DECLASSIFIED Authority: NND 857011 I ,0. 203 I INTSCUlGStt^^ STUDY (Di/usA F-on) 2 6167 •ffYSIS O F FLYING O BJECT INCIDENTS—« * IN TH E UNIT ED STA TES ‘T^£ 10 DECEM BER I9U8 r MEMO ROUTING SLIP N EVEP& E& ^APPRO VALS, D ISAPPRO VALS, CO N CU RREN CES, O R SIM ILAR ACTIO N S 1 NAME OR TITLE INITIALS CIRCULATE ORGANIZATION AND LOCATION DATE COORDINATION 2 FILE INFORMATION 3 NECESSARY ACTION NOTE AND RETURN 4 SEE ME SIGNATURE REMARKS 10—48487-4 opoPil*^ FO R M rtE R eplaces DA A GO Forto 895,1 A pr 48, and A FH Q M W 1 FEB SO y 33 Form 12,10 Nov 47, which may b e used. •^4)PUJ,"''H"'^^ 10 December 1948 A NA LYSIS ff FQ3 O BJECT DiiM M IS Iff TIK U.S. aioBiai 1. T o oxarain# pattern of tactics of "Flying Saucers”(hereinafter referred to as flying ob jects) and to develop conclusions as to the possib ility of existence. FA CTS A ND DISCUSSED 2. A detailed discussion of information b earing on the prob lem as set forth ab ove is attached as A ppendix "A ”. The main points estab ­ lished therein are summarised b elow. 3. The frequency of reported incidante, the similarity in many of the characteristics attrib uted to the ob served ob jects and the of ob servers considered as a whole, support the that aaae type of flying ob ject has b oon ob served. A pproximately 210 incidents have b een reported. A meng the ob servers reporting on such incidents are trained and experienced U.S. W eather Bureau personnel, USA F rated officers, experienced civilian allots, technicians associated with various research projects and technicians employed b y oemmeruiul air­ lines. quality contention 4. The possib ility that reported ob servations of flying ob jects over the U.S. were influenced b y previous sightings of unidentified phenomena in Europe, particularly over Scandinavia in 1946, and that the ob servers reporting such incidents way have b een interested In ob­ taining personal pub licity have b een considered as possib le explanations. H owever, these possib ilities seem to b e improb ab le when certain selected reports such as the one from U.S. W eather Bureau at M ohsond ar# ex­ amined. During ob servation# of weather b alloons at the lichmend. b ureau, one well trained ob server has sifted strap ft# metallic disks on three ocoaftions and another ob server has sighted a similar ob ject on on# O ceanian* T hs last ob servation of wldantiflod ob jects was in A pril, 1947# O n all four occasions the weather b alloon and the unidentified ob jects were in view through the theodolite* T hese ob servations at the R ichmond weau occurred several months b efore pub licity on the flying saucers appeared in a U.S. newspaper* 5. Te scription a of ths flying ob jects fall into three configura­ tion categoriesi (1) disk-shaped (2) rough cl gar-shaped (3) b alls of fire. Varying conditions of visib ility and differences in angles at which the ob jects may have b een viewed introduces a possib ility that a single typo ob ject aay have b een ob served rather tian three different typos. T his possib ility is further sub stantiated b y the fact that in the areas where such ob jects have b een ob served the ratio of the three general configurations io approximately the sane* 6. Therefore, it appears that sone ob ject han b een seen) however, the identification of that ob ject cannot b o readily accomplished on the b asts of information reported cm each incident* It is possib le that the ob ject, or ob jects, aay have b een domestically launched devices such as weather b alloons, rockets, experlaontal flying wing aircraft, or coles- tial phenomena. It la necessary to ob tain information on such domestic activity to confirm or deny this possibility, re upon the degree with which thio may b o accomplished, foreign devices oust then b s oon- eidared as a possibility. pending 7. T he pattern of Biotin go io definab le. Sightings have b een mast intense throughout the states b ordering the A tlantis and Pacific eoast lines, and the central states of thio and Kentucky. A map showing Location of sightings is attached so A ppendix •»•. •• T he origin of the devices io net ascertainab le. Thore are tew reasonab le poeeitaA litioet (1) The ob jects are domestic devisee, and if so, their identification ar origin can b o estab lished b y a survey of all la un shims of airb orne ob jects. Domootis flying slag type aircraft ob * served in variona aspects of flight night b o responsible for M m* of H ie reported flying ob jects, particularly those describ ed as disks and rough cigar shapes. (Sae A ppendices "C” and "D"*) A mong those which have b een operational in recent years are the XF5U-1 ("Flying Flapjack”) developed b y Chance-Vaught, the Northrup