PROJECT 1947

MTHT-150

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE REPORT: MTHT-150

Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico, 1950

QUARTERLY REPORT
ON
USAF GUIDED MISSILE TEST ACTIVITIES AT
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO

July-September 1951

REPORT NO. MTHT-150

COPY NO. 75

2 January 1952

SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION

Commanding General Air Force Missile Test Center Patrick Air Force Base Cocoa, Florida		1

Commanding General Air Research and Development Command Attn: RBBC Post Office Box 1864 Baltimore 3, Maryland		2-3

Commanding General Air Force Cambridge Research Center Attn: Mr M. O'Day and Mr. Elterman 230 Albany Street Cambridge 38? Massachusetts		4-5

MTHC Attn: Mr Orom Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico		6

MTHT Holloman Air Force Base New Mexico		7-10

6. Time Standards: Queen-1

Signal Ser. No.		Instrument Stations

1 2,4 8,9		M- (one station) All Askania stations X-1, 2

Code start Delay counter: Special Instructions:		Manual. When first object is sighted. None required. Record elapsed time code on magnetic tape recording. Continuous from code start to end of mission.

7. Communications: Queen-1
Intercom		All Land-Air stations
VHF:		150.66 mc or 126.16 tower frequency, Queen- and Xray-1.
Base phone:		325 on post phone: 516
Record:		Continuous from when first object is sighted.
Roof speaker:		On monitor; tie-in to main intercom if required by Operations Engineer.
8. Operations:
a. Notify Base Operations, and Operations and Projects Office. b. Supervise instrumentation from Queen-1 c. When practical, assign a third man for intercom service, spotting, and reading azimuth and elevations at all stations.

cc: Major J. C. Manatt (2) Lt. J. G. Albert (2) Lt. E. J. Brechwald (2) M. Greene (2) M. McGraw (2) Land-Air Personnel		/s/ A. C. Rosenbaum A. C. Rosenbaum Operations Engineer Land-Air, Inc.

Incl. D

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE NO. OP 73

1. Instrumentation:

1. Askania	Peter-1. 6, 9, 10, 13	3,5,6,7 (Note A)
Film type:	C	BW (?)
Frame rate:	5 fps
Start shutters:	As soon as instrument is tracking.
Special Instructions:	Report to Queen-1 as close as possible to the time of occurrence, and as briefly as possible the following:
	a. When target is sighted; the azimuth and elevation angle at when sighted. b. When ready to take pictures. c. Camera "on". d. Camera "off". e. On every and all of the above communications to Queen-1, state the "station designation". f. A third man will be supplied by the Operations Engineer when practical to aid in spotting, intercom service, and reading azimuth and elevation.
Note A: Whichever stations are manned for other missions.
2. Servo-tracked cameras:	Mike (one station)
Film type:	BW
Frame rate:	10-12 fps
Start shutters:	As soon as instrument is tracking.
Special Instructions:	Same as paragraph 1f.
3. Photographic:	Type of Film	Footage (Note A)
Askanias:	C P-1, 7, 8, 10, 13	125 ea.
	BW P-3, 5, 6,7	125 ea.
Servo-tracked:	BW M-(one station)	400 ea.
Radar:
Bore-sight	BW X-1, 2	200 ea.
Data Box	BW X-1, 2	200 ea.
Special Instructions:	Expedite the transportation of film from the field stations to the Base Photo Lab.
Note A:	As many magazines as possible will be furnished, depending on requirements for other missions for the day, and the duration of this mission as requested by CO, HAFB.
4. Radar:	Xray-1	Xray-2
Plotting boards:	x	x
Boresight cameras:	x	x Frame rate: 16 fps
Data Box cameras:	x	x Frame rate: 16 fps
Cameras on:	As soon as instrument is tracking.
Special Instructions:	Same as paragraph 1f.

Incl. D

INCLOSURE C

Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, 1000-1300 hours, MST,
31 August 1950

	Type Camera: Peter-5 Askania

	Focal Length: 60cm

	Angles Subtended:
	Major Axis: 9' 39" - 13' 14.6" (Variation in 3 pictures)
	Minor axis: 3' 29.6"

Letter from Acting Base Director of Operations at Holloman's 2754^th Experimental Wing regarding incidents covered in the MTHT-150 Quarterly Report

HEADQUARTERS
2754TH EXPERIMENTAL WING
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO


EHO 000.92/1		13 SEP 1950

SUBJECT:	Aerial Phenomena

TO:	Commanding General Air Materiel Command Attn: MCI Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Dayton, Ohio

1. Strange objects of an undisclosed nature were observed in the sky over Holloman Air Force Base on two successive days, 30 and 31 August 1950. A brief account of events of these two days will be given separately.

a. 30 August 1950: B-50 aircraft for mission of Missile XM-776, Bell Aircraft Corporation, was airborne and while employees of this company were scanning the sky for the aircraft, two unexplainable objects were sighted in vicinity of the aircraft. The objects appeared at approximately 1045 hours and were visible for approximately 30 minutes, and seemed to follow the aircraft on both the dry run and the hot run, prior to release of the missile. Observers' stories differed to a degree and some observers saw only one object. At least eight responsible civilians and one Master Sergeant observed the phenomena. The following points were noted by observers:

(1) Very fast rate of speed for short distances.
(2) Strong glare at all times that was not reflected from sun.
(3) Left no vapor trails, seemed to hover, make maneuvers and then accelerate rapidly.
(4) Made square abrupt turns, relative size changed sufficiently to determine ascent and descent, shape changed from round to elliptical.
(5) The two objects retained their relative position to one another.
(6) Appeared to be approximately ten times faster than B-50 aircraft and above aircraft.

No project or instrumentation personnel were notified on this date, therefore, no scientific data was obtained.

EHO 000.92/1

Subject: Aerial Phenomena

b. 31 August 1950: Instrumentation facilities were set up this date and pictures were taken when phenomena appeared sporadically between hours of 1000 and 1300. The object appeared several times during this period, traveling at very high rates of speed, appearing from several different directions. F-86 aircraft from 93rd Fighter Group, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, were requested and made a four-plane reconnaissance in the local area for approximately one hour, however, the pilots observed no unusual aerial phenomena. The colored phototheodolite film was immediately airmailed to Houston Plant, Los Angeles, California, for processing and was returned by air to Holloman Air Force Base on 6 September 1950. Data Reduction Unit, this base, is presently analyzing information from film and tape recording in an effort to establish time correlation for triangulation. A final report will be forwarded to your office upon completion. Observers at phototheodolite stations noted following points:

(1) Object had definite shape, including depth.
(2) Disappeared when observer took eye off to read angle.
(3) No smoke or fire.
(4) Object seemed to rock or oscillate.
(5) Edges of object were not sharp or distinct.

FOR THE COMMANDING OFFICER:

/s/
R.G. ILLING
Major, USAF
Acting Base Director, Operations
and Projects

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