Groom Lake is square-shaped, about three by four miles in size. It is on the floor of Emigrant Valley in Lincoln County, Nevada. Like all such dry lakes (including Edwards Air Force Base), Groom Lake was formed by water runoff. (Yearly rainfall was only four and a third inches.) The sediment flows to low areas, where it settles. The 100-degree F heat of summer dries the mud, leaving a flat, hard surface. In winter, temperatures drop to below freezing and light snowfall can dust the area. Strong afternoon winds often hit the area, although thunderstorms are rare. (One such storm would have an important part in Groom Lake's history, however.) During World War II, Groom Lake was used as a gunnery range. The lake bed was littered with empty shell cases and debris from target practice.
An airstrip was built on the east side of the lake bed. With the end of the war, the site was abandoned. By early 1955, the runway had reverted to sand and was unusable. Ritland said it 'had got hummocks and sagebrush that wouldn't quit.'
Groom Lake is cut off from the surrounding desert by the Timphute Range to the west, the Groom Mountains to the east, and the Papoose Range to the south. A few miles to the north is the 9,380-foot summit of Bald Mountain. The mountains loom like walls above the lake bed. The only nearby towns are 'wide spots in the road' such as Rachel, Nevada. Las Vegas is nearly 100 miles to the southwest. To the west, just over the surrounding hills from Groom Lake, is Nellis Air Force Base and the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC) Nuclear Test Site. It was the perfect place to hide a secret. The only access to the site was by air. The AEC's security restrictions would cut off both ground and air access, effectively protecting the site and its secrets. The Groom Lake site was approved, and the restricted area around the nuclear test site was extended to encompass it.
A small but complete flight test center would have to be created out in the desert. To hide Lockheed's involvement, 'CLJ' (Johnson's initials) became its company name. The facility plans were given to a contractor who had the special license needed to build at the nuclear test site. This led to a problem — when the contractor asked for bids, he was told to watch out for 'this CLJ outfit' because it had no Dun and Bradstreet credit rating.[41]
Throughout the summer of 1955, with temperatures over 100 degrees F, the crews worked to build the test center. They had no idea what the facility would be used for. The site included a 5,000-foot tarmac runway, two hangars, a small tower, several water wells, fuel storage tanks, a mess hall, a road, plus some temporary buildings and trailers for living quarters. These were located on the southwestern edge of the lake bed. Total cost was $800,000. The site was isolated, rugged, barren, and lacking in personal comfort. This was more than made up for by a pioneering spirit.
In early July 1955, LeVier was told to fly out to the site. This was his first visit since the first survey with Johnson, Ritland, and Bissell. He was stunned by the changes. His first action was to get the lake bed ready. As at Edwards Air Force Base, the lake bed would be used for takeoffs and landings. LeVier and fellow Lockheed test pilot Bob Matye spent nearly a month driving around the lake bed in a pickup truck cleaning up spent shell cases, rocks, brush, and even half a steamroller.[42] Flying over a flat surface like the lake bed, it was very difficult to judge height, so LeVier also wanted to paint markings for four three-mile runways on the lake bed.
Johnson turned down the proposal when told it would cost $450. The money was not in the budget.[43]
By late July 1955, the facility was completed. In order to recruit people, Johnson dubbed the site 'Paradise Ranch.' Years later, he admitted, 'It was kind of a dirty trick since Paradise Ranch was a dry lake where quarter- inch rock blew around every afternoon.' Soon, the name was shortened to 'the Ranch.'
By this time, the first prototype was ready. 'Article 341,' as it was designated, was disassembled, and the fuselage and wings were wrapped in fabric and loaded on two carts. At 4:30 A.M. on July 24, 1955, they were loaded on a C-124 transport for the flight to Groom Lake. The Skunk Works crew would follow in a C-47. There was a delay — the local commander refused permission for the C-124 to land on the runway at Groom Lake, because the wheels of the heavily loaded plane would break through the thin surface. He wanted it to land at another base, then have the prototype moved to Groom Lake over bad dirt roads. This would delay the first flight by a week, however. Johnson argued that they could let most of the air out of the C-124's tires, reducing the surface pressure. When the local commander refused, Johnson called Washington to get approval to override him.
