IN REPLY ADDRESS BOTH
COMMUNICATION AND EN-
VELOPE TO COMMANDING
GENERAL, AIR MATERIAL
COMMAND, A T T E N T I O N
FOLLOWING OFFICE SYMBOL:
TSDIN
TSDIN/HMM/ig/6-4100
WRIGHT FIELD, DAYTON, OHIO
10 September 1947
SUBJECT: AMC Opinion Concerning "Flying Discs"
TO: Commanding General
Army Air Force ;
Washington 25, D.C.
ATTENTION: Brig. General George Schulgen
AC/AS-2
1. As requested by AC/AS-2 there is presented below the
considered opinion of this command concerning the so-called “Flying
Discs.” This opinion is based on interrogation report data furnished by
AC/AS-2 and preliminary studies by personnel of T-2 and Aircraft
Laboratory, Engineering Division T-3. This opinion was arrived at in a conference
between personnel from the Air Institute of Technology, Intelligence
T-2, Office, Chief of Engineering Division, and the Aircraft, Power
Plant and Propeller Laboratories of Engineering Division T-3.
2. It is the opinion that:
a. The phenomenon is
something real and not visionary or fictitious. b. There are objects probably approximating the shape of a disc, of
such appreciable size as to appear to be as large as man-made
aircraft. c. There is a possibility that some of the incidents may be caused
by natural phenomena, such as meteors. d. The reported operating characteristics such as extreme rates of
climb, maneuverability (particularly in roll), and motion which must
be considered evasive when sighted or contacted by friendly
air-craft and radar, lend belief to the possibility that some of the
objects are controlled either manually, automatically or remotely.
e. The apparent common description is as follows:
(1) Metallic or
light reflecting surface.
(2) Absence of trail, except in a few instances where the object
apparently was operating under high performance conditions.
(3) Circular or elliptical in shape, flat on bottom and domed on
top.
(4) Several reports of well kept formation flights varying from
three to nine objects.
(5) Normally no associated sound, except in three instances a
substantial rumbling roar was noted.
(6) Level flight speeds normally above 300 knots are esti-mated.
f. It is possible within
the present U.S. knowledge—provided extensive detailed development
is undertaken—to construct a piloted aircraft which has the general
description of the object in sub- paragraph (e) above which would be
capable of an approximate range of 7000 miles at subsonic speeds.
g. Any development in this country along the lines indicated
would be extremely expensive, time consuming and at the considerable
expense
of current projects and therefore, if directed, should be set up
in-dependently of existing projects. h. Due consideration must be given the following:
(1) The
possibility
that these objects are of domestic origin - the product of some
high security project not known to AC/AS-2 or this Command.
(2) The lack of physical evidence in the shape of crash
recovered exhibits which would undeniably prove the existence of
these subjects.
(3) The possibility that some foreign nation has a form of
propulsion possibly nuclear, which is outside of our domestic
knowledge.
3. It is recommended that:
a. Headquarters, Army
Air Forces issue a directive assigning a priority, security
classification and Code name for a detailed study of this matter to
include the preparation of complete sets of all available and
pertinent data which will then be made available to the Army, Navy,
Atomic Energy Commission, JRDB, the Air Force Scientific Advisory
Group, NACA, and the RAND and NEPA projects for comments and
recommendations, with a preliminary report to be forwarded within 15
days of receipt of the data and a detailed report thereafter every
30 days as the investigation develops. A complete interchange of
data should be affected.
4. Awaiting a specific
directive AMC will continue the investigation within its current
resoources in order to more closely define the nature of the phenomenon.
Detailed Essential Elements of Information will be formulated
immediately for transmittal thru channels.
N.F. TWINING
Lieutenant General, U.S.A.
Commanding