White Sands Missile Range
Museum
Archival Holdings
The George Helfrich Collection
For over fifty years George Helfrich has been involved with guided missile
programs. In 1953, he was drafted into the U S Army Ordnance Corp and was
stationed at Redstone Arsenal, White Sands Proving Ground, and finally the
Los Angeles area servicing Nike installations. In 1955, upon discharge, he
entered the University of Maryland and in 1956 began working at the Johns
Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) in the Talos missile
test area. Upon graduation in 1959 with a degree in Electrical Engineering,
he returned to White Sands to the APL Field Office to support the Navy
missile programs there until 2003. His experience was in radar, fire control
systems, target development, range operations and flight safety. As the APL
Field Office Manager and with the resources of the APL Archives, he was able
to collect a wide variety of information covering sixty years of guided
missile development.
He has served on the WSMR Museum Foundation, is a charter member of the Dona
Ana County Historical Society, a charter member of the Amador Museum
Foundation, a member of CARTA and the Tularosa Basin Historical Society.
Both he and his wife Alice are White Sands Pioneers, as she worked in the
Army Headquarters Building in 1954.
You may browse through the database using the controls at the bottom of
the page, or search for a word or phrase. Searching with the search
field empty will yield the complete database, which is the startup
condition.
ID#
ItemNomenclature
CommentsandRemarks
Magazine
Air & Space Smithsonian, 2-3/1988, Page.92-97, Pushing the Button, article by Harry Stine, Navy Range Safety Officer, 1955-1957 at White Sands Proving Ground. Information related to V-2 and Viking rocket flight safety design and operation. 6 pages of 112 pages copyright Smithsonian Institution 1988
07.048.002
Magazine
All hands Magazine., 4 /1977, Pg. 32-37, The Desert Navy at White Sands article about Navy rocket and missile testing history at White Sands. Desert Ship, Talos, Terrier, Tartar, Aegis, V-2 and Black Brandt. 6 pages of 49 - No copyright
07.048.003
Magazine Proceedings
Naval Institute Proceedings., 1/1992, Pages 56 - 61, Deak Parsons Officer - Scientist Career history of Rear Admiral William S. Parsons who was involved with the atomic bomb, radar development and development of the proximity fuze before and during World War II. He was aboard the Enola Gay and armed, in flight, the bomb released over Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. 6 pages of 129 Pages.71-75, Tomahawk in the Desert, Use of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) during the Persian Gulf War 1991. 5 pages of 129. Copyright 1992 U.S.Naval Institute, Copyright is not claimed for editorial material in the public domain.
07.048.004
Magazine Digest
APL Technical Digest,1-3/1985, Pg. 92-99, High Altitude Research at APL in the 1940's Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory work done related to upper atmospheric research as a result of the V-2 and Aerobee testing done at White Sands Proving Ground. 8 pages of 117, Copyright 1985 by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
07.048.005
Technical Report
Section T Report, 12/1948, Aerobee High Altitude Sounding Rocket - Design Construction And Use by L.W. Fraser Bumblebee Series Report No. 95 provided to G. Helfrich by Dr. James A. VanAllen 173 pages no copyright
07.048.006
Report, Bound
Applied Physics Lab Fleet Systems Report SMS-FS-425, 10/1970, Description of the Maritime Ducting Radar Investigation & Final Report on Key West Experiment. The maritime duct is a meteorological phenomenon causing bending of radar energy along the oceans surface. Equipment supporting these tests was prepared at White Sands Missile Range by G. Helfrich who was test conductor during the tests at Key West Florida. 73 pages plus 60 pages of data and figures. No copyright
07.048.007
Report, Bound
Applied Physics Laboratory Report - TG 572, 5/1964, Final Flight Test Summary Long Range Typhon Missile 47 pages plus 17 figures. No copyright.
9 Long Range Typhon missiles were flight tested in the period of 23 March 1961 through 9 September 1963
07.048.008
Report, Bound
USN PMA-263 Report, 7/1975, Sea Launched Cruise Missile Competitive test requirements for navigation performance and cruise missile guidance system in-flight reliability. 9 pages
Applied Physics Laboratory Report - TG-827, 6/1966, HT/IT/SMT-1, Weapon Control System at White Sands Missile Range. By George Helfrich Description of the Weapon Control System at the Desert Ship supporting Improved Tartar (IT), Homing Terrier (HT), and the Standard Missile Type I (SMT-I) 115 pages plus Appendix A - E.
Contains a number of pictures of Desert Ship equipment in place at the time of the report.
07.048.011
Book
Applied Physics Laboratory, Technical Digest, 10-12/1982, Volume 3, Number4 Pg. 385, The Development of the Radio Proximity Fuze 2 pages of 68 pages Copyright1983 The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
07.048.012
Book
Applied Physics Laboratory Technical Digest 4-6/1982 Volume 3, Number 2 The Talos Missile Pages 114 through 179 covering various aspects of the Talos Program. 15 Related articles by various authors. Talos was the first ram-jet fleet defense missile deployed by the U S Navy. 65 pages of 110 pages Copyright 1982 The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
07.048.013
Book
Applied Physics Laboratory Technical Digest, 10-12/1981, Volume 2 Number 4 Fleet Defense Systems and Technology 90 pages of various articles dealing with Aegis, Terrier, Tartar and Standard Missile development. 90 pages of 110 pages Copyright 1982 The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
07.048.014
Report
Physical Science Laboratory, New Mexico State University Report, PA00807, 1970's, Naval Ordnance Missile Test Facility (NOMTF) Computer History 53 pages
07.048.015
Report, Bound
United States Navy Bureau of Naval Weapons Report, May 1965, Surface Missile Systems (SMS) Missile Flight Test Site AD HOC Study Final Report This report recommended consolidation, effective 1 July 1966, of all SMS Missile Flight Tests (present and future) at White Sands Missile Range (excluding shipboard flight tests. 79 Pages
07.048.016
Letters & Reports File
USN Letters & Reports 4-9/1965, Homing Terrier, Improved Tartar, Standard Missile Site Consolidation letter, Plan and Evaluation
07.048.017
News Paper
The Missile Ranger Volume 30, Number 15 Friday, August 25, 1978, Stories about WSMR Flood damage and Deaths of 5 people.
