Documents / Report
This declassified U.S. Air Force file contains the final report of Project Twinkle, dated 27 November 1951 and written by Louis Elterman of the Geophysics Research Division, together with related correspondence. The project was set up to investigate the green fireballs and other light phenomena around Holloman AFB and Vaughn, New Mexico, and it was run with Askania cameras. The report calls its findings essentially negative and recommends no further funding. In March 1952 the Directorate of Intelligence declined to declassify it.
“Nature”12 pages
# BELL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION POST OFFICE BOX ONE, BUFFALO 5, NEW YORK UNCLASSIFIED March 15, 1951 HAFB: 32:1:0315-1:DR Memo to: Lt. John G. Albert Operations and Projects Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico Subject: Unidentified Flying Objects The following Bell Personnel reported the sighting of unidentified flying objects on March 14, 1951: Clifford Heskew Jerry Baker Lawrence Weber James Nott Floyd Lane George Karres Walter Rosenthal Dexter Rosen Jerry Donavan The above personnel are located at the Bell Hardstand awaiting the return of B-50 No. 6002, following the completion of a Captive Flight mission. Mr. Heskew made the first sighting at approximately 1500 hours while following the flight path of the B-50, which at that time was flying on a southerly heading at an altitude of approximately 15,000 feet NSL east and slightly south of the base. At the first sighting due neither to the distance involved or small individual size of the objects, Mr. Heskew attached little significance to the phenomenon thinking perhaps that it was a flock of birds at a considerable distance. However, in a minute or so he began to think otherwise and called the matter to the attention of Messrs. Lane and Weber. At the time his sighting was verified by the latter two men, the elevation angle of the bodies appeared to be greater than that of the B-50 which had progressed a few miles further south and east of the Field. The motion of the bodies (estimated at between 14 and 20 in number) appeared to be of a swirling nature, not unlike a flock of towering geese or a handful of leaflets in an up-draft. Either due to distance or size, it was impossible to resolve individual shape, however, the general impression was gained that the bodies were white. Several minutes after the first sighting the writer and others were apprised of the phenomenon. At this time, the B-50 had turned to the left on a reciprocal heading and was approximately east of the Field at the same altitude. The bodies continued to swirl in somewhat random fashion and increase apparent elevation angle. During this time
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. 29 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.