PROJECT BLUE BOOK

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Pil t R ll THE OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1947 SY
ilot Recalls gg oy aera se ee
; e =
f yeeing Discs “or OREGONIAN" Portlend, Gregone
eet Sitioy ty *! 3 July G27
Se ato - / ““bhey were not weaving ear!
Dick Rankin Tells a: ebbing in formation I cowldn’t
. ; make out the number or, loca- |
Of Odd Aircratt: vite _of their propellers - and
coulen’t distinguish any ‘wings |
More reports of “flying flap: | }°r teil. They appeared almost |
Macks” turned up - Wednedday round. They looked like pic- |
s .** | Jtures of the navv’s flying  flap- |
one from no less than Dick fjack’ Renkin said.
‘Rankin, brother of the late Tex Rankin, who plans to spend |
Rankin, and -himself an expe- /{ the Summer here at 834 N. E. |
rienced pilot of more than 7000 | {Simpson sireet, is now able to
Bik a rasoaphe ;}Tesume a little flying for fun, |
, hours flying tume. | but not commercialiy, he -saic. |
iF Rankin, who is recovering | {he now operates a string of |
from an old back injury: Te | lapie'ag sie Ye his win- |
‘ = & ; ' . rs "e.! 34 '
ceived in an automobile actci- | Se Oa :
ldent, came to Portland over | }|?we Descriptions Check |
the week end to spend the sum- | Rankun’s description. of the
mer. He saw the “siiver cau- nl bie Ag SS ee eae
oe : rN (fwith that or Kenneth Arnold, |
cers” over -Bakerstield, Cal.. | | Boise, Idaho. business man, whe |
June 23, while Iving on the /first reported them over the |
dawn sun bathing, he told The | | State of Washington, except thai |
Oreconian. | jArnoid clocked them at an es | ;
| Fllmated 1200 miles an hour, *

“J hesitated to sey much! |

¥ Oy ar oad } Other reports came Wednes-
about them,” Rankin said, “un-| tday from Astoria.

| til I noticed all the hullabaloo f Jack Hayes. patient in S}. |
. + > ’ “4 \ + -!1 “3 } = }
in the papers. I puzzled over’! pene? s hospital tnere, said he
their strange shape for a while | | ¢° hens DO eae Monday |
and finally concluded thet they oondlecths cnt, shat Rok ne sched |
were the navy’s new XF5U-1) | eee “the hills. > vanishec
flying flapjacks, which are thin | Mrs Ear! Seado. Fort Su
and round, with twin propellers, }. . Peaid she saw a disc trav: |
— 7799 a sis 8 eh Fh
and stubby tail. eling north over Fort Stevens

Only One XFSU-1 Built Tuesday noon. and that other |

‘ observers saw the same object. |
' Sut ~ J r po ‘ ~—e
/. (The navy and the manufat: | | the army at Fort Stevens and |!

turer have announced official- | [the coact euard at nearby Point
tly that only one such machine |Adams did not see the discs
Fwas built and that it never left) Pootne report of a Centralia

. ?
| eeeNce” clskes were flyin f Wash... man Wednesday coin
thigh; maybe 9000 feet and fair- woe fa my matter of time with the
‘ly fast, bout 300 or 400 miles Bidar te Calleoher pe eee
‘an hour. I first counied ten of Sidney B. Gallagher of Centra- |

}
}
!
; | Flia said he sew nine aluminum- |
them in formation. going north.| |yieq oniects flving north at 3 |
About 2:15 P, M. they returned ot Cerone: eee ee. SEO ee ON

F ped Mites Mista: Mea epeadhs® P.M. June 24. He was working
on the reverse course, headed | }4j miles southwest of Mineral, |
+south. But there were only sev- final nt the tee

ern in the formation.

sete .

) Over California by Veteran-Pilot “Flying Saucers” “(Len Flying Dist

—s —. / » 7 ee, }
Z ba hg) Ait en a ate ae :
. ' ; ’ my J a e eo >=
ae neve oe he » Pre eve. however, S#s report- aes ORTLAND, ms duly Qe || NY
" Lr Wl —A Vvel- T . ‘” nee woiemei he report of a lone “ "
Arie woeet nilnt Rickard ed its Flying Flapjeck—the XFSU-) | west Cones aa c-time j|Seen at Bakersfre
eonet y L. hy , 27 oast pilot wars added | , ; ,
)! Loge VeDUrled? SPEINS iit oom [} © nevi ‘ LOeNnnecricut, wi; aay ta the crowing accounts AlsoxOver Port
' | : ede fying saucerr”” ever the [+ PORTEAND,-Ore...Jdulr <
' - ry / s : "
ave 4 J S| Richard ‘Rankin, veteran of (‘The report of : cae tir
4 , } Howls ’ P Orta daas i oli Th j . ‘ 4 Che) yas haletoe
= 4 ie we esicdl ive hes|- | nN re atten’ (VOU NHOUTK In ihe air, Coast puot ae a
une « Late to report. 4 he saw un- ROC Saw the much-debated \|8rOWah, Sut
: } we Ly a i 1h er ( VM Pe ot] f hed re- 7 iho ty GISKS high over hakers- ‘saucers over (l
Sits < Hurted We “Seuvel He said he oY 2 100" and BODE maybe ; RifRard PLAT VoUeTa:
; ls nee cn oe . | sui OT (} miles an hour.” r in 4}
, ann | ONDSeTVEG en) from the round, te esl SIU, ore th iv joure in Whe
ae r ~ WeETE lhe‘ pe Mi) ; b Iinere were 10 in formation em re an 4 ‘

