Report of Air Force Research Regarding the Roswell Incident

Flight A through Flight 7 (November 20, 1946-July 2,
1947) were made with neoprene meteorological balloons
(as opposed to the later flights made with polyethylene
balloons). Professor Moore stated that the neoprene
balloons were susceptible to degradation in the
sunlight, turning from a milky white to a dark brown. He
described finding remains of balloon trains with
reflectors and payloads that had landed in the desert:
the ruptured and shredded neoprene would "almost look
like dark gray or black flakes or ashes after exposure
to the sun for only a few days. The plasticizers and
antioxidants in the neoprene would emit a peculiar acrid
odor and the balloon material and radar target material
would be scattered after returning to earth depending on
the surface winds." Upon review of the local newspaper
photographs from General Ramey's press conference in
1947 and descriptions in popular books by individuals
who supposedly handled the debris recovered on the
ranch, Professor Moore opined that the material was most
likely the shredded remains of a multi-neoprene balloon
train with multiple radar reflectors. The material and a
"black box," described by Cavitt, was, in Moore's
scientific opinion, most probably from Flight 4, a
"service flight" that included a cylindrical metal
sonobuoy and portions of a weather instrument housed in
a box, which was unlike typical weather radiosondes
which were made of cardboard. Additionally, a copy of a
professional journal maintained at the time by A.P.
Crary, provided to the Air Force by his widow, showed
that Flight 4 was launched on June 4, 1947, but was not
recovered by the NYU group. It is very probable that
this TOP SECRET project balloon train (Flight 4), made
up of unclassified components; came to rest some miles
northwest of Roswell, NM, became shredded in the surface
winds and was ultimately found by the rancher, Brazel,
ten days later. This possibility was supported by the
observations of Lt Col Cavitt (Atch 17·18), the only
living eyewitness to the actual debris field and the
material found. Lt Col Cavitt described a small area of
debris which appeared, "to resemble bamboo type square
sticks one quarter to one half inch square, that were
very light, as well as some sort of metallic reflecting
material that was also very light ... I remember
recognizing this material as being consistent with a
weather balloon. 11 •
Concerning the initial announcement, "RAAF Captures
Flying Disc," research failed to locate any documented
evidence as to why that statement was made. However, on
July 10, 1947, following the Ramey press conference, the
Alamogordo News published an article with photoqraphs
demonstrating multiple balloons and targets at the same
location as the NYU group operated from at Alamogordo
AAF. Professor Moore expressed surprise at seeing this
since his, was the only balloon test group in the area.
He stated, "It appears that there was some type of
umbrella cover story to protect our work with Moqul "
Although the Air Force did not find documented evidence
that Gen. Ramey was directed to espouse a weather
balloon in his press conference, he·may have done so
because he was either aware of Project Mogul and was
trying to deflect interest from it, or he readily
perceived the material to be a weather balloon based on
the identification from his weather officer, Irving
Newton. In either case, the materials recovered by the
AAF in July, 1947, were not readily recoqnizable as