Project ISINGLASS & Project RHEINBERRY

[Archibald]

I still just can't believe they picked a BS-100 turbojet just to get the Harrier-like swivelling nozzles... and engine exhausts on the rear flanks.
To make room for the big XLR-129 engine bell on the rear.

In passing: STOL rocketplane to (near) orbit... ! Never thought a Harrier could marry a X-15, but that peculiar ISINGLASS design more or less did that.

If they were concerned about the bifurcated exhaust to miss the rocket, they might have just used twin engines with the rocket in between?

Good idea, but jet engines are heavy, and rocketplanes hate any weight, mass fraction is all important to them: 0.80 to 0.95 - or die suborbital.

Also, some of the F-155T designs (and a lot of other jet-rocket hybrids) had severe structural / vibration / acoustic issues because of the rocket in the tail. Those things are extremely noisy (150 dB or more !).

 

[LowObservable]

The BS.100 was also the most powerful augmented turbofan available at the time.

 

[Archibald]

I've realized that McDonnell ISINGLASS proposal (against Convair ramjets proposals, circa 1964) was heavily related to their Model 122 / Alpha Draco / BGRV work.

Page 126 of the Pdf

McDonnell expended a concerted effort on a proposal using
the Alpha Draco concept for the Minuteman missile system,
but it was just too new and not a completely proven concept.
Our Model 122 research projects remained in work but at a
reduced level. One tangible effect of our effort was that the
English lexicon was increased by the acronym BGRV, for boost
glide reentry vehicle, which was the Air Force–acceptable generic
name for our glide concept. One of the research projects
that finally garnered a contract and made it to the flight phase
was the Model 122E BGRV. It was launched at Vandenberg
AFB, California, using an Atlas booster and glided several thousand
miles making a turn around Johnson Island on its way to
Wake Island.

The first Atlas launch at Vandenberg AFB with a boilerplate
missile was unexpectedly terminated about 30 seconds into
the flight by a malfunction of the Atlas self‑destruct system.
The second flight test, using a flight article, placed the 122E
into the correct insertion point. Unfortunately, when the 122E
separated from the Atlas, a static-electric buildup between the
122E and the Atlas created a spark that set off the command
destruct system in the 122E. Launch number three, on 26 February
1966, was an outstanding success. It glided down the
entire range, even making a turn over Johnson Island to its
planned target point. The flight was terminated by a programmed
self‑destruct when it reached Mach 5 at 100,000 feet
altitude, where it would have been commanded to dive to the
target in operational use.

McDonnell did not made one, but TWO ISINGLASS proposals.
- Model 192 is the familiar one: B-52 launched, piloted, glided recovery, XLR-129 / RL-20 engine.
-Model 122 is least known.

It kind of made a few compromises
- separated booster
- no pilot
- no wings
- recovery by parachute

And this, folks, makes it a close relative of Model 122B Alpha Draco (1959) and Model 122E BGRV (1966).

More on this on the next post. Took me a while to realize the unmanned ISINGLASS "backup proposal" was McDonnell trying to place their revolutionary 122 boost-glide system into the strategic reconnaissance role.

 

[Archibald]

The two proposals can be identified in the three attached documents. There was Model 192, and then there was Model 122. The later clearly derived from 122B / 122E-BGRV - but I don't know whether 192 related to BGRV besides the flight profile.

Seems that the "Model 122" ISINGLASS proposal corresponds to the varied concepts "S-104".
- Air launched from a B-52, like Model 192 (two variants: BG-1A & BG-2A)
- Ground launched by a repurposed ICBM, like Model 122E (BG-1G, with a Titan II in place of Atlas F)

I had once posted this at NASAspaceflight https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=18261.60

Excerpt from this document (attached document with the name ISINGLASS1966, dated February 23, 1966)


Last page of the Pdf, I cleaned it up.