B-35, and the turb o-jet powered Northrup IB-49* T he present existence of any privately developed flying­ wing type aircraft has not b een determined b ut one such aircraft, ths A rup tailless monoplane, was operational at South Bend, Indiana, prior to 1935* (2) O b jects are foreign, and if so, it would seem most logi­ cal to consider that they are from a Soviet source. The Soviets possess information on a numb er of German flying-wing type aircraft such as the Gotha P6O A , Junkers EF 130 long-range, high-speed jet b omb er and the H orten 229 twin-jet filter, which particularly resembles some of the descriptions of unidentified flying ob jects (See A ppendix "D”). A s early as 1924 T scheranowaky developed a "Parabola” aircraft, an all wing deal0i, which was the outcome of considerab le Soviet experimentation with gliders of the sama general form. Soviet aircraft b ased on such desigis might have speeds approaching transonic speeds attributed to some flying ob jects or greater overall performance assuming the successful development of some unusual propulsion device such as atomic energy engine. 9. That the Soviets have a current interest in flying-wing type aircraft is suggested b y their utilisation of Dr. Guenther Bock who, at the end of world W ar IT , was in charge of the flying-wing program in Germany (See A ppendix "A ", paragraph 3, page 4). A chievements satis­ factory to the U.S.S.R . are indirectly indicated b y the personal recog­ nition he is to b e receiving in the U.S.S.R . R ecently It has b een reported that the U.S.S.R . is planning to b uild a fleet of 1,800 H orten flying-wing aircraft, information of lew evaluation has b een received stating that a of jet night fighters. M odel H orton XIII# is at Kusmikha, an air b ase two M ies southwest of Irkutsk. reported regiment Kuzmikha is identified as one of a numb er of airfields for the pro­ tection of an atomic energy plant at Irkutsk* Ths H orten XH I as developed b y Germany was a glider* 10. A ssuming that the ob jects might eventually b e identified as foreign or foreign-sponsored devices, the possib le reason for their appearance over the U*S. requires consideration* Several possib le ex­ planations appear noteworthy, viz: a* T o negate U.S* confidence in the atom b omb as the most advanced and decisive weapon in warfare* b . To perform photographic reconnaissance missions. c* To test U.S* air defenses. d. T o conduct familiarization flights over U.S. territory. CO NCLUSIO NS 11. Since the A ir Force is responsib le for control of the air in the defense of the U.S., it is imperative that all other agencies co­ operate in confirming or denying the possib ility that these ob jects have a domestic origin. O therwise, if it is firmly indicated that there is no domestic explanation, the ob jects are a threat and warrant more active efforts of identification and interception. 12. It must b e accepted that some type of flying ob jects have b een ob served, although their identification and origin are not discernab le. In the interest of national defense it would b o unwise to overlook the possib ility that some of these ob jects may b e of foreign origin. 4 Inolei A ppendix "A ” - A nalysis of Flying O b ject Incidents In the U.S* and H ypothetical T actics iSmploysd A ppendix "B" - Plot of Flying O b ject Sightings in the U.S. A ppendix "C» - Selected R eports of Flying O b ject incidents A ppendix "D* - Flying W ing T ype A ircraft APPENDIX "A" AIT ALY SI3 OF FLY IEg OB JECT INCIDENT S IN T H E U.S, AND H Y POT H ET ICAL T ACT ICS ^PLOY ED 1. Introduction. T o formulate the possible tactics of flying ob­ jects reported over the U.S. assumes from the outset that firn conclu­ sions have been reached on both the existence and origin of the resorted, flying objects. T he current status of information on such incidents and overall analysis does not allow substantiation for such conclusions. H owever, the lack of such firm conclusions points to the necessity for an immediate and sound statistical analysis of every aspect of the situa­ tion and does not preclude a concurrent examination of the reported in­ cidents to develop explanations of their possible tactics. T he latter will be useful at some future date should the existence and origin of the flying objects be definitely established. T herefore, the following analysis of available information Is advanced in order to present evi­ dence or. the actual existence of some type flying object and to relate same to tactical purposes for which the objects are possibly designed. T he following discussion must be considered a provisional analysis, pending a further detailed analysis of all aspects of the problem. 