Permission was given, the tire pressure was reduced, and Article 341 was successfully flown to Groom Lake.[44]
Once it was reassembled, Article 341 was towed out of the hangar by a pickup truck and underwent engine run-up tests. It was in a bare-metal finish — no U.S. star and bar insignia, no 'USAF,' not even a civilian 'N- number' registration.
Article 341 was ready for its first taxi tests on August 1, 1955. The first run, to a speed of 50 knots, was successful, even though the brakes were found to be ineffective. The second taxi run reached 70 knots. LeVier cut the throttle to idle, then realized he was some twenty feet in the air. Article 341 continued to fly for over a quarter of a mile. LeVier tried to land the plane, but it was impossible to judge his height above the lake bed. The plane contacted the lake bed in a 10-degree bank — the left wing-tip skid hit first, then the left pogo, main gear, and finally, the tail wheel. The landing was hard, and the plane bounced back into the air. The second landing was much smoother, and LeVier was able to regain control. As the plane rolled to a stop, the right tire blew and caught fire. This was extinguished in short order. Despite the mishap, no major damage was done, and repairs were completed the next day. LeVier, in his pilot report, said, 'The lake bed during this run was absolutely unsatisfactory from the standpoint of being able to distinguish distance or height.'
While Article 341 was being repaired, LeVier and Matye put crude markings on the lake bed to make a north- south runway. The following day, August 2, two more taxi runs were made. LeVier pushed the control wheel forward to keep the plane on the ground. The runs uncovered a few minor problems: poor braking, reflections on the windshield, and the need for a sunshade to keep the cockpit from becoming too hot. LeVier wrote in his pilot report, 'I believe the aircraft is ready for flight.'
Article 341 's first flight was set for August 4. It was planned for a maximum speed of 150 knots and an altitude of 8,000 feet. The aircraft's low-speed control would be checked. The plane would stay close to the lake bed.
The weather for the first flight was threatening, with thunderstorms near Groom Lake. The C-47 made a weather check. At 2:28 P.M. the C-47 landed and the flight was allowed to proceed. At 2:57 P.M. the T-33 chase plane took off and preparations began to start Article 341's engine.
Then began a series of events that turned the first flight into a cliff-hanger. At 3:06 P.M. LeVier twice tried to start the plane's engine, but his attempts failed. At 3:12 P.M. the T-33 landed for refueling. The fuel was not immediately available, and the T-33 did not take off again until 3:46 P.M. At 3:51 P.M. LeVier was finally able to start the engine. During the delay, the wind had shifted and LeVier had to reposition the aircraft.
Finally, at 3:55 P.M., nearly an hour late, Article 341 began its takeoff roll. It lifted off the lake bed thirty seconds later. LeVier made a circle of the lake bed while the landing gear retracted. He operated the speed brakes, then made six stall checks. LeVier was very satisfied, radioing at one point, 'Flies like a baby buggy.' LeVier then started his descent for the landing at 4:10 P.M. At this point, as he wrote in his postflight comments, 'It wasn't difficult to realize that this was no ordinary aircraft. With the power lever in almost idle, the wing flaps partially down and dive brakes extended, the aircraft had a very flat glide and a long float on flaring out.'
LeVier and Johnson had earlier discussed the best landing technique.
Johnson thought the forward landing gear should touch down first, to avoid stalling the wings. LeVier believed he should make a two-point landing. He had talked with B-47 pilots who warned that the aircraft would 'porpoise'
if it landed nose wheel first. At 4:20 P.M. LeVier made his first landing try, but he said, 'attempting to touch the main wheels first while pushing on the control wheel to lower the nose only served to produce a most erratic and uncontrollable porpoise. I immediately applied more power and took off.'
Over the next few minutes, LeVier made three more attempts to land nose gear first. Each time, the attempt failed.
Another factor was the weather. A few minutes after takeoff, the thunderstorms moved into the area and light rain began to fall. As LeVier lined up for his first attempt, he radioed, 'Hardly enough speed to take water off the windshield.' The rain squalls were getting closer as LeVier made his fourth landing attempt. This time, LeVier