 

[Archibald]

Now back to that February 26, 1966 Model 122E BGRV flight.
Launched by an Atlas F from Vandenberg it made a rocket-glide flight as far as Johnston & Wake islands in the Pacific. That's 5000 miles, which evenly matches ISINGLASS planned range.
The date is also a perfect match.
McDonnell ISINGLASS proposals started in March 1965 and died in March 1967 (see "ISINGLASS FOIA cleanup" doc above). That BGRV flight was smack dab in the middle, so not surprising McDonnell took their chance with a Model 122 proposal for ISINGLASS.

 

[Archibald]

Last post for today, I swear. So, looking at this picture below... left to right, date: February 23, 1966. Seems the NRO was reviewing varied "exotic" options that included ISINGLASS... and a few others.

- Lockheed D-21 drone TAGBOARD

- McDonnell ISINGLASS [well-known proposal : manned / B-52]

- S-103: TOWN HALL like proposal: big rocket dropped from a bomber, to launch a cut-down spysat

- S-104: McDonnell second ISINGLASS proposal: Model 122 family, BGRV

- S-105: Convair ISINGLASS family (B-58 / mach 4 / ramjet / 110 000 ft)

 

[Archibald]

From all the above, here is my own opinion - for what its worth.

By 1966 GAMBIT and CORONA had suceeded and defined two core missions, two spysats.
- broad mapping of the Soviet Union 22 million km2 at a resolution of a few feet (CORONA)
- pinpoint details at a scale of a few inch (GAMBIT-1 / GAMBIT-3)

Last spysat not a GAMBIT nor a CORONA launched in August 1964.
First KH-9 launched in June 1971.

So, for seven years, the NRO optical spysats were either GAMBIT 1/3 or CORONA.

Besides these two of course the spooks had plenty of concepts and missions in the pipeline: VHR, crisis reconnaissance, Near Real Time... also plenty of "exotic" concepts and proposals by aerospace contractors. Not only spysats, but also drones, and A-12 / SR-71 follow on, plus MOL / Dynasoar, that is, USAF controversial manned space program.

Seems that document drew a comparison between these varied "exotic" concepts
- three ISINGLASS: Convair versus McDonnell 192 versus McDonnell 122
- two more alternatives
a) Lockheed well-known D-21 drone
b) that old idea of air-launching spysats: dropping rockets from large aircraft (TOWN HALL, 1962: Polaris from either A-12 or B-58)
Seems b) wasn't dead by 1966, four years after TOWN HALL...

 

[Dew]

I've realized that McDonnell ISINGLASS proposal (against Convair ramjets proposals, circa 1964) was heavily related to their Model 122 / Alpha Draco / BGRV work.

*Ahem*

 

[Archibald]

I've realized that McDonnell ISINGLASS proposal (against Convair ramjets proposals, circa 1964) was heavily related to their Model 122 / Alpha Draco / BGRV work.

*Ahem*

I'm growing old. Plus I tend to mix McDonnell and Douglas, since they merged 15 years before I came to that world: I grew up in the 1980's / 90's so I have difficulty imagining the two as separate entities.

 

[Dew]

I'm growing old. Plus I tend to mix McDonnell and Douglas, since they merged 15 years before I came to that world: I grew up in the 1980's / 90's so I have difficulty imagining the two as separate entities.

Ah it was the "Remember that the unmanned boost glide vehicle related to ISINGLASS was the (Y variant?) Model 122, which spanned from 1957 through to mid-sixties (and a little beyond?) edit: late-sixties, including the Alpha-Draco (B) & BGRV (E)." part I was prompting

 

[Dew]

I'm wondering if any additional data on hypersonic optical cameras and windows are available.

from Nov 27 1968:

Wind tunnel tests have been conducted on techniques for cooling camera windows for hypersonic aircraft using a fuselage cavity and helium injection. Test data is now being analyzed, and preliminary results show that satisfactory cooling, with adequate control of thermal gradients in the window, can be accomplished with reasonable amounts of helium.
These studies have shown that the window will not pose insurmountable problems in the development of hypersonic reconnaissance vehicles if such are needed for the Advanced Aircraft Reconnaissance System.​