2. Some Aspects Regarding Flying Object Incidents. A cursory examination of evidence on reported incidents has been mnde and It is possible to cite certain generalities which It appears mny be borne out when detailed analyses have been completed. Among the incidents reported there are many statements by reliable and experienced persona which tend to confirm that flying ob­ jects have been seen. T he description of such objects seems to fall roughly into three categories: (1) Silver disks or balls, approximating a H orton wing type aircraft; (3) B alls of fire of various colors and intensities; (3) Cigar or pencil-shaped objects similar in appearance to V-2 type rockets in horizontal flight. T he numbers of configurations •aVHO *■ TOVH 1 might be further reduced with the following considerations in mind: Silver disks or balls have, for the greater part, been observed in daylight and a number under clear weather condition* with visibility unlliiiied. In most instances, balls of fire have been observed at night. Cigar, or pencil-shaped objects have been sighted in fewer numbers but with about equal distribution in daylight and at night. A few accounts tell of the disks having- a rough cigar-shape when viewed while maneuvering. Some of the disk* are described as having luminosity in daylight. It therefore is possible that a single type of object may be involved in all sightings, and differences in des­ cription may result from viewing the objects at various angles and under differing condition* of visibility. T he above tends to Indicate that some type object has been seen and the possibility exists that the object or objects seen are conven­ tional domestic devices, such as weather balloons, test rockets, or Jet- equipped aircraft with pancake or flying wing configurations. T he possibility exists that the reporting of flying objects may have been influenced by earlier reports on similar incidents in Scandinavia and Central B urope. T he publication in newspapers of de­ tails on such incidents, both foreign and domestic, may have induced some of the description provided in reported domestic incidents. H owever, one of the earliest reported sightings in the U.S. was the one observed by U.S. W eather B ureau personnel in April 1947, at Richmond, Virginia, and on the basis of this one report it appears that the disks are not balloons. It would seem that this sighting was not influenced by the re­ ports of foreign incidents, the newspaper accounts of domestic incidents, nor by misidentification of a conventional object. Although reported domestic incidents are widely scattered through­ out the U.S., frequency of sighting and number of observers per sighting 9 assumes a definable pattern. T here is a large concentration of sight- Ings along the 'astern Seaboard; another large concentration through­ out the W estern Const states, and a few sightings in the M iddle W est. Distribution of incidents by configuration of object and description of maneuverability is ^proximately equal in each of these areas and this is believed to further substantiate the possibility that one type of object might have been observed in different aspects of flight. If sightings are Induced by rumor, it seems unusual that more incidents have not been reported from the areas with high concentra­ tion of population. Reports from such areas would also have greater facility in channeling either to newspapers or official reporting ugon- cies. For the most part, alghtinrs have been made in fairly open country * where there ere few restrictions to visibility, which may indicate that obstructed vision has reduced sightings in built-up areas. It therefore seems that some type of flying object has been ob­ served; the identification of its origin requires the completion of other analyses. 3* Possible Origin of Unusual, Flying Objects, Provided, upon the completion of analyses, it is indicated that some or all of the reported flying objects over the ' . S. ar® of foreign origin, the objects could from a logical viewpoint, bo considered Soviet. It le evident from the performance characteristics attributed to the unidentified objects at this time that if they are foreign, they involve efficiencies of per­ formance which have not been realized in any operational airborne de­ vice in this country. It would, therefore, be » mistake to analyze th® technical aspects of the situation within the H alts of our own knowl­ edge of practical development®. It is more desirable to consider then the outer limits of nOM lble Soviet developments and objectives in at­ tempting to formulate some idea of the tactics which might be involved. 