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Chapter Four Postwar Discplane Development Starting in the late 1940s designers began to Both the USAF and many of its principal take a serious interest in disc-shaped aircraft. defence contractors studied flying saucer- Numerous patents were filed, ranging from shaped aircraft throughout the 1950s. Much of truly incredible contraptions through to highly _ this research was classified and, aside from engineered concepts produced by top aero- obvious security considerations, there is an dynamicists like John Frost (see the previous — enduring belief that special operations have chapter). It is impossible to say if this came occasionally been hidden behind a veil of about as a result of media-driven interest in | UFO mysticism, which has been intentionally UFOs, or because of aviation developments maintained over a long period as a useful way during World War Two. However, advanced _ to debunk sensitive information leaking into aerospace research undertaken in Germany _ the public domain. had opened the door to a range of interesting possibilities that would have been viewed as _ Alfed Loedding and the Flying Saucers Buck Rogers science fiction concepts prior to — Alfred Christian Loedding remains an intrigu- the Second World War. ing and little-known individual who was Almost every major US aviation contractor _ involved in all manner of American military took a share of the captured German spoils, (and some civil) aviation research pro- which had a significant impact on the devel- grammes from the 1930s onwards. He held opment of military aircraft during the follow- the highest security clearance, worked for ing two decades. There have been persistent _ USAAF Intelligence, debriefed most of the top rumours that German flying disc aircraft fell wartime German aeronautical scientists, into American hands, with hardware and _ supervised classified projects, acted as the documentation being shipped to Wright US Air Force’s consultant on UFOs and finally Field, Ohio for evaluation and study. These worked for NASA. Loedding also designed possibilities have never been confirmed, nor and patented an extraordinary oval-shaped have the suggestions that Britain obtained an aircraft with the appearance of a flying early example of (or detailed plans for) aGer- saucer. man Radial Flow Gas Turbine (RFGT), which was developed further and passed to Avro Canada for use in their Project Y flying disc aircraft (Chapter Three). While there is no proof that any German fly- ing disc technology was transferred to the US (orits allies), there are si icions that it might have been, and confirmation may exist some- where within the mountain of classified US documentation that stretches back to the early part of the last century. Aside from this, it is a recorded fact that many senior officials felt that some reliable UFO sightings might involve advanced Soviet aircraft based on captured German technology and that the Russians had somehow leapfrogged an entire generation of military development, achieving a technological lead that could tip the delicate balance of East-West power in their favour. This prompted the Pentagon to urgently seek a VTOL aircraft with the ability to operate from an improvised forward site and possessing superior performance to any _ ifred Loedding with a model of his discplane at next-generation supersonic warplane. Wright-Patterson AFB. USAF Both the USAF and many of its principal In 1930 Loedding graduated from the defence contractors studied flying saucer- Daniel Guggenheim School of Aeronautics at shaped aircraft throughout the 1950s. Much of — New York University and then he worked for this research was classified and, aside from various branches of the US War Department obvious security considerations, there is an until 1937, when he joined the Bellanca Air- enduring belief that special operations have _ craft Co of Delaware as the manager of their occasionally been hidden behind a veil of Stress Analysis Department. The following UFO mysticism, which has been intentionally year Loedding joined the USAAF at Wright maintained over a long period as a useful way _ Field ina civilian capacity, working in various to debunk sensitive information leaking into _ technical departments. As the Second World the public domain. War gathered pace his expertise was in con- stant demand, leading to his appointment as Alfed Loedding and the Flying Saucers a consultant and advisor for the Technical Alfred Christian Loedding remains an intrigu- Intelligence Division of Air Material Com- ing and little-known individual who was mand (AMC), known as T-2. Loedding was involved in all manner of American military associated with the original Jet Propulsion (and some civil) aviation research pro- Laboratory, which was created at Wright grammes from the 1930s onwards. He held _ Field during World War Two, and he became the highest security clearance, worked for an expert on wind tunnel design, aerody- USAAF Intelligence, debriefed most of the top —_ namics and rocket propulsion. wartime German aeronautical scientists, Having come from an immigrant German supervised classified projects, acted as the family, Loedding spoke fluent German and US Air Force’s consultant on UFOs and finally — he made friends with most of the high-level worked for NASA. Loedding also designed German aeronautical scientists who had and patented an extraordinary oval-shaped _ been transported via Fort Bliss to Wright Field aircraft with the appearance of a flying after the war. They would be invited to his saucer. house for dinner and Loedding developed a good working relationship with most of these former enemies of America. Amongst Loed- ding’s close personal friends were some of the world’s top scientists, who included Robert Goddard, Alexander Lippisch and Theodore von Karman. Both Loedding and von Karman were heavily involved with the study and assessment of captured German military aviation technology, which was often forwarded to defence contractors for further Alfed Loedding and the Flying Saucers Alfred Christian Loedding remains an intrigu- ing and little-known individual who was involved in all manner of American military (and some civil) aviation research pro- grammes from the 1930s onwards. He held the highest security clearance, worked for USAAF Intelligence, debriefed most of the top wartime German aeronautical scientists, supervised classified projects, acted as the US Air Force’s consultant on UFOs and finally worked for NASA. Loedding also designed and patented an extraordinary oval-shaped aircraft with the appearance of a flying saucer, evaluation. By mid-1947 the work conducted by T-2 in Germany and Japan to identify and collect aerospace technology was almost complete. Then a series of hard-to-dismiss UFO inci- dents took place and Loedding became inter- ested in investigating them. In January 1948 General Nathan Twining, who was in overall command of the Air Technical Service Com- mand at Wright-Patterson AFB (as it had become), asked Loedding if he would be willing to establish a formal office to investi- gate UFO incidents. Loedding had actually been responsible for suggesting the forma- 82 Alfred Loedding with a model of his discplane at Wright-Patterson AFB. USAF Secret Projects: Flying Saucer Aircraft