Matt Cole

In May 1958, CIA pilot Allen Pope was shot down and captured while flying a Douglas B-26 Invader during the Indonesian Crisis. After learning that Pope was being held on house arrest at a jungle resort on the slopes of Mt. Merapi, and had some freedom of movement outside, the CIA’s Technical Services Staff came up with a plan to air-drop an inflatable airplane to him, so he could rescue himself. According to authors Robert Wallace and Keith Melton, CIA turned to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, which had been working to develop an inflatable rubber plane called the Inflatoplane. Several prototypes were built for the US military, including single-seat and dual-seat designs. The single-seat model could be packed up in a mere 44 cubic feet with a 40-hp engine and propeller strapped on top. There was also an onboard air compressor which would maintain positive pressure during flight, even if the aircraft were punctured by several .30 caliber bullets. The Inflatoplane had relatively low top speeds and range but was considered more than sufficient for the Pope rescue scenario. Inflatoplanes were designed to be filled with compressed air from a canister, but the CIA worked instead to fill the fuselage with chemical pellets. When Pope reached the aircraft, all he would need to do was pour water into the reservoir, which would react with the chemical pellets, quickly filling the rubber fuselage with an inert gas. Pope could then fly himself to safety. The prototype was tested and ready, but the rescue operation was ultimately canceled for unknown reasons. Pope remained under house arrest until 1962, when he was released after diplomatic negotiations. Some reports indicate two paramilitary CIA officers assisted him in escaping to safety. Pope returned to service with the CIA afterwards as a pilot on covert missions. Years later when another mission offered the potential of using the inflatable airplane, CIA technicians pulled it from the warehouse only to discover that the rubber was dried up and cracked due to lack of maintenance. The prototype was discarded, never to be used again. #cia #indonesia #prisoner #rescue #escape