I came across this National Archives footage and haven't seen it broadcast in the US yet so here it is(declassified here). In 1945 the Allies grabbed every bit of technology they could in Operation Paperclip and brought it to America. The U.S. Air Force boxed it up and carted it to America. The Apollo program was a result of this effort.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5y37mTx5Ts[/youtube]
Was Francis Rogallo privy to this technology?
Doug