U.S. Air Force Analysis of Flying Objects in the United States, 1-100

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A machine read this text from the scan. When the text and the image disagree, the image is right.

Observer flying a National Guard AT-6 was on an easterly heading pointing toward Gowen Fld and had flown that course for a minute when there appeared in the left hand portion of his field of vision a round black object. Due to its erratic movement he first thought it a weather balloon. Calling the weather station he ascertained that no release had been made for several hours. He then exposed 10 second's duration of 8 mm motion picture film. Centering his gaze once more on the object he observed it to roll so that its edge was presented. At this time it flashed once in the sunlight. It then appeared as a thin black line. Then it performed a maneuver which looked as if it had begun a slow roll - (barrel roll) which instead of being completed was broken off at about the 180° point. The object rolled out of the top of the maneuver at this point and observer lost sight of it. Performance viewed against background of clouds. Object appeared relatively as the size of a twenty-five cent piece. Observer could not estimate the speed. He thought that it was very great.

The e-design portrays the movements of the object. At all times the object appeared black. Positions (1), (2) and (3) show the jerky rising motion. Position (4) is where it rolled presenting its edge to the observer. It then followed the dotted line, rolling over the top of the maneuver and disappearing at position (5).