roswell

ALAMOGORDO II Gune 27, 1947-July 8, 1947)
On the morning of June 28, 1947, personnel from NYU and Watson Laboratories
arrived at Alamogordo AAF to resume balloon flights. Present during this field
trip were Dr. Peoples, A.P. Crary, Captain Trakowski, C.B. Moore, and Charles
Schneider. The objective during this trip was to experiment with the newly
developed polyethylene balloons which replaced the neoprene meteorological
balloons used on the previous field trip. Also tested was an improved aluminum
ballast reservoir that had been developed to replace the plastic tubes used during
the June field trip. 32 Another improvement that resulted from the experiences in
June was the presence of a radiosonde receiver/recorder for improved balloon
tracking and plotting. This eliminated the need for radar "comer reflectors" on
the balloon train since radar was not to be used as a primary method of tracking
the flights. This is confirmed by Technical Report No. 1, Table VII, "Radiosonde
Reception%," which indicates the use of the radiosonde recorder on all flights
except for no. 7. Flight no. 7 was not recorded by radiosonde because the
equipment was not operable.33 Also Figures 36, 39, 42, and 44 in Technical Report
No. 1, corresponding to the July flights, do not depict comer reflectors. All·
numbered flights (except for no. 9) flown during the July field trip were summa-
rized in NYU Technical Report No 1, Table VII. Flight no. 9 appeared to have
been launched on July 3.34 On July 8, their work completed, 23 members of the
combined NYU and Watson Laboratory group boarded a C-54 aircraft at 1030 AM
and returned to the east coast.35
Based on the above, it appeared likely that the debris found by the rancher and
was subsequently identified as a "flying disc" by personnel from Roswell AAF
was, with a great degree of certainty, MOGUL flight no. 4, launched on June 4,
1947. This conclusion was based on the following:
1. Descriptions of the debris provided by Brazel, Cavitt, Crary's diary, and the
photos of the material displayed in General Ramey's office. These materials were
consistent with the components of a MOGUL service flight, with neoprene
balloons, parchment parachutes, plastic ballast tubes, comer reflectors, a sona-
buoy, and a black electronics box that housed the pressure cutoff switch (Atch 3).
2. According to Brazel's July 8 statement, the debris was recovered on June 14,
obviously eliminating any balloons launched in July.
3. Only two flights launched in June were unaccounted for, i.e., flight nos. 3 and
4. Flight no. 3, most likely would not have had the "unorthodox" configuration
of comer reflectors devised by Moore, who did not arrive until June 1, three days
after flight no. 3 was launched.
32. NYU, Progress Report No. 7, Sect II, p. 5.
33. Crary personal journal, p. 15.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid., p. 16.