3 the u.S.S.R. haveFirst of all, the scientific objectives of stated many times and indicated in many forms T he most clear-been cut statement of this objective is probably the one contained in the preamble to the Fourth Five-year Plan (1946-1950) which states that the objective of Soviet science is to overtake and surpass the sclent! w flo and technical developments of the capitalist nations. It apparently would be an impossible task for the Soviet Union to accomplish such an objective by proceeding step-by-step along the same lines of develop­ ment already achieved in the capitalist nations. T his would mean that it would be necessary to rapidly proceed through each phase of aero­ nautical development that has already been accomplished in this country, and this probably would never have any prospects of accelerating Soviet develop­ ment beyond any point reached by the U.6. T he obvious answer to accom­ plish their objective of not only overtaking, but surpassing the capitalist countries would be a scientific shortcut. T his possibility is not so re­ mote when examined on the basis of our knowledge of the current situation in the H .S.S.I’.. Provided Soviet emphasis was given to the most promising and advanced ideas acquired from Germany in 1945 and the work aided by German scientists, the possibility of catching up and possibly surpassing other nations in technical developments becomes more realistic. It be­ comes even more realistic if the Soviets have shown a tendency to concen­ trate on certain developments which have still not received a maximum of priority in our own programs. It Is known that the U.S.S.R. has since 1945 enlisted the ser­ vices of Dr. Guenther B ock, a German who headed all development of low aspect ratio (flying wing) type aircraft in Germany. Dr. Sock is believed to be the top German scientist In charge at T SAQI and T SIAM which are "Air M ateriel Command* type organisations in the U.3.9.R. Further, it is believed that Dr. B ock has made available all German plans for fly­ ing wing type aircraft to the Soviets. Among the designs considered by 4 the Germans end. possibly exploited by the U.S.S.R., ere jet-propelled* flying wing type aircraft whose configuration would be similar to des­ criptions of certain objects reported flying over the U.S. T he esti­ mated speeds of such aircraft are within range of the lower limits of speed attributed to flying objects over the U.S. It ie not impossible that emphasis on surpassing foreign developments has led to unusual pro­ gress in fuels and propulsion by the U.S.S.R. In connection with pos­ sible advancements in the field of fuels and propulsion, it should be observed that the Russian oil situation (regardless of estimated oil reserves) is quite different from that In the U.S. For example, U.S. oil industry is prepared to turn out tremendous quantities of highly fractionated petroleum products, while the U.S.S.R. cannot reasonably approach such capabilities. T his consideration dictates different solu­ tions on fuels for propulsion in the two countries and in turn, dictates the direction taken in development of jet motors or the use of other pro­ pulsive devices. W e must therefore, arrive at the conclusion that any Soviet device which may have made its appearance over the U.S. as des­ cribed, would possess unusual performance characteristics which, in all probability, would include unusual range. T he possibility that they could have been launched at fairly close range should not be discarded. 4. P& .M ibl£jtea8on» or T action for the Un 9f Soviet Unconventional Aircraft Over the Us^ plan form. T hose photographs lo sdly saw a disk circling his locality .durint sunset n^took two uhoto T a^k#? ‘ ^j* “ with a round front and a aqi t jw^OJiTt o ma phiphave b een examine^^IhiwfHo state they are X 4 images and do not appear to b e inr»rf ection in the emulsion or imper­ fections in the lens. (Sae Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.) Fit. 1 Fig* a 3 f. O n the same day, T llliam R hoads of Phoenix, A rizona al- U T n 10 July 1947, H r, woodruff, a M M utflttn A lmjt ■•chant® report*! ■ circular ob ject flying a# high wtooiiy, paralleling th* earth's surface and leaving a trail which appeared as a "b urning up*1 of the eload foraatiiau The sighting furred near H anson Field, wswf Kenneth A rnold, while flying new Town*, W ashington, reported * ft > rotation of flying ob jects. H ie M eteh of their •hep* corresponds closely to teat shewn in the photograph# wade M y M r* idsoads. M the M ae day, two U.K. A ir Pome pilot* at H amilton yield reported tea flying M aks trailing a M O , following it toward O akland, California# i. O n 4 A ugust 1947, the