Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States, 1949

This declassified Air Intelligence Report No. 100-203-79 is a Top Secret study by the Directorate of Intelligence, Headquarters USAF, and the Office of Naval Intelligence, dated 10 December 1948. It looks at about 210 reported flying object incidents and concludes that some type of flying object has been observed, though what the objects are and where they come from cannot be determined. It considers domestic devices or Soviet aircraft based on German flying wing designs, and its appendices cover selected reports, explained cases and flying wing aircraft.

From the source:Release of 2026-07-10 Incident: 4/28/49, Virginia. This file contains a U.S. Air Force (USAF) Air Intelligence Division study, “Analysis of Flying Object Incidents in the United States,” Study No. 203, dated 04/28/1949. The analysis includes an assessment of various reported unidentified flying object (UFO) incidents and theories to account for their nature and origin. Overall, the study assesses that “it appears that some object has been seen; however, the identification of that object cannot be readily accomplished.” The study offers that two “reasonable” origins might account for the phenomena: technologies of a domestic or foreign origin. It also suggests that, if foreign, it is prudent for the United States to assume that UFO observations are attributable to scientific, military, or intelligence activities of the Soviet Union, and, in that case, to take seriously the threat such objects may pose. The file also contains selected contemporary UFO reports and examples of experimental “flying wing” type aircraft planforms that might account for certain commonly reported UFO characteristics. AARO Comment: This file appears to be a later revision of the file contained in DOW-UAP-D093, whose content is substantively similar.

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e, JUNKERS~ Of tlle flying w!ug type, this project was established a.s a long-range,
high-~
Span 78,8 feet
Wini A:rea 1290 l!QUa.re feet
Power Plallt 4 HnS 011 turb:1 j&t imlts
Max, SpDf,'lnes centrally loe:,ted in the w!n&'11 on each side of th" stobby round.ed. fuaelege.
Span 513 feet
Length 35.4 feet
Max. Speed 456-466 miles per hour
Power Plant 2 DB 603 reo!1,rocatlng engines
I!· HORTEN WING. The closest .resemblsnce to the estl.maied con!1guratlon of "Flying Dll'lts"
Is re~ Ho:rten Wini al:rcraft. Work on tJie I{orten 229, a tw!n jet flgbtel', had pro.
i,'ressed to the final 11t11.ge11 at the end of World War II. !ts prototyps, a Horten illder, succeslil- •
!{ully soared to an) altitode of H,200 feet as early as 11138, provlni,' tlla 1>0!11'.ldnoss ot this delillgn.
Flge, 1, 2 and 3
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Fig. 1
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