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This Air Intelligence Information Report was issued by the Technical Intelligence Division at Wright-Patterson AFB under Project SIGN and dated 20 December 1948. It analyzes reports of unidentified flying objects seen on 24 and 26 July 1948 across Alabama, Georgia and Virginia, among them the cigar-shaped object that Eastern Airlines pilots Chiles and Whitted saw near Montgomery. The report treats some of the sightings as meteors. It concludes the Chiles-Whitted object was not a meteor and remains unidentified as to origin, construction and power source.
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# AIR INGENCE INFORMATION PORTR Tech Intelligence Div Intelligence Department Wright-Patterson FB,Dayton,Ohio ## 102-122-79 UNCLASSIFIED d. The above estimates regarding weight, controllability, stability, etc. are not intended to represent deductions regarding the exact nature of the torpedo or cigar-shaped aircraft which were sighted by the airline pilots, shitted and Chiles, and others, they are merely statements of possibilities, which are intended to show that such an aircraft could support and control itself by aerodynamic means. The propulsive system of this type of vehicle would appear to be a jet or rocket engine. The specific fuel consumption of engines of this type would be rather high. This, coupled with the fact that aerodynamic lift on such a body would be accompanied by high drag, places a serious limitation on the range of the aircraft for any particular gross weight. If this type of unidentified aerial object has extremely long range it is probable that the method of propulsion is one which is far in advance of presently known engines. ## POWER SOURCES: (a) The foregoing discussion is predicated upon the assumption that power sources presently available would have to be used. If an atomic energy powered engine were available, a small mass flow at a large velocity would accomplish the required lift and propulsive forces and the large energy expenditure would be of small importance. (b) However, the heat exchange requirements for the atomic powered engine appear to demand physical dimensions of inordinate size that presently would preclude the use of this power plant (for aircraft. Experimental work in progress to convert the energy of the atomic pile directly to electricity, rather than heat, offer the promise of a more compact atomic power plant. e. It has been established by Project Rand investigations that world resources, technical attainments and existing materials are adequate to permit construction of a space ship. ## CONCLUSIONS: 1. The flying anomaly observed, remains unidentified as to origin, construction and power source. 2. A definite trend of flight headings has evolved as generally south in bearing. 3. Supporting evidence from separate reliable sources establish existence of this configuration. 4. An aircraft of the configuration described could support itself in flight by aerodynamic means. UNCLASSIFIED Robert P. Sneider Robert R. Sneider Captain, USAF Project Officer
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