MEMORANDUM FOR: Comptroller, Special Activities, PROGRAM CALL, FISCAL YEARS 1971-1975​

 

[Archibald]

We have many scattered BGV & BGRV mentions on this forum. This is just for the record (because this is fascinating stuff) - to have all of them together in one post and one place.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/general-dynamics-convair-division-boost-glide-vehicle-bgv.41930/#post-613278

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/ground-based-interceptor-gbi.18293/page-6#post-575712

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...es-start-asset-prime-fdl-x-24-etc.722/page-10

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/project-isinglass-project-rheinberry.382/page-9

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/defense-against-hypersonic-glide-vehicles.31281/page-10
(with that gem - http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/2020/06/mcdonnell-alpha-draco-missile30th-year.html )

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/asalm.466/page-2

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/us-hypersonics-prompt-global-strike-capability.7103/page-26#post-357827

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/early-maneuverable-reentry-vehicle-studies.8981/page-2

 

[Jeffsmith34]

did isinglass take off from the drawing board or was it only a proposed aircraft sorry if I sound dumb

 

[Archibald]

They build an airframe test rig and components of the xlr-129 rocket. But no complete aircraft. Spysats were cheaper and much more flexible.

 

[Byeman]

from Nov 27 1968:

MEMORANDUM FOR: Comptroller, Special Activities, PROGRAM CALL, FISCAL YEARS 1971-1975​

Does nothing for the heat air and shock waves.

 

[Archibald]

Attached: a whole lot of CIA documents, related to ISINGLASS. Just in case the links are taken down. Nothing new, the docs have been discussed earlier in this thread.

 

[Archibald]

McDonnell SRV Project

Thirteen original McDonnell company photos for the mid-60’s SRV Project. Sub-Orbital Reusable Vehicle (SRV) (I think this is correct’ but, ...

aviationarchives.blogspot.com

 

[Dew]

McDonnell SRV Project

Thirteen original McDonnell company photos for the mid-60’s SRV Project. Sub-Orbital Reusable Vehicle (SRV) (I think this is correct’ but, ...

aviationarchives.blogspot.com

"Simulated Re-entry Vehicle" - as can be seen in the second picture

 

[Archibald]

Nope he quoted Astronautix which is all wrong. This is BGRV, 1966 and Atlas.

 

[Dew]

Nope he quoted Astronautix which is all wrong. This is BGRV, 1966 and Atlas.

There is literally a sign next to it in the second picture which clearly reads Simulated Re-entry Vehicle. It is most certainly BGRV (well, ABRES at least) related though.

 

[SpaceMonk]

The Wizards of Langley has this to say about ISINGLASS / RHEINBERRY

The Wizards Of Langley

In this, the first full-length study of the Directorate of Science and Technology, Jeffrey T. Richelson walks us down the corridors of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and through the four decades of science, scientists, and managers that produced the CIA we have today. He tells a story of...

books.google.fr

Why do you need orbital velocity for a spyplane?

 

[Archibald]

I didn't said that. I was just compairing RHEINBERRY Mach 20 - 22 (suborbital) velocity to orbital velocity.

 

[alpha_k]

waste time on searching model 192 is meaningless, model 192 never become something real aircraft, only model 122 is
usefull, that was most important, like bgrv.now we know something about model 122c and 122e. what next developmemt after them?

 

[Albinonutte2012]

Not at all. There is real evidence on ISINGLASS to be uncovered, as you can see by starting at the beginning of this thread, and I'll be publishing an article on it soon.

Where do you usually post these articles?

 

[Archibald]

The Space Review: essays and commentary about the final frontier

The Space Review: A bat outta Hell: the ISINGLASS Mach 22 follow-on to OXCART

 

[Dew]

LH2 tank test article built for Mach 6 cruise hypersonic vehicle, of which just one image appears.

