
doubtedly going to be nuclear
engines for airplanes."
His closed-door testimony,
from which military secrets were
deleted before release. pertained
TO q request for $40 million to
set up q special research facility
for nuclear propulsion" near
Cleveland.
I'VE will not make a predic-
ton as to when we will have air.
planes propelled by nuclear
power, but they are certainly
coming" DR.. Dryden testified.
Limitless Possibilities
Senator jackson said that such
an airplane, like the atomic SUBJ
marine, could keep flying until
the engine or airplane wears out
or the physical endurance of the
crew is exhausted.
"This is a race we cannot
afford to lose. When, both ma
tions have stockpiles of atomic
and hydrogen weapons. then SUI
periority may rest upon the
ability to deliver them.
"The balance of military power
in the world could be decided in
this field"
The only semi Official estimate
on when this country may have
atomic aircraft has come from
Representative Durham, Demo-
crat. of South Dakota, vice
chairman of the joint atomic
committee. He said he is conf
dent it will be within five years.
Gen. LeMay to Testify
On another front Gen. Curtis
LeMay, commander of the
Strategic Air Command, goes
before q House group today to
say whether he needs new long
range bombers to protect the
IIuitad StafaS
A Chairman Mahon, Democrat,
Of Texas, said Gen. LeMay was
called, TO a closed-door session
of the = House Appropriations
subcommittee on the defense
budget for "full Qualification of
his latest views" on the capacity
Of present bombers and tactics.
Mr.. Mahon said Gen. LeMay
was called because some news
papers have reported that the
general has recommended build
Ing new bombers for round-trip
missions to Soviet targets with
out refue1ing.
This can be done now only by
the relatively slow B36. The all
jet BAT and the B52. backbone
Of the Strategic Air Command.
require refueling in the air for
such q lengthy mission.
MIR. Mahon said that develop
ment Of the BAT has cost over
q billion dollars and that "hun-
dreds Of millions" more are being
spent on refueling planes.
1T would certainly be a sad
commentary on the competence
Of our military planners II, after
spending all this money on the
refueling concept, we should
awaken to the conclusion that
the planes and aircraft tankers