07.048.018
Newsletter
APL News Feb 1976, Page3 , George A. Helfrich is honored for White Sands Work Page 3 of 8
07.048.019
Newsletter
APL News, Feb 1986, Page 3, Bob Thomson Retirement Thomson was the first permanent APL Field Office representative at White Sands supporting the U.S.Navy. Thomson was a radar and missile systems expert.
07.048.020
Newsletter
APL News, Jan 1980, Talos retired from fleet use. Served Fleet Defense 20 Years. Page 1 and page 5 of 8
07.048.021
Newsletter
APL News, Summer 1986,The Navy at White Sands, Lorie Fraser speaks at the Navy's 40th Anniversary at White Sands. Fraser was involved with VanAllen V-2 testing. Page 5 and 6 of 16 pages.
07.048.022
Newsletter
APL News, Jun 1987, George Luke Obituary Page 4 of 8
07.048.023
Newsletter
APL News, Mar 1992, Articles and Pictures from 50th anniversary(V-2 and Talos recovery) 24 pages
07.048.024
Newsletter
APL News, Mar 1993, Rest in Pieces: Aerobee Launch Tower Remembered Picture of Helfrich in front of Aerobee Tower-A before it's removal. Brief history of Aerobee program. Page 3 of 8
07.048.025
Newsletter
APL News, March 1997, Standard Missile Intercept Proves Anti-TBM Capability. Picture of Standard Missile 2 Block IVA launch from the Desert Ship. Page 1 and 5 of 8
SM-2 RAP, Sept. 1973, SM-2 Flight Test Round (FTR-4) … Pictures and articles related to Standard Missile testing at White Sands Missile Range. 6 pages
07.048.028
U.S.Navy Letter
09B13/HEW, Serial 91 Dated Jan.7, 1975, Establishment of Naval Ordnance Missile Test facility (NOMTF) White Sands as a Detachment of NSWSES Proposal and fact and justification forms. 6 pages
07.048.029
Magazine
Aviation Week Magazine,. Apr 1997, USAF 50th Anniversary 149 pages.
Copyright McGraw Hill Companies inc.
07.048.030
Report, Bound
APL Report RL-81-463, Report on Repair Procedure of SPG-51Antenna BSG-62 by George A. Helfrich 26 pages
07.048.031
Report, Bound
APL Report FS 87-128, Jun 1987, Test results of Mk-115/Mk-104 Thrust Termination Demonstration by George A. Helfrich This report indicated that the Mk-115 warhead caused thrust termination of the Mk-104 rocket motor. 22 pages
07.048.032
Report, Bound
APL Report FS-88-132, Jul 1988, Test Results of Ex-125/MK-104 Thrust Termination Demonstration by George A. Helfrich This report established that the Mk-125 warhead caused thrust termination of the MK-104 rocket motor upon detonation. 38 pages
UDS Jan 1981, PI865A0, Program Introduction, MQM-8G Interim Anti-Ship Missile Target Vandal (modified Talos) target system 18 pages
07.048.040
Statement of Capability
UDS Jun 1981, SC 865B0, Statement of Capability, MQM-8G Interim Anti-Ship Vandal Missile target 14 pages
07.048.041
Operation Requirement (OR)
Operational Requirement No 86501, Feb 1982, Vandal Flight Testing Flight test and system capability tests. 30 pages plus Telemetry requirements enclosure
07.048.042
Technical Memorandum
General Dynamics, May 1990, Technical Memo, Standard Missile (SM) Flight Termination System Description 34 pages
07.048.043
Technical Digest
APL Technical Digest, 10-12/1998, 40th Anniversary Strategic Systems Department 189 pages 1998 copyright Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
07.048.044
Magazine
All Hands, Jan 1999, Information on Ships and Weapons in the Navy inventory in 1999 56 pages. No copyright
07.048.045
Report, Bound
Naval Ordnance Station, Indian Head Maryland, Final Report, Jan 1978, Land Based Test Site Program Report of readiness to start 5 Guided Projectile firings at White Sands Missile Range 6 pages plus appendix
07.048.046
Report, Bound
TR-9408 draft Test Report for ...SM-2/IV GTV Test Series Report for MK-41 Vertical Launching System with Mk-21 Canister 83 pages See distribution restriction statement
07.048.047
Magazine
Aerojet Magazine, Summer 1992, , Development of Aerobee is described in this 50th anniversary issue of Aerojet's history. pages 6-9 of 18 pages. No copyright
07.048.048
Magazine
A History of Navy Missile Testing at Point Mugu, California 56 pages