Plus one more image contained within HYDROGEN TANKAGE FOR HYPERSONIC CRUISE VEHICLES - PHASE 1

 

[flateric]

Now this topic needs serious sorting things out...

 

[Dew]

Now this topic needs serious sorting things out...

I nearly made the comment that my post was relevant to yours but not particularly to the actual thread topic
edit: having said that it does tie in timewise with the General Dynamics ISINGLASS contracts of '64 - '65

 

[Archibald]

Reading again the CIA and NRO sparse documents on ISINGLASS and RHEINBERRY. I've just realized something.
Dyna-Soar was Boeing, sure. BUT - ASSET was a miniature Dyna-Soar nose, which contractor was... McDonnell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASSET_(spacecraft)

Program started in 1960 and first ASSET flew merely a few weeks before Dyna-Soar cancellation; the program concluded in February 1965.

So how does this relates to RHEINBERRY ?

The timing and the contractor... McDonnell, 1963.

We have a rough Convair's ISINGLASS timeline here
https://codeonemagazine.net/article.html?item_id=92

We know that Convair ISINGLASS studies stretched well into 1965, and that the last ones were pivoting toward Mach 9 rocket vehicles. Which was probably the pivot toward RHEINBERRY - also rockets, but Mach 22.

Seems rather clear that McDonnell successful ASSET flights, 1963-65, gave them confidence to try and tackle Convair ISINGLASS studies. Particularly after Convair's Mach 4+ 110 000 feet concepts were rejected by the NRO as too vulnerable to the SA-5 (which could hit Mach 5 and 125 000 feet vehicles - and beyond, with a nuclear warhead).



Pretty interesting that there was a loose connection between DynaSoar and RHEINBERRY through McDonnell ASSET.

Also : before 1961 and Titan III, Dyna-Soar was to launch from Cape Canaveral on a Titan II; and suborbital hop to Fortaleza, Brazil : 3500 miles at 20 000 ft/s. Range is shorter than RHEINBERRY but the velocities are very similar: Mach 20 is 22,330 ft/s.

 

[Archibald]

And now... an interesting CIA document from 1960 I've cleaned up and OCR-ized. It was kinda the pre-history of ISINGLASS.

RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEM SURVEY

Some background

In 1960 there was a brief, hectic period when the CIA was throwing things at the wall and checked what stuck.

1960 U-2 incident - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Discoverer 13 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Francis G. Powers U-2 was shot down on May 1; mercifully, the DISCOVERER program recovered its first capsule on August 13. The era of spysat was dawning - at the right time.

In the meantime Hycon and the CIA seemingly reviewed a whole lot of existing aerospace vehicles for strategic reconnaissance. It is truly a hodgepodge of proposals, including a spysat variant of Mercury ! Which would have been very similar to the Soviet Vostok / Zenit.

Where it gets really interesting is how many of them are forerunners to mid- 1960's systems.
- Q-2C drone = Ryan Model 147 Lightning bug
- Omer & X-7 = D-21, mach 3 drone
- X-15, recon glider, Dyna-Soar "flyover" = ISINGLASS / RHEINBERRY

- Curiously enough B-70 is mentionned but not A-12 OXCART.

- Same for SAMOS vs DISCOVERER / CORONA

- Something interesting, too : at some point or another - 1958-1962 - Samos, Mercury and Vostok each had one foot planted in manned spaceflight and the other, into spysats.
Samos (E-5 variant)
https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1410/1

The Space Review: A sheep in wolf’s clothing: the Samos E-5 recoverable satellite (part 1) (page 2)

www.thespacereview.com

Vostok

The Space Review: Vostok: an aerospace classic

The explanation: they wanted to recover the camera, and it was a business very similar to retrieving an astronaut...

