(3 of 3)
The experts will also look at the location of the controls to determine if the pilot can handle high-G maneuvers without having his muscles pulled awry in tight turns. They will look at the angle of the seat to see how many Gs the plane itself can sustain and measure the length of the radio antennas to get the range of frequencies the pilots operate on. Fire-control experts will look at the dials and mechanisms to determine what range the pilot must have to lock on to a target. The squad will be probing the electronic-countermeasure capability of the plane, checking whether it has a radar-absorption paint or plate to give it a distorted blip on radar scanners.
Undramatic Exit. The pilot is at least as valuable as the plane. Apparently bright and willing, Belenko will be able to tell U.S. experts much about the selection, training and flying skills of Soviet pilots. He will also be able to provide invaluable information about Soviet air defenses in eastern Siberia and the MIG-25's strengths and weaknesses.
Belenko's trip to the U.S. was less dramatic than his dash to Hakodate. The Japanese government, not wanting to give the appearance of total collusion with Washington by allowing Belenko to depart on a U.S. Air Force plane, simply put him on Northwest Orient's Flight 22, which flies regularly from Tokyo to Los Angeles with a stopover in Honolulu. Startled by heavy security precautions at the Tokyo airport, the other 300 passengers soon guessed that Belenko was on board the 747 jet. "I hope we're not hijacked!" exclaimed one nervous passenger. Actually the flight was uneventful. Accompanied by a bevy of U.S. officials, Belenko remained sequestered in the upper-deck lounge until he arrived in the U.S. to begin a new life as one of the most important Soviet defectors yet to reach the West.
* The U.S.'s SR-71, which last July flew at 2,200 m.p.h., is used solely for reconnaissance.