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The Roswell Report: Fact vs. Fiction in the New Mexico Desert

USAF / The Black Vault · 1995 · 882 pages · text by OCR

The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert was published by Headquarters United States Air Force in 1995. The Black Vault distributes this copy. It reproduces the report by Col. Richard L. Weaver and the synopsis by 1st Lt. James McAndrew, both written after a General Accounting Office inquiry requested by Representative Steven Schiff. The Air Force search found no evidence of an extraterrestrial craft or crew. It concluded that the Roswell debris most likely came from NYU Flight No. 4, a Project MOGUL balloon train.

  • p. 118 …Robert Gross and Mr. Maher of Lockheed 11:55 A.M. Gen. Sam Anderson 12:00…
  • p. 393 …in the form of an altitude vs. gross load chart with helium as the lifting gas…
  • p. 394 …4}{\text {Gross Load}} = \frac {K}{W} $$ In turn, $ \frac{K}{W}=a e^{-0. 4…
  • p. 395 …free lift in pounds and G is gross lift in pounds. Although this equation was derived…
  • p. 400 …By equation (10), with a gross load of 52 kg., the unbalance caused by loss of…
  • p. 412 …or a gross buoyancy of 450 lb., the maximum allowable inflation of a 30' diameter, .001…
  • p. 479 …accelerating force equal to 5% of the gross load (52 kg) was acting to bring the…
  • p. 552 …000 feet. In one step, this becomes: Gross Lift/Balloon = (Balloon Volume) x (Difference in molecular…
  • p. 555 …of rise in feet per minute G = gross lift in grams For our purposes, we wish…
  • p. 559 …G) ^ {\frac {2}{3}} $$ (Approximate) where G = gross load A chart, Figure 24, has beendrawn up…
  • p. 561 …where $ \triangle G= $ loss of lift G = gross load (balloon weight plus equipment load) $ \triangle T…
  • p. 562 …not including balloon or its integral parts. Gross load: Load on the gas at release (Balloon…
  • p. 635 …Serial No. ___ description ___ ___ Line length ___ Banner description ___ ___ Ballast assembly - description ___ ___ Eallast. ___ Total Equipment Weight. ___ Gross Load ___
  • p. 636 …Gross Load . . . ___ Assumed Gross Lift (Gross Load + 10%) G ___ G 2/3 ___ Free Lift - F = $ (\frac…
  • p. 649 …theoretical altitude determined by the displacement and gross load. ## 7. Control systems Two systems of control…
  • p. 681 …By adjusting the gross load to be supported by the gas to equal the total lift…
  • p. 691 …A chart showing the relation between altitude, gross lift, and balloon size has been found necessary…
  • p. 775 …The gross load reported should be accurate to the nearest 200 grams. The amount of lifting…
  • p. 777 500 gm DRAG CHUTES 300 " BANNER 2000 " PAYLOAD 4500 " BALLOON 7300 " GROSS LOAD ## NOTE: Use low…
  • p. 779 …bubble length and resultant inflated volume, using gross lift as an expression of volume. It will…
  • p. 781 …in Appendix II summarizes the relationship between gross load and floating level for balloons of several…
  • p. 817 …A can of sand is made to weigh the same amount as the required gross lift…
  • p. 825 …the balloon with the equipment load attached. Gross Lift: Lift of all of the gas in…
  • p. 830 …Serial No. ___ description ___ Drag chute ___ ___ Banner description ___ ___ Ballast assembly - description ___ ___ Ballast ___ Total Equipment Weight . ___ Gross Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ___
  • p. 831 …waiting___ grams Actual balloon lift . . . . . . . . . . . ___ " AActual gross lift (Balloon lift & balloon wt.) . . . . . ___ " Number Helium tanks required…
  • p. 835 …Gross Lift vs. Bubble Length . . . . . . . 107 Graph 3: Buoyancy vs. Altitude . . . . . . . . . . 108 Graph 4: Gross Load…
  • p. 847 …Estimated Gross Load Limit kg. Altitude Range ft. 7 200 0.6 1.5 to 5…
TAB VII