 

[Archibald]

More on the Mercury proposal. Seems Hycon and McDonnell were on the same case. Note the date: June 1960, in the era I mentionned in the earlier post.
The spooks were firing on all cylinders.
The Development Projects Division was the CIA organization tasked with the U-2 development. Hycon had been a contractor to that: their 73-B camera was the first used by the spyplane. It is mentionned here. https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/attachments/cia-rdp67b00511r000100150009-6_page-0001-jpg.753993/

 

[Dynoman]

Regarding Project RHEINBERRY,

Looking at the diagram below its obvious that ISINGLASS followed OXCART (A-12) as its proposed replacement. Its propulsion path was rocket power. Then, following ISINGLASS is ISINGLASS II. This appears to be the long range rocket-boost-glide vehicle follow-on. The last vehicle is the Hypersonic Extended Range vehicle. Its propulsion source is different from ISINGLASS (i.e. unless its a hybrid which would be, IMO unlikely), the last concept uses a scramjet. If the vehicle were of mixed propulsion then the Hypersonic Extended Range aircraft could be configured as the NASA model below.

The Hypersonic Extended Range vehicle lacks a codename or designation as the previous vehicles in the chart (i.e. U-2, OXCART, SR-71, TAGBOARD, and ISINGLASS).

Considering that NASA and the USAF were the only two agencies researching manned hypersonic flight using scramjets in the 1960's (according to Hypersonic Revolution, as the Navy sought scramjet missiles) and the NRO (who was last in possession of the ISINGLASS project) had handed the project over to the USAF circa 1968, I would assume that the Air Force was interested in pursuing the scramjet powered version of ISINGLASS, as is demonstrated in much of their later research.

Therefore, I'm proposing that the Hypersonic Extended Range aircraft is the RHEINBERRY concept aircraft. Possibly a CIA codename that existed for a brief period of time (as the information and data were transferred to the USAF), which would reason why there is no other references to it in the known CIA and NRO documentation other than the brief mention of it in one document.

ISINGLASS - Boost glide rocket - 7,500 mi range; Mach 20; 200,000 ft.

ISINGLASS II - Hypersonic rocket powered - 12,000 mi range

RHEINBERRY? - Hypersonic Extended Range - Scramjet powered - 24,000 mi range

Any thoughts?

 

[Dynoman]

After the cancellation of the ISINGLASS vehicle concept in 1967, the CIA was still concerned about having a Quick Reaction reconnaissance capability and pursued concept formulation for a follow-on design to the ISINGLASS concept. This concept was known as the Advanced Aircraft Reconnaissance System. This was funded in December 1968 for the following year.

In 1968 the Hypersonic Extended Range (HER, for ease of discussion) vehicle was the culmination of reconnaissance vehicle design efforts by the CIA (i.e. following U-2, OXCART, TAGBOARD, and others) and was likely the concept vehicle inherited by the Air Force when the NRO transferred information to the Air Force. However, due to the above mentioned concerns by the CIA, it is possible that the HER concept was considered as a baseline vehicle for the Advanced Aircraft Reconnaissance System. Maybe, that vehicle is the CIA RHEINBERRY.

BTW, the cryptonym RHEINBERRY is consistent with the random one word codenames of the CIA and not the two word codenames often found in the USAF. Although there are exceptions to this rule, this has been relatively consistent for decades. Leading me to think that RHEINBERRY was a CIA concept.

 

[Archibald]

not the two word codenames often found in the USAF

Like HAVE BLUE or SENIOR CROWN, I presume ? in contrast with OXCART ? (fastest airbreathing plane - and the computer picked OXCART for codename. Artificial intelligence, my sorry a$$)

@Dynoman very interesting stuff.

ISINGLASS - Boost glide rocket - 7,500 mi range; Mach 20; 200,000 ft.