pilot and os-idiot of a DC-3, flying for one A l Jone*, near Bethel, A leak#, reported a flying dials larger than their aircraft. Tide disk crossed their path at ab out 1000 feet end they turned to glee chase. The Tn—3 wee flying at 170 eph, b ut the disk flew out of M ight in four minutes. J. hn 12 H osssb sr 1947, two flying disks trailing Jet-like stream* of fire were reportedly sighted from the b ridge of the tanker Tieonderof#, according to the second officer. T b s Ticonderoga was 20 ^dlee off the 'W fpn shore. T his officer said the disks were in M dht 45 seconds, waving at a speed estimated at 700-900 mph, curving in a long, low are. k. O n 7 January 1948, a national Guard pilot was killed while attempting to ohase an unidentified ob ject up to 30,000 fast. Iiile it is presumed that tide pilot suffered anoxia, resulting in hie crash, M s last message to the tower was, "it appears to b e mstallio ob ject.**, of trema-ideas M s#.*., directly ahead and slightly ab ove.... I am trying to close for a b etter look.” 1. O n 5 A pril 194% three trained ha&oon ob servers from ths ^oob yaics Lab oratory Section, W atson Lab oratories, c. J. reported teuton a round. Indistinct ob ject in the vicinity of tollman A ir kero# Base, New M exico. It was wy high and fast, and appeared to execute violent maneuvers at high Speed. The ob ject was under ob servation for approximately 30 aacunds and disappeared suddenly. m, A yellow ar ll^t colored gptwn, 25 to 40 fe«l in diamater wee report# b y Lt* Coadr* M ayou* 1* Loam* U3«, juet south or A naooett* Naval A ir Station, M t, while ho was flying on JO A pril 194#* It was -Ting «t . W M t <4 .R T^-W W M U. tour .i - .lUtud. of ab out 4500 foot* A lthou^ wind# aloft war# M l th# nortlwwrtlW tet, Ito course we# to the north* n* h 1 July 19#* twin* diak* war* reported over th# R apid City M r M ao b y M ajor H amur. Thaw disk# wart oval-eb eped, ab out 100 foot lang, flyin-; in oxoeoa of an eatimted 500 mph. Descending fro* 10*000 that* those disks wad® a 31)-decree to 40-dedr# climb ing turn accelerating vary rapidly until out of sight* o* O t 17 .Silly 1948* a report front Kirtland M r fordo M ao descries a M wttn< in tin vicinity of ran A cacia, Jew W axier* of Sevan unidentified ob jacte flying in a "J* fortartion at an ootimatad het^t of 20,000 feet ab acs th* terrain. The formation varied from •J* to "I.” to circle after pawing ths aanith* Fl««ha# M s the ab ject# wore ob served after passing 30 degrees b eyond the M nith b ut there was b o moke or vapor trail* If ths reported altitude is correct the ape# was cati- sated at 1500 alios per hour* awarding to the report* p* other aightings of light# and trail#, rathor than disks* haw b eer reported, via: (1) u 12 dcjFtcwb ee 1947, the pilot and ocelot of a few. /to A frican aircraft, en route froa lidway to H onolulu, saw a b lue-white li^it approaching, changing to twin reddish glows upon withdrawal. The pilot, oetb atad the ttowd of tlw light at ab out for the B* F* Goodrich Company, ob served a reddish gUw with a jet exhaust in the vicinity of 1 'ilea 1,000 knots. (2) m 15 Juno 19#, Sr. 3ocn«vill«, territory w*a vr City, M ontana. T hia flawing light aads no wound, traveled about twice the speed of a conventional aircraft and flow frea north io couth several times in a wide ere, finally disappearing over the horizon. 4. During the early morning of 26 July 1948, two hetero AiriInee pilots reported having seen • huge flying eraft similar to a V-3 pao” thslr aircraft in flight♦ (See figs. 7 and 0.) T he attached drawings uade by these two observers very closely resemble a flying ob­ ject reported to have been anon on 20 July 1948, by A. D. Otter, chief investigator of Court of Deangs Inquiry, and hie daughter at Arnhau, M otherlands. this object appeared to be a wingless aircraft having two decks. T he cruft, sighted four times through scattered clouds and un- llulted visibility, was traveling at high spaed at a high altitude. A sound similar to that undo by a V-3 was reported. r. An object, similar in shape to the one in the preceding incident was reported by an experienced hserlcan newspaper reporter about 25 kilometers northeast of M oscow on 3 August 1948. A Sussian acquaintance Identified it as a rigid airchin but the reporter disagrees because it flew at a high, but not excessive speed. s. On 1 October 1948 at awroxlmatoly 2030 hours the pilot of a -51 aircraft, 2nd Lt. George .. Corman (North Dakota Air National Guard), flying near Fargo, North Dakota, flighted an intermittent white light about 3,000 feet below hie 4500 feet cruising altitude. T he pilot pursued the light which appeared to then teke evasive tactics. T he object or light out-turned, out-speeded, and out-climbed the F-51 in every instance during the attempt to intercept. T he pilot lost contact 27 minutes after the initial sighting. T he came light was observed by three other witnesses from the ground, M r. -.7). Jensen, Air -T raffic Controller, M r. M anuel 3. Johnson, Assistant traffic con­ troller, and Dr. L. N. Gannon, Occuliat. 