SUMMARY OF NYU CONSTANT-LEVEL BALLoon FLIGHTS

FLIGHT NUMBER	DATE AND RELAISAGE TIME	LAUNCHING SITE	DESCRIPTION OF BALLOONS	BALLOON WEIGHT	DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT	TOTAL WEIGHT ON BALLOON INCLUDING BALLOON	DESCRIPTION OF ALTITUDE CONTROL	BALLOAST WEIGHT	FREES LIFT	BALLOON LIFT	RADIOSONDS RECEPTION %	TRACKING %	AIRCRAFT OBSERVATION %	FLIGHT DURATION %	OPTIMUM CONSTANCY	MAXIMUM CONSTANT LEVELS MSL	RECOVERY + LAND-ING SITE	CRITIQUE
27	16 Sept. 1947 0521 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	1 H. A. Smith 15'.004" Poly-ethylene with 18 load points	12.5 kg	3 mo transmitter, banner, ballast assembly	12.1 kg	Manual ballast valve. Fixed rate of leak 200 gm/hr	4.1 kg	2.5 kg	14.6 kg	392 min.	None	None required	Over 392 min. Max. 32900'	0%	Another flight showing necessity of automatic ballast valve. Balloon went to pressure height, descended to ground where some gear was dropped. Balloon then oscillated between ground and successively higher ceilings. Radiosonde modulator believed defective.
28	16 Sept. 1947 0542 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	11 meteorological balloons 350 gm each	3.9 kg	Data gear banner	7.1 kg	None	None	2.0 kg	9.1 kg	Not provided	Theodolite Alamogordo 52 min. Tularosa Peak 229 min.	None required	Over 223 min.	No data	No data	0%	Cluster of meteorological balloons for Watson Labs. No altitude control or radiosonde provided.
29	21 Nov. 1947 1709 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	1 GM 2' appendix with battens	4.1 kg	T-69, burn-out baroswitch banner, ballast assembly	13.1 kg	2 1/2 gal. can purerator filter. Manual ballast valve	5.5 kg	857 g	14.4 kg	69 min.	658 - 8% Theodolite 12 min. 1%	None	14 hours 21 min.	Rising when lost	51,000' est.	M. Albert, Ontario	Excellent flight pressured from duration and distance. Manual ballast valve kept flight in air. Observed landing 9:30 M. Nov. 22, 1947. Hawin stations downwind not in operation. Tracking only by Alamogordo receiver. Average wind loss than 100 mph. Flight shows need of barograph.
30	25 Nov. 1947 1536 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	1 GM, no appendix	3.7 kg	T-69, burn-out baroswitch ballast assembly. banner	13.1 kg	2 1/2 gal. can purerator filter. Manual ballast valve	5.5 kg	2900 g	16.1 kg	148 min.	658-148 min. theodolite 26 min.	Not found by tracking plane L-5	0 over 3 hours.	Over 70 min. at 1000 ft.	45,000' const.	Chinipes Chihuahua Mexico	Good flight presumed though data not available. Maximum altitude 6000 feet lower than commuted due to lack of appendix.
31	26 Nov. 1947 1025 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	1 GM	4.1 kg	T-69, burn-out baroswitch ballast assembly. banner	12.6 kg	2 1/2 gal. can purerator filter. Manual ballast valve	5.0 kg	1480 g	14.1 kg 658 theodolite 200 min.	Not found by tracking plane L-5	Unknown	Rising when lost	Unknown	Prescidie Texas	Transmitter failed shortly after release.
32	28 Nov. 1947 0905 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	1 GM 2' appendix / battens	4.0 kg	T-69 burn-out baroswitch ballast assembly. banner	12.7 kg	2 1/2 gal. can purerator filter. Manual ballast valve	5.0 kg	1480 g	14.3 kg	148 min.	658-148 min. theodolite 146 min. Roswell 155 min	None	Unknown	Rising when lost	Unknown	Blanco, Texas	658 tracking 93 miles from Alamogordo, about 70 miles from Roswell. Transmitter apparently failed after 155 min. 92.2 flight. 400 miles from Alamogordo
33	29 Nov. 1947 0934 MST	Alamogordo New Mexico	1 GM 2' appendix	4.0 kg	T-69 Watson batteries, Ferguson meteorograph, burnout baroswitch, ballast assembly. banner	14.2 kg'	Hasservoir F100, automatic ballast valve F109, no manual valve	5.0 kg	2160 g	16.5 kg	38 min.	658-38 min. theodolite 115 min	None	Unknown	Rising when lost	Unknown	Not recovered	Transmitter failure. Elevation angle 13 when lost. Distance about 15 miles.

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Report, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. The text was read from the page images by an OCR model; expect the odd misread word. 882 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.