ISINGLASS II - Hypersonic rocket powered - 12,000 mi range

RHEINBERRY? - Hypersonic Extended Range - Scramjet powered - 24,000 mi range

My own take would be (for what it's worth)

1 - ISINGLASS : Convair studies 1963-1965: ramjet, Mach 4.5, 110 000 ft ceiling (NRO said : meh, not enough against SA-5)

2 - ISINGLASS II : McDonnell studies 1964-1967 : XLR-129, Mach 20, 200 000 ft ceiling (could be RHEINBERRY)

3 - RHEINBERRY : - Hypersonic Extended Range - Scramjet powered - 24,000 mi range

I would add that the ISINGLASS moniker seems to overlap between 1- and 2 - ; and RHEINBERRY does the same between 2- and 3- .

 

[Archibald]

As I said upthread, thanks to CodeOne magazine we know that
- circa spring 1964 Convair was proposing "jet+rocket to Mach 9"
- meanwhile McDonnell was coming on their heels like a bat outta hell with "make no compromise: all-rocket to Mach 20".

Yet this doesn't mean that Convair = ISINGLASS and McDonnell = RHEINBERRY. Not at all, the codename change could have came at any different moment.

------------------------

SPECULATIVE MODE /ON

Typing the above it just dawned on me... what if (in a final, wicked twist) Convair tried to outsmart McDonnell "all rocket to Mach 20" with a scramjet vehicle ? "rocket are certainly fast but suck at range; scramjet, on the other hand..."

- McDonnell : Hypersonic rocket powered - 12,000 mi range

- Convair is back, with a vengeance : Hypersonic Extended Range - Scramjet powered - 24,000 mi range

Final story might be:

1 - ISINGLASS : Convair studies 1963-1965: ramjet, Mach 4.5, 110 000 ft ceiling (NRO said : meh, not enough against SA-5)

2 - ISINGLASS II : McDonnell studies 1964-1967 : Hypersonic rocket powered, 200 000 ft ceiling

3 - RHEINBERRY : Convair is back : Hypersonic Extended Range - Scramjet powered - 24,000 mi range

It's like the turtle and hare, with Convair as the turtle and McDonnell as the hare. Ramjet ? - rocket ! - scramjet, then.

 

[Dynoman]

circa spring 1964 Convair was proposing "jet+rocket to Mach 9"

I definitely think that Convair was an early developer of the concept (see Project Hazel 1958 CIA proposal), at least what would become ISINGLASS, if not the the originator of the cryptonym. The CIA had a contract with General Dynamics (which purchased Convair in 1953), which under contract NA-2000, included the ISINGLASS codename (see below). This was funded for FY64. I believe ISINGLASS was a 'catch-all' for all reconnaissance rocket-boosted glide vehicle concepts during the 1960's in the CIA. The scramjet design may have been such a different vehicle that it warranted it's own codename, RHEINBERRY.

 

[Archibald]

(Nota bene: I'm not saying CodeOne timeline is the perfect, final word - just that it is useful as a companion to the NRO & CIA documents, - which are extremely fragmentary)

https://codeonemagazine.net/article.html?item_id=92

The company received a final payment for work related to the program in January 1963. However, only ten months later, Convair used the predecessor to Kingfish—FISH—as the starting point for design studies for an A-12 replacement.

The initial studies were divided into four two-month phases that spanned November 1963 through June 1964.

The results of this work were presented to Air Force Systems Command in March 1965 in a report titled Manned Hypersonic Vehicle Study.

I have a HAZEL file on my HD.

 

[Tuomasn]

Regarding Project RHEINBERRY,

Looking at the diagram below its obvious that ISINGLASS followed OXCART (A-12) as its proposed replacement. Its propulsion path was rocket power. Then, following ISINGLASS is ISINGLASS II. This appears to be the long range rocket-boost-glide vehicle follow-on. The last vehicle is the Hypersonic Extended Range vehicle. Its propulsion source is different from ISINGLASS (i.e. unless its a hybrid which would be, IMO unlikely), the last concept uses a scramjet. If the vehicle were of mixed propulsion then the Hypersonic Extended Range aircraft could be configured as the NASA model below.

