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Captain Thomas Mantell (Centre), who died while intercepting a high-altitude UFO over Kentucky in 1948. via Bill Rose photometric analysis conducted by the astronomer Dr William K Hartmann from the University of Colorado indicated that the time of day when the pictures were taken was incorrect and that the period between each photograph was longer than claimed. Unfortunately, the desire by certain individ- uals to create UFO hoaxes for reasons of fame or fortune has kept pace with interest in the subject and sometimes the simplest methods available have fooled the best-qualified experts. But whatever the explanation for the McMinnville sighting, an automatic associa- tion of flying saucers with extraterrestrials had become deeply embedded in much of the world’s subconscious and the term UFO now meant alien spacecraft, as opposed to an unidentified flying object. Furthermore, the extraterrestrial hypothesis was being fuelled and maintained by the media, who had recog- nised its lucrative storvtelling potential. photometric analysis conducted by the astronomer Dr William K Hartmann from the University of Colorado indicated that the time of day when the pictures were taken was incorrect and that the period between each photograph was longer than claimed. Unfortunately, the desire by certain individ- uals to create UFO hoaxes for reasons of fame or fortune has kept pace with interest in the subject and sometimes the simplest methods available have fooled the best-qualified experts. But whatever the explanation for the McMinnville sighting, an automatic associa- tion of flying saucers with extraterrestrials had become deeply embedded in much of the world’s subconscious and the term UFO now meant alien spacecraft, as opposed to an unidentified flying object. Furthermore, the extraterrestrial hypothesis was being fuelled and maintained by the media, who had recog- nised its lucrative storytelling potential. As the number of UFO sightings began to rise on both sides of the Atlantic, many US and European officials came to the conclu- sion that, although a good deal of public hys- teria was responsible for creating this situation, some flying saucers might be sophisticated Soviet aircraft developed from captured Nazi technology. This was a time when the Cold War was particularly intense and, assuming the Russians were operating craft. All attempts to debunk these pictures failed and the Condon Committee (which was set up in the 1960s to investigate UFO phenomena) concluded that the McMinnville pictures were undoubtedly genuine. These images of a flying saucer were technically impressive and there was nothing to indicate that the Trents had the ability or will to gener- ate a convincing hoax, or profit from it. However, as time has passed, there has beena shift in opinion by serious investigators who now generally theorise that the object seen in both pictures was closer than previ- ously assumed and may have been some- thing hanging on an invisible wire, such as a hubcap or part of a lighting fixture. Detailed Re-creation of the ill-fated P-51D Mustang fighter flown by Captain Thomas Mantell of the Kentucky Air National Guard during 1948. Bill Rose Secret Projects: Flying Saucer Aircraft