Page Content (OCR)
25 b. Unusual features or provisions regarding the opening and closing of doors. Landing Gear. a. Indicate type of landing gear—whether conventional, tri- cycle, multiple wheel, etc., or of an unconventional type such as tripod or skid. b. Provisions for takeoff from ice, snow, sand or water. Powerplant. a. (3. Nuclear propulsion (atomic energy). Atomic energy en- gines would probably be unlike any familiar type of engine, although atomic energy might be employed in combina- tion with any of the above types (piston, jet). Aircraft would be characterized by lack of fuel systems and fuel storage space. b. The powerplant would likely be an integral part of the aircraft and possibly not distinguishable as an item separate from the aircraft. Visual observations of the exterior of a flying craft— especially brief ones made at long range—could not possibly have suggested that flying saucers have extreme light weight and structural stability, or have doors that operate in an un- usual fashion, nor be built from metallic foils or balsa wood or similar materials. And as for suspecting that an atomic energy engine "would likely be an integral part of the aircraft," this would take close-up inspection in order to get even a hint that such might be the case. A pilot or ground observer, no matter how skilled and experienced, simply cannot detect this sort of thing when a flying machine shoots past. Unfortunately, clues that are kept secret do not lead any- where. It would be almost two generations before any of this began to point toward the truth. Had this intelligence collection memorandum been com- mon knowledge in 1947, it could have changed the course of history by establishing the reality of the New Mexico crash. But it was kept secret until 1985, so there was no opportunity THE GOVERNMENT AND UFOS