The Hypersonic Extended Range vehicle lacks a codename or designation as the previous vehicles in the chart (i.e. U-2, OXCART, SR-71, TAGBOARD, and ISINGLASS).

Considering that NASA and the USAF were the only two agencies researching manned hypersonic flight using scramjets in the 1960's (according to Hypersonic Revolution, as the Navy sought scramjet missiles) and the NRO (who was last in possession of the ISINGLASS project) had handed the project over to the USAF circa 1968, I would assume that the Air Force was interested in pursuing the scramjet powered version of ISINGLASS, as is demonstrated in much of their later research.

Therefore, I'm proposing that the Hypersonic Extended Range aircraft is the RHEINBERRY concept aircraft. Possibly a CIA codename that existed for a brief period of time (as the information and data were transferred to the USAF), which would reason why there is no other references to it in the known CIA and NRO documentation other than the brief mention of it in one document.

ISINGLASS - Boost glide rocket - 7,500 mi range; Mach 20; 200,000 ft.

ISINGLASS II - Hypersonic rocket powered - 12,000 mi range

RHEINBERRY? - Hypersonic Extended Range - Scramjet powered - 24,000 mi range

Any thoughts?

ISINGLASS and RHEINBERRY have been discussed to depth also at the NASASpaceflight forum, and for me the most convincing conclusion has been that RHEINBERRY was just the initial codename for the McDonnell Mach 20 boost-glide proposal. See eg. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=18261.msg2467869#msg2467869 and https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=18261.msg2468144#msg2468144

 

[Dynoman]

ISINGLASS and RHEINBERRY have been discussed to depth also at the NASASpaceflight forum

I've read the thread at NASASpaceflight forum extensively and the one document that RHEINBERRY comes from is the titled SECRET/RHEINBERRY document above. The monograph on The CIA and Overhead Reconnaissance-The U-2 and OXCART Programs is based on that one document (which is where the OXCART insert is from).

The document states that RHEINBERRY is "Under consideration" and has not been funded, nor formally submitted for approval pending further preliminary studies by OSA. These studies will be in conjunction with the DDI's requirements and with the assessments on vulnerability by the DD/S&T/OSI.

This statement suggests that RHEINBERRY was still under consideration following additional studies, and not some early concept that preceded the McDonnell Douglas entry.

I am suspicious of the single source SECRET/RHEINBERRY document as there are no other original sources of documentation supporting the claim that it was a previous design. It is more likely that the author's placement of the RHEINBERRY project, which he located at the beginning of the document, before the inclusion of the General Dynamics entry, is not a chronological account of the programs, but instead he listed the important ongoing study on RHEINBERRY first, and then continued to recite the other programs that preceded it. Statement 3. from the above document states that "The planned aircraft," referencing project RHEINBERRY (for which the document is titled). Therefore, RHEINBERRY would have followed all of these programs at the time of its writing. The Advanced Aircraft Reconnaissance System appears to use ISINGLASS as the start for the FY1969 funded project, which is why the performance numbers are the same (i.e. M20 at 200,000 feet) and the same for RHEINBERRY.


(which the document is titled)

 

[Dynoman]

According to the SECRET/RHEINBERRY document:

Project RHEINBERRY

Vehicle Performance

Launched from a B-52 at 25,000 feet
Climb to 200,000 feet within 320 nm
Accelerate to Mach 20 at altitude
Conduct Reconnaissance Photography over 6,700 nm
Maneuver for landing within 480 nm
Total Range 7,500 nm

Camera System

1 ft. resolution
40-50 nm camera swath
Carries film for 6,000 nm
Possible other sensors

*RHEINBERRY estimates based on ISINGLASS system and its manpower requirements based on OXCART
Joint funding between NRO and the USAF have not been decided.