1 comparison of all testimony 8 revealed that eno object wee sighted aad that It oonsistod only of a M ell round ball ef clear white light with no apparent shape attached. It was about 8 to 8 inches in diameter. At tinea it traveled factor than the <-51 and performed maneuvers in an evasive B anner. W hen flrat alibied the ball of light was traveling at an estimated 260 ailea per hour. nder thia condition, the light was not continuous but blinked off aad on. At high performance the white light was continuous. Sub­ sequent investigation eliminated the possibility that thio Incident nay have bean another aircraft or a netaerological balloon. t. On 18 November 1948 at approximately 2145 hours, three re­ serve pilots, 2nd Lt. Kenwood V. Jackson. 2nd Lt. Glen L. (talker, and 2nd Lt. H enry G. Combs, flying near Andrews H eld, M aryland, encountered an unidentifiable flying object. lien first sighted, it appeared to bo lighted end flying at about 1700 feet. T hroe or four passes were made In an attempt to Identify it. T he pilot of the aircraft stated that while diving his aircraft at approximately 240 miles per hour, the object would climb vertically and then would drop below the aircraft from behind and continue to circle. On the last pees, the landing light was switched on and momentarily a dull gray glow from the object was ob­ served. It. Combs stated he maintained contact for about ten minutes with the object flying between the lights of W ashington, . C. and his aircraft. M l that could be observed was an oblong ball with one light, no wings and no exhaust flame. It finally made a very tight turn and headed toward the east const at an estimated 500 to 600 miles nor hour. At the name time Staff Sargeant John J. Kushner observed from the ground an unusual object in the air over Andrews Kield. H e stated that it was not very high and thrt it did not look like an aircraft. "• Reports of radar intercepts point to unueual air activity which may be related to flying objects. 9 _ ■lENTIAI VM* V ?'-v- ^* “^r* IE HI Al a. On 1 July 194?, a AOA radar at H okkaido, Japan picked Up an unidentified target at 16 alien, wild a speed in exaesa of W O mph. T hin target split into two targets, each estimated to "be larger than a P-Al. A, On 16 uepteabsr 1947, an M um radar at iukuoka, Japan, picked up a target at 89 miles and trailed it to 19 mile#, where it faded. Shined was 840-900 arph. T ua spaed measurement, made by a good crew through a 70-mile track, is believed accurate. 4. Invest!/atlons conducted by H eadquarter#, Air M ateriel Com­ mand, have definitely established the identification of 18 of approxi­ mately 210 so-called flying saucers which have been reported. Approxi­ mately nine per cent of the total number of incidents are, therefore, eliminated from further specific consideration. Among those incidents positively explained, three wore hoaxes, two were from unreliable wit­ nesses. In the remaining 13 eliminated incidents, object# were actually seen but investigation ha# shown that they were celestial bodies or phenomena, meteorological and carnival balloons, and airborne cosmic ray experimental equipment. T he following examples are presented for com­ parison of the information reported by witnesses and true identification of the object Involved: a. On 32 July 1948, Captain H enry Glover (Ordnance ieservm) and his wife observed at Van Juys, California, an object which they were unable to positively identify. Object at first appeared to be round and looked like a weather balloon at about 2,300 feet but there was no characteristic bobbing. T he wind was blowing on the ground but the object was quite steady. Airing the time it was under observation, about an hour, it traveled through a vertical arc of about twenty-fivo (25°) degrees or wore. T he observer concluded that it was not a celestial body. It hod a bluish luminescence and as the sun cet, the object’s color gradually changed to ornnge at dnek and ceased to be illuminated almost imstantamoouoly. T h* outline was clear and the air was clear with visibility unlimited. T he object traveled free tn a east to the wait. B ill object was date mined by investigation to have bean a balloon carrying cosmic ray equipment. b. On 19 August 1948, at approximately 1000 hoar* an fied flying