DOW-UAP-D094, Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States, 1949

PAGE 4

Air Intelligence Report No. 100-203-79. ANALYSIS OF FLYING OB ECT INCIDENTS IN THE U. S. Air Intelligence Division Study No. 203 Directorate of Intelligence and Office of Naval Intelligence WARNING: This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Act, 60 U.S.C., 31 and 32, as amended. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an .. unauthorized person is prohibited by law. Reproduction of the intelligence in this publication, under the provisions of Army Regulation 380-5, is authorized for United States military agencies provided the source is indicated. Directorate of Intelligence Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters United States Air Force Navy Department

PAGE 5

ANALYSIS OF FLYING OB ECT lliCIDENTS IN THE U. S. APPENDIX "A" - ANALYSIS OF FLYING OB CT INCIDENTS IN THE U. S. Some Aspects Regarding Flying Object Incidents 3 APPENDIX "B" - REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF FLYING CTS AS OF APPENDIX "D" - FLYING WING TYPE AIRCRAFT 17 United States 23

PAGE 6

ANALYSIS OF FLYING OB ECT INCIDENTS IN THE U. S. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1. TO EXA:MlNE pattern of tactics of "Flying Saucers" (hereinafter referred to as flying objects) and to develop conclusions as to the possibility of existence. FACTS AND DISCUSSION 2. A DETAILED discussion of information bearing on the problem as set forth above 1s attached as Appendix "A". The main points established therein are summarized below. 3. THE FREQUENCY of reported incidents, the similarity in many of the characteristics attributed to the observed objects and the quality of observers considered as a whole, support the contention that some type of flying object has been observed. Approximately 210 incidents have been reported. Among the observers reporting on such incidents are trained and experienced U.S. Weather Bureau personnel, USAF rated officers, experienced civilian pilots, technicians associated with various re­ search projects and technicians employed. by commercial airlines. 4. THE POSSIBILITY that reported observations of flying objects over the U.S. were influenced by previous sightings of unidentified phenomena in Europe, particularly over Scandinavia 1n 1948, • and that the observers reporting such incidents may have been interested in obtaining personal pubUcity have been considered as possible explanations. However, these posslb111t1es seem to be improbable when certain selected reports such as the one from U.S. Weather Bureau at Richmond are examined. During observations of weather balloons at the Richmond Bureau, one well trained observer has sighted strange metallic disks on three occasions and another observer has sighted a similar object on one occasion. The last observation of un1denttf1ed objects was in Apr1i, 1947. On all four occa­ sions the weather balloon and the unidentified objects were in view through the theodolite. These observations at the Richmond Bureau occurred several months before publ1city on the flying saucers appeared in a U.S. newspaper. 5. DESCRIPTIONS OF the flying objects fall lnto three configurat1on categories: (1) disk-shaped (2) rough cigar-shaped {3) balls of fire. Varying conditions of visibility and differences in angles at which the objects may have been viewed introduces a possibility that a single type object may have been observed rather than three different types. This possibility is further substantiated by the fact that 1n the areas where such objects have been observed the ratio of the three general configurations is approximately the same. 6. THEREFORE, IT appears that some object has been seen; however, the identification of that object cannot be readily; accomplished on the basis of information reported on each incident. It ls possible that the object, or objects, may have been domestically launched devices such as weather balloons, rockets, experimental flying wlng aircraft, or celestial phenomena. It is necessary to obtain information on such domestic activity to confirm or deny this possibility. Depending upon the degree with which this may be accomplished, foreign devices must then be considered as a 7. THE PATTERN of sightings is definable. Sightings ~ave been most intense throughout the states bordering the Atlantic and Pacific coast lines, and the central states of Ohio and Kentucky. A map showing location of sightings is attached as Appendix "B"

PAGE 7

8. THE ORIGIN of the devices is not ascertainable. There are two reasonable possibllltles: (1) The objects are domestic devices, and if so, their identification or origin can be established by a survey of all launchings of airborne objects. Domestic flying wing type aircraft observed in various aspects of flight might be responsible for some of the reported flying objects, particu­ larly those described as disks and rough cigar shapes. (See Appendices "C" and ''D".) Among those which have been operational in recent years are the XF5U-1 ("Flying Flap3ack") developed by Chance-Vaught, the Northrup B-35, and the turbo-jet powered Northrup YB-49. · The present .existence of any privately developed flying-wing type aircraft has not been determined but one such aircraft, the Arup tailless monoplane, was operational at South Bend, Indiana, prior to 1935. (2) Objects are foreign, and l:f so, it would seem most logical to consider that they are from a Soviet source. The Soviets possess information on a number of German flying-wing type aircraft such as the Gotha P60A, Junkers EF 130 long-range, high-speed jet bomber and the Horten 229 twin-jet fighter, which particularly resembles some of the description of un1denttfied flying objects (See Appendix "D"). As early as 1924 Tscheranowsky developed a "Parabola" aircraft, an all wing •d esign, which was the outcome of considerable Soviet experimentation with gliders of the same general form. Soviet aircrait based on such designs might have speeds approaching trans­ ~;onic speeds attributed to some flying objects or greater over-all 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 by their utilization of Dr. Guenther Bock who, at the end of. World Wa:r IT, was in charge of the flylng­ wlng program in Germany (See Appendix ''A", paragraph 3, page 4 ) . Achievements satisfactory