Documents / FOIA release
The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert was published in 1995 by Headquarters United States Air Force. It was written in response to Representative Steven H. Schiff's request and a General Accounting Office audit, and it contains Col. Richard L. Weaver's report and 1st Lt. James McAndrew's synopsis, along with attachments, appendices and photographs. The report says researchers found no evidence of an extraterrestrial craft or crew. It concludes that the 1947 debris came from a Project MOGUL balloon train.
“Sea”26 pages
the pressure distribution of the liftinc gas and the internal back pressure due to valving gas. To find maximum rates of ascent for various balloons would necessitate a complicated series of trial and error solution. In general, it has been more practical to determine a maximum rate of rise for nor.mal operating conditions for any given size balloon by findin~ the maximum allowable rate for the balloon rising to its lowest normal operating level (i.e., we will find the maximum all0?18ble rate for the worst normal operating conditions and consider it a maximum for all normal operating conditions.) Let us take the case of a 20-foot diameter polyethylene balloon of .001~ thickness. Lowest normal floating altitude is 20,000 ft. MSL. Let us assume that the balloon will be full and begin valvinf gas at 15,000 ft. MSL. Assume the appendix diameter to be 2 foot. Using equation (1) to find maximum allowable internal pressure and assuming the critical x-y plane to be that of maximum diameter A~ = D/2 , we have: A Pall. = 4 SJt = 4(900/2)· .001 = . 007 5 psi t2· 20 (Here we have introduced a factor of safety by saying Sf =900/2 instead of 900 psi, the ultimate strength in tension of poly- ethylene.) Pressure distribution: A.p 012 = A~ :l (I-B) = l-2°·3.38 ·10-4 • .862 = .00291 psi Allowable back pressure: A Pbp =Ap 011 - AP012 = .0046 psi Maximum rate of rise using equation (13)J ( 2780° C A \ fttsecv d a} = 100.7 ft/sec = 6000 ft /min It is evident from this calculation that the rate of rise of the 20-ft. diameter polyethylene balloon is not a critical factor in bursting unless the open appendix becomes snarled an~ gas is not allowed to escape. Rate of rise and appendix openings are important from the stand- point of balloon design. For operationel reasons it is important to have a rapid rate of rise. In order to make most efficient use .of weight, the balloon film should be thin. As mentioned -55-
FOIA release, from the osd collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 993 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.