object was visible from the ground at Godman Air force lane, Kentucky. T his object vac estimated to bo at about .30,009 to 40,000 feet altitude, spherical in chape, bright silver color and gave a bright reflection from the sun. An f-51 was dispatched from Stamdiford Air force B ase, Kentucky, to observe the object. observation from the ground, there vac no change in ths elevation of ths object end it seemed to be noving southwest from Godman Air force B ase, the 1-51 which was flying over H odman Af3 at an of 30,300 to 35,000 feet reported that it was unable to locate the object although it was still visible from the ground with the naked eye. Asinuth and eleva­ tion were taken by theodolite every minute and the path of the object was charted. unidenti­ During altitude readings Ine object was detrained to be the planet Venue by »r. M oore, the head astronomer at the University of Louisville, Louisville, Ken­ tucky. It is believed that earlier incidents at Godnan H eld (reference paragraph 2k, page 6, .npendlx C) nay also have been observations of the planet Venus. 5. Among those still not positively explained, reported, observations differ to some extent, but three general categories of sightinge emerge — the flying disk, the ball of fire and the large Jet rocket. Interesting observations that were noted are: incidents a. M ost of the objects are a thin disk, round on top and flat on the bottom. T he front half of the disk is often circular, sweeping back to a square tail across the full width. 13 k, A high rate of «lbk aa well ae the apparent ability to reaaia motionless er hover for a nonsldarable length of tiao ie indi­ cated. o. deported aiies hire varied froa that of a 25-oent piano to 260 foot in diameter, and froa the else of a pursuit plane to the bulk of aix £-29 airplanes. d. Speeds have been estimated throughout the entire range fro i very glow er hovering to supersonic. a. Sounds and visual trails are not normally associated with the slanting#. TW7C--------------------------- T ms£jaN£-T mAi^ 1. Aeronautical engineers in several countries have been engaged, for some time in the design, construction, and flight of flying wing type aircraft. T he study of flying objects require#, at least, a brief examination of proposed and existing unconventional aircraft whose con­ figurations, when seen by the uninitiated, could lead to report# of strange flying devices. A description of some of the more significant types by country follows. 2* Gormnny At the end of W orld W ar II, German aircraft designers had numerous projects under way concerning tailless aircraft which con­ ceivably could be mistaken for "Flying Saucers” or disc-like objects. It is not clear Just what the Soviets are doing in the way of develop­ ing; these projects but it is considered that German studies on tailless, delta-wing, and related configurations are available to the U. S, S.R. a. Arado Eight and H ad W eather Fighter, Project I T his is a tailless, low-wing monoplane with swept-back wing of large root chord and having a long, narrow fuselage. Span 60.3 feet Length 42.5 feet Power Plant 2 H eS Oil turbo Jet units M ax. Speed (sea level) 441 noh. M ax. Speed (29,500 feet) 503 mph. b. Arndo 3 581-4 A high-wing tailless single-seater with a single Jet unit mounted in the fuselage. Fin and rudder units are mounted on the wing midway between fuselage and wing tip at the trailing edge. Span 29.3 feet Length 18.4 feet Power Plant 1 H eS Oil turbo jet unit M ax. Sneed (sea level) — M ax. Speed (service ceiling) — c- M haJLiXA T his was the first of the P 60 series of Jet fighters* It io a flying wing type and, since the pilot and observer lie prene, there is no projecting canopy, thus permitting a particularly clean design* T he jet units are mounted at the rear of the canter section, one above and one below* Span W ing Area Power Plant M ax. Speed (23,000 feet) 40 feet 81 in. 504 square feet 3 B M W 003 turbo jet unit# 596 miles per hour d- g£lM ,£.,M ilk wing * T his is a single-seat fighter with a sharply B w®h£»b«8lf resembling a flying wing type, but having a single fin and rad- with Junkers gg 130 Of the flying wing type M e 339 'Oft Span W ing area M o performance estimates Span W ing Area Power Plant M ax. Speed B auage o tail plane 39.2 feet 318 square feat are available. p this project was established Wlong-range, high-speed jet bomber 76.8 feet 1390 square feet t 4 H e 3 Oil turbo jet? * 630 miles ner hour. 3700 miles its T his is a tailless mid-wing monoplane driven by two pusher propellers with the engines centrally located in the wings on each side of the stubby rounded fuselage. Span Length M ax. Speed Power Plant 56 feet 35.4 feet 455-465 miles per hour 2 DB 603 reciprocating engines 5* H orten W in^ T he closest resemblance to the .estimated configuration of "Flying Disks” is represented by the H orten W ing aircraft. W ork on 3 — th# H orten 239, a twin jet fighter, had progressed to th# final stages at th# end of W orld W ar II. Its prototype, * H orten glider, success­ fully soared to an altitude of 14,200 feet as early as 1938, prowing th# soundness of this design. (T igs. 1, 2, and 3) Fig. 2 ^.B I® iXEiiDj GiiO O's zwo H '^tOw. S^9j ^-’.yin^ ^13g M ^^-ias Jst fleets?? vac lr. its finiehlss & ts£35 s* ^? xi Oz the var* Sa pilot of this o±spjUz3 c*kt It. t-io ncsa;f tetrcon ths te) .