Documents / Report

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…
radar station was not troubled by this phenomenon due to its antenna directivity and elevation orientation of 60 degrees. It is believed that the intermediate loss of signal by the radar station is normal because of elevation pattern lobing produced by groundreflection interference which is initiated by secondary antenna lobe transmission. Since this condition exists in the transmitting pattern, it affects both the radar station and its remote receiving station. Current effort is concentrated on improvement of photography and antenna orientation in preparation for additional tests.

## b. Tracking Projects:

(1) Radar Tracking Set AN/MPS-6 - A letter was received from Watson Laboratories authorizing changes and modifications of the range circuits necessary for conditions as encountered at this location. The fore part of July was spent in achieving these betterments, and in the installation and orientation of an M-2 optical tracker to be used in conjunction with the MPS-6 and as a tracking aid.

Experimental tracking of three balloons furnished and flown by the Atmospheric Group was performed for the dual purpose of checking the signal return of the radar with various reflecting targets, and for precise position data of the balloon equipment for use by the Atmospheric Group. On 19 July, a 130 foot balloon carrying no radar reflector was tracked. Radar contact was made at a range of about 3K yards with signal return being above saturation on the scopes of the MPS-6. Tracking was automatic in Azimuth and Elevation and aided in range. Signal return remained above saturation until a range of 7K yards was read, at which point grass appeared on the scopes and signal to noise averaged about 4 to 1 out to a range of 23K yards where too frequent radar losses necessitated that automatic tracking be abandoned. This balloon was then tracked manually to a maximum range of 27K yards.

On 20 July 1948, a weather balloon carrying one kite type reflector was flown and tracked. Contact was made at a range of 3K yards, and signal return was above saturation at all times until a range of 10K was exceeded and grass showed only occasionally out to 24,360 yards. This balloon was obscured by clouds at a range of 33K yards, but tracking was continuous in automatic Azimuth and Elevation throughout its flight, and the maximum range read was 34K yards.

On 21 July, a 130 foot balloon, identical with the one flown on 19 July except for three kite reflectors being carried, was flown and tracked. Radar contact was made at a range of 1,510 yards. Grass first appeared on scopes at a range of 24.5K yards, and signal was above saturation to 30K yards. Tracking was continuous and automatic throughout the flight, and a maximum range of 121K yards was reached.

Cited by

Cases discussed

About this file

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.