Archive case record

CIA-UAP-005, German Scientist's Article on 'Flying Discs'

Date of account: 1950
Source: uap_archive
Record updated: 2026-10-10

Record summary

This 1950 CIA Information Report from Chile discusses a German scientist's article theorizing that "Flying Discs" could be explained as a new type of aircraft based on aerodynamic principles developed in German research facilities during and after WWI, using rotating cylinders or gas-turbines to create lift through boundary layer manipulation, rather than conventional wings. A redacted version of this report has been available on CIA's public website.

Published source text

Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.

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------- ,,,�.,,,... ---· 1�-IAB_L_E--+_RE,_L,_ABLE r_R_E_uA_s_LE_,..R_EL_IA_B_LE_; ·M��Wffi¥B� l,'l!! • · · -·, App�oved for • CLASSIFICATION CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO. $0 DD-27U3 D N FO lR MATH) �\Jl R E_PO R:1� CD NO. COUNTRY Chilo/Gorn.any DATE DISTR. 31 July 1950 Release 2026 . .;_,.:._.czo:;. __ r; SUBJECT Germtm Scientist I s ,\rticle on "Fl.yin(! Discs" NO, Of PAGES l PLACE NO. OF ENCLS. l ACQUIRED Chile, :',antiago (LISTED BELOW) DATE OF SUPPLEMENT TO INFO. Prior to nid-1950 REPORT NO. ,...-----------------·-----GRADING OF SOURCE COLLECTOR'S PRELIMINARY GRADING OF CONTENT,- CANNOT CONFIRMEDCOMPLOELV USUALL�- FAIRLY �giALLV N� PROBABLY POSSIBLY PROBABLY ICANN.O"f !JEElE av OTHER I_ DOUBTFULTRUE_!! R_E1._1A _B� TRUE FALSEJUDGED SOURCES JUDGED!!!! IA. ,r R, lC. r:,. E. i: 1, 2. 3. 4. s.!'!'!' 6. ,111s llOClilllEli'i' COilTllli.!G Hll'Ollrl.ll'l'IOII Al'l'l!CTIMC '1�11 llATIOOM. Hl'l!!llS * Docunienta.ey Ol' Till! IJUITED fl"llA'll'!G Wl'/11111 Tlllal D£Al'llt\lO 0£1 THU �IJl'IONAOll ACT 60 o. s. c .. at ,mo 82,118 llliilllnDl?ll), ITS YilAUBlllllilllO:il on 'fllll lll!VllLATlOll THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION01' l'l'!l cor:rraSTo li'l llf.!'I UMWlllll TO AA UilAUTHClllZl!D fl!rulOil 1$ J'llO Ulili?IID fn Lflllf, lilC:PIIODUC'ilOll Cl' 11113 i'Oll!.I Ill PROHllil'llU>. SOURCE ;�S�i¥F�:::� ; _,,,,·· Attached for your in!'cme'1tion ie a copy, in tr<>nslation, oi��' oubmitted t!' J ¼", Edy,n:d LJ'Wlir for publication in QQlldoi:, a Ge�laneuage magazine published in Chile. 'i'he articlo is entitled "Tho lzystery of" the 9 Flyinr5 Discs,' a contribut,ion to its possible explanation" o

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RESTRIOTED CENTRALINTELLIGENCE AGLRCY SO DB-27143 Attachment 1 -l~ THE MYSTERY OF THE "FLYING DISCS" A contribution to its possibleexplanation。 ByDr.Eduard Ludwig,Santiago,Chile. Av.Cristobal Colon 1916 Though thecontinuously reappearingreports ontheappearance ofnew, skepticismastheresultofasortofmass-hypnosis,neverthelesssoneofthe detailedand coincidingaccounts of technicallytrained observers deserve atten- thesenewaircraft. Since so far theobservations haveboenmade mainlyin the dark,whioh neans that only the luminouspartsofthe craftare visible,everyreportbrings the descriptionof shiningdiscs oroircles.Ifone should diacard the absurd conjecture that these aircraft originate fron beyond this earth,then it is easy to arrive atthe conclusion that the shining circles beararelation to the ex- bine iousedatthesametime asa stabilizingtopand is therofore fixed duces theeffeotofthe"ringsofSaturn". These obsorvations remind mo ofa conpletelynev type ofaircraftuhich was developedduring tho yearsIworked in the research plant ofProfessor Jumkere inDossau,whichwasattachod tothe airplanefactorieslmowm allovertheworld. Ido not lmowhow many ofmy co-worlere are still alive today,butI doknow that Dr.Book,Profesgor at the Technical High School ofBerlin,and who was at that The name ofProfessor Bocl was never widely kmown aue