Message posted by habu-e6 on August 24, 2009 at 9:46:35 PST:

Kelly Johnson,

"On 23 July 1958, Lockheed made its first presentation to Mr. Richard Bissell, H.M.(Dick) Horner (United Aircraft), Al Donovan, Dr. Ed Purcell and Mr. Eugene P. Kiefer at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Commander Struble of the Navy was present, and he described a Navy concept of a rubber inflatable airplane which was to be ramjet-powered and carried to altitude by a balloon. I made some rapid note, and found the balloon would have to be over one mile in diameter and the wing area of that concept would have to be greater than 1/7 of an acre."

In 1958 it would have been impossible to build such a craft. With today's technology it may well be.

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