Searching for the PDP-3
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From: Paul A. Suhler on 10 Feb 2007 15:25 I'm trying to find out what became of the one and only PDP-3. "Computer Engineering" by Bell, et al., 1978, states that it was up and running in Oregon. Does anyone have any more details? It was built at the CIA's Scientific Engineering Institute (SEI) and -- according to participants I've interviewed -- used to process radar cross section data from the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird. Thanks, Paul Suhler
From: Paul Repacholi on 14 Feb 2007 03:35 "Paul A. Suhler" <suhler(a)ieee.org> writes: > I'm trying to find out what became of the one and only PDP-3. > "Computer Engineering" by Bell, et al., 1978, states that it was up > and running in Oregon. Does anyone have any more details? > It was built at the CIA's Scientific Engineering Institute (SEI) and -- > according to participants I've interviewed -- used to process radar > cross section data from the Lockheed A-12 Blackbird. If it was CIA, then it would have been the A-11 single seater, not the USAF A-12 that followed. Please post anything you find out!
From: Paul A. Suhler on 14 Feb 2007 11:51 Actually, the A-11 was never built, although in a bit of Kelly Johnson-inspired disinformation intended to hide the stealth features, the public announcement by LBJ called it the A-11 and showed a picture of the YF-12A. See books by Goodall & Miller, Crickmore, Remak & Ventolo, etc. Or my book on RAINBOW and GUSTO, whenever I finish it. So, the A-12 was the single seater for the CIA and the R-12 (better known as the SR-71) was the two-seater for the USAF. Gordon Bell says that he doesn't recall where the PDP-3 actually ended up. I'm now e-mailing various computer museums to see who might know. Paul Repacholi wrote: > > If it was CIA, then it would have been the A-11 single seater, not the USAF > A-12 that followed. > > Please post anything you find out!
From: Paul Repacholi on 15 Feb 2007 00:37 "Paul A. Suhler" <suhler(a)ieee.org> writes: > So, the A-12 was the single seater for the CIA and the R-12 (better > known as the SR-71) was the two-seater for the USAF. Grief, this story changes every time you look at it! From What I know, the A-11 was a CIA funded single seater with metal vertical stabs and some other change I can't recall. The 12 was USAF funded, 2 seats, or at least the NASA doc on the F-12 showed the rear cockpit, in overflight recon and intercepter, YF-12A, forms. The R-12 moniker is a new one to me. The odd thing is, the A-11 was quite frequently mentioned all over the place along with the A-12 until some time in the 90s when the 11 seems to have had a pall of `not been' cast over it.
From: Gregg Townsend on 15 Feb 2007 17:19
In article <OSpzh.17345$ji1.6809(a)newssvr12.news.prodigy.net>, Paul A. Suhler <suhler(a)ieee.org> wrote: > I'm trying to find out what became of the one and only PDP-3. "Computer > Engineering" by Bell, et al., 1978, states that it was up and running in > Oregon. Does anyone have any more details? Hmmm. There was an article in the January 1978 issue of Communications of the ACM entitled "The Evolution of the DECsystem 10". The authors were Bell, Kotok, Hastings, and Hill. According to Table I, the PDP-3 was a "Paper machine", and the price column is left blank. |