}st xmit-So w coizpfcsco o* thia ^si^p W 3 p^cd sa early as 193- ^hen a B o?ten gl^a?? prototype cf tte 20; '"^ to a^x^nte of 1%2OQ foot* CESDB : KU0S» AS J'DACE .W O ®S5; DoC& I: ---------------------------------------- 3356? A .C.-W EIGH T BKD, O H IO — The Ito-ten 229, flying wing twin-engine Jot fighter, was in it* finishing otagoo at the end. of the war. The pilot of this airpiano eat In the nose, b etween the two Jet unite. The soundness of this design was proved as early as 1936 whan a H orten glider, prototype of the 829, soared to on altitude of 1^,200 feet. CR EDIT : "U.S. A IR FO R CE PH O T O ., W A SH . D.C. " ' 3. jrw^ 3fUtU a* >P 1O^EPM L yU W rtk ' T he AM 53 3, a glider, end the AW 53, • twin-jet airplane, are B ritish designs of tailless aircraft. T he vertical stabilizers are located at the tips of the swept-back wing. (T igs. 4 and 5) Data on the AW 52 appear below. Span Lenth M ax. Speed, (sea level) M ax. Spaed (20,000 feet) M ax. Spaed (36,000 feet) H auge Power Pleat 90 feet 37 feet 435 knots 435 knots 417 knots 1300 nautical miles 2 Nene II turbo jet units 32J14 A.C. -Anartrong W hitworth A,W . 52 G Prototype M arch 1^5. -------^ - CREDIT : "U.S. AIR POECS K 31622 A .C.-ID8 A ISLES W O KS UP A T T H E FUTUR E. Ths U.S, A ir Force® Northrop b uilt XB-35 "Flying W ing" oasts * ahadov of things to coos over ion A ngeles. T his radlca 1 departure fToa convent Ionel airplane design is capab le of carrying the stem b oth or a 10,000 lb . b oob lead 10,000 al lee. T b s "Flying W ing* has .eaH pleted first test flights. This airplane has s span of 172 feet and s length of only 53 f»«t. CR EDIT : "U.S, A IR FO R CE PH O T O ., W A SH . D.C." <• jAlteMfc&u a. Jaito-Jtat T hio io a flying wing type aircroft, powered by four clprocatIng engineb and has a wing span of 172 feet and a length of only 63 feet* (See T lg«6) y^Ms 3U2O A »C«-A erial view of tb s IB-49, Jet-propelled, version of ths Borthrop flying W ing. Fastest largo b onb er yet b allt for tb s U.S. A ir Faroe, the IB-49 la powered b y eight Jet engines. It Is undergoing extensive tests at M uroc A ir Fores Base, California, shore this photograph -was nede. CR EDIT : "U^. A IR FO EO C PH O TO ., W A SH . B.C.- <*. Chance-Vaught ^g^i Developed by Chance-Vaught Aircraft, this radical de­ sign promises the reality of high and low epeed performance. Powered by two R-2000-3 engines, the airplane will have a speed range of from 40 to 425 miles per hour, (See T ig. 8) tX^nOi* 32904 A eCe-hA ¥X EXH SCH SSTS W IST <£W H I3H -I0W SPEED FIGH T ER * Developed, b y Chance -fought tircrnft in a revolutionary new Favy fl# tar | designated. XF5U-1, ■which proaisea the reality of ex trace ly high end lew epaade In the aaae plans, *4. has the added, feature of one engine b eing ah^ to turn over b oth propellers in the event of a failure., Jowarod b y two It-2000-2 onglnee, ths plane will have a ayeed range of fro* ho to h^ aiies par hour. b. iuata»-Em Powered by eight turbo-jot engine*, thia airplane 1* the Jet-propelled version of the Northrop flying W ing (B ”5). (See fig. 7) d* ^OM ^UiOmol^t Ja**1* "All th® W «T d*B Aircraft* (1935 edition) describes thia airplane as #a two-seat M achine with a .’ h.p. LeB lsnd engine.... T hia has a high aspect ratio wing with straight laeding-edge and built in nacelle...,* In plaa fom, the wing la almost semi-circular. An Air lore® film, ‘Aeronautical Oddities”, chows thia airplane in flight at South head, Indiana and in some attitudes appears identical to the photograph included in Appendix *8* as Figure 4. Al- though it is believed th^t the AB IT M anufacturing Go. is no longer in existence, it is possible that later models of this or similar U.6. civil aircraft may have been observed. Span 22 feet length 19 feet Power Plant 1 LeM ond engine ________________________ b» M ort hr on Y B 49 lowered by eight turbo-jet engines, this airplane is the jet-propelled version of the Northrop Plying W ing (B 35)» (See Pig* 7) NW 91410 Docld:34750978 Page 46