rly fast, Maybe Sot Meenwhie new reports came in weaid he -BAW tlie much-caebe'

flying north, he told a reporter,

OW) miles an hour, 1 first|{rom Paciic Northwest residents.|! but when “they re .mvsterious disks over Bakers! ©’
, i'Tweo Portlande: Mir, and Mrs.!| n “they returned on the . tox

ted 30 of them in formation.) oe ee eiet awwhe. anid they} reverse course, headed south, /GSlif, .andageine “maybe si

> noms. About 2:15 p.m, they’ -7* ** ‘panda i aR ace “han there were only seven ; 400 miles @ntho-:

ned in ‘ever wee! Cidnt? heveve the story Ww F Po eet a ay a oe 4

. " -

A . ’ 1 ud the newspapers 1 :
ed south, but there were oniy|tev reac it in w “ii. ber or location of their é~ Tame a
i pro Paying eet e tolc a repcr't
[es

we SAY ' LOC ' saw ast 10 of tans
n in the formation . . J{Teported they saw at least | i} pellers and couldn't distincuish -} , hae :
int make out the number or|them flving noiselessiv over the! any wines or tail. but-syhien®. “they returned on |:

They ap-

jon of their propellers end} Columbia river about noon today. peared almost round,” he said reverse.course, headed south, the
in't distinguish any wings or| Shortly after Mrs, R. A. Hunt. Rankin said he saw them June were -only.#even.” ie

They appeared almost round | wife of the Jefferson county agent | 23, but hesitated to describe } apt éould "buinake out the num-
* looked just like pictures of)at Madras, Ore., 100 miles south | what he saw until he noted hace ae ditiditan a | ex
navy's Flying Flapjack,” Ren-|east of Portland, said she saw sf others were reporting the same BR PEQP Cs <:
Lold a FEPOLlers » pes ‘4of them-high overhead, "5 thinc. 4 b Vv wir

; beitay..ck ’  — = 2. i. “They appeare:

Mr. Renkin said hé saw ther
dune 23, but hesitated to descr!

Pts Cog Sat Te Se
eteran Airman JOS Ranks whet he saw until he noted otne:
-the same thing.

f ‘Flying Saucer’ Witnesses ©. Pe esbrts meanwhile came

ree Orecon»ctities, Aspor.

Portland, Ore, July 2—(AP)— Pee Te oe » "Madras «nd. Portland... 7
on ecne ws Plane Vet Reports Seeing 2) fF 5 eo ae
wel eccounts of “flying in Eo F ee OST ls > | Pc they AW Kt leasO YAR Cr :
cers” over the West. rr t tt, a J 2 “Saucers” winging nojeélessiy |
ti nary Rankin, veteras of more | 2 yt Ro # Gice rs Une ~ lover the ‘Columbia River fi

no 7,090 hours in the air, said he | PORTLAND, Ore., July 2.—(AP)—|believed ‘stories about the “sau- iday, SY IULS 184 ;
vy the much-debated mystery [fhe report of a long-time westicers'e@until they saw at least ten’ = ;
es high over Bakersfield, Calif, lcoact pilot was added Wednesday jof them winging noiselessiy high
i going “meybe 300 or 400 miles ito the growing accounts of “flying | over the Columbia river Tuesday
hour,’ Saucers’ over the west. ; Still another such acceunt came
Chere were ten in formation fly- [+ Richard Rankin, veteran of more|f'om four states away. At Albi-
; north, he told a reporter, but hthan 7.000 hours in the air, said he | querque, N. M.,"“Max Hood, Chain-
hey returned on the re- [eaw the much-debated mystery) ber of Commerce executive, told o!
urse, headed south, there }qicks high over Bakersfield, Calif.,/Seeing “a dise-like bluish objec
re oniy seven, cand going “mavbe 300 or 400 miles {Ollowing & zig-7a¢ path in the
- couldn't make out the number an hour.” : [northwestern sky" only Pues
ocation of their propellers and There were ten in formation fiy-| ment a oat c in about hall
idn't distinguish any wings or ¢ north, he told a reporter, but|” esl Nas dicate jest DR ay
“hey appeared almost round,” kchen “they returned on the reverse | There have been similar repo
: ort ; Sart, "ithe past several days from ott

‘+
'

“<i ia

ret

said. ade b rere : , . '
SEES ataw ial tiie hans Mae Beaute renee Jue the | points in New Mexico, west te
5 aio he S&S de yOniy sé seas jand Oklahoma.

£: own qd or | une 23, but hesi«- ALMOST ROUND.”
sd to describe what he saw until f “y Y
n <r VRS couldn't make out the numbe:
ected others were reporting the ;
pte , tor jocation of their propellers and

eee ee : Fd keouldn’t distinguish any wings 01
it first, he continued, he As- ftail. They appeared almost round,”
nec he had seen the XF-5U-1, the he raid. :

yer mental Navy “fying (lap~ DE tentin eatd-hesaw' them Juse
ky The Navy since has ag , but hesitated to describe what
anced it has only one AE OU +d, e saw until he noted others were
i it has not left Connectic it. reporting the same thing.

New reports, meanwhile, came At first, he continued, he as-
frem three Oregon cities, Astoria, umed he had seen the XFSU-1.
adres and Portland. The Portland~ he. experimental navy “Flying
3;makine the report, Mr. and Mrs, lapiack.” The navy since has an-
hert Balliet, said they disbelievéd / ounced it has only one XF5SU-1,
yries about the “saucers” until nd it has not left Connecticut.

ey saw at least ten of them wings > Rankin, ex-Portlander who now
~ noiselessly high over the Go- fives in Palm Springs, Calif., and z
River yesterday. throther of the Jate John G, (Ten)

fhankin, pioneer stunt flier, said he
observed the “planes” from ‘*!
ound.

ORE REPORTS. ar:
“New reports meanwhile came in —

PAM:
aba eaeds

from three Oregon cities, Astrcia,
Madras and Portland. The Port:
anders making the report,Mr. and
Mrs. Herbert Balliet, said they cis-

Le Agtr nomio j
G@ Eigh prebabilli'
v26, 27, 30, 321, 32, $3, S34, 48, 49, SY, GO, 66, 69, TI
Lai, 3% é iss, At, & SE g a. Wes Ois Avie cv t eu I LV, > ‘ss
GLY» VATS T
be tair or low probabilitys
Glo, 20, 24, 24, 28, 35, 35, 46, 60, 63, 67, BC, 82, 93, 1CO
aig, Lai f beds Le? 10 ’ s 144, iSd, lou, 166, aT. LTD, SS
199, 202, 205, 220, 250, <40.
Ze Boneastronomical but suppestive of other explenations
@. Balloons or ordinery eirorait:
: } 5 '. 2, “ ¢ 5 ‘ :
Bos Alp Gey 42, 40, 5H, De, 75, Gl, GS, Fi, 92, 115, ib4, 115,
. @ - = * £; %* AN | a tn be m ory
126, 281, 3138, 141, 145, 355, 156, 157, 159, 160, 161, 263,
€ “* °F ¥ \ } ‘ | \ yf
169, iT dy oe : Was ‘ O, ; - , it 194, 195, 96, 196d,
200, eOl, U9, é Y » al7, Ge CUD, 2st, AOS «
be Kockets, fleres or falling bodies:
"I * t oO es * % *)> { >. ~~ ¢ - rf"?
we, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3, le, 15, 14, 15, 16, ¢o, o6, GS, (5, 106, 107,
4UG, 109, 155, 370, Gil, 2isd-
. in y
c. Liscelleneous (reflections, suroral streeners, birds, eto.):

By
#59, 89, 123, 124, 128, 146, 164, 1&1, 189, 214, 22)

Se NKon-astronouical, with no explanation evident

G&e Lack of evidence precludes explenetion:
758. 44, 45, 47, 55, 57, 72, g6, 87, SS, 9C, 99, 120, a7, 116
14° 72,

r ‘2p “e
a) “ar 7 ( : € ; i ey "
229. 232, 233.

b. Evidence offered sugzests no explanstion:

i!

¥l, 2, 10, 17, 21,€294 37, 40, 51, 62, 58, 61, 62, 64, 68, 71,
75 Be 77,73, 64, 2105, 113, 122, 135, Y51, 152, 184, 262,
168, 172, 176, 183, 186, 193, 207, 215, 223, 224, 225, 226,
ee 236, 241, 242, 243, 244, 134.

.
1/
-

some sort res f: I test centers on the
deserts of aircraft in
general tie objeots
were probebly fcr ei
At that tis not eive th slightest thought to at nything but that the
objects vere some sort of test dlip for the Govermment Servioss. The obheats-
resembled the piotures that I have seen of the lI5U-l, the so a lled "Flying
UNCLASSIFIED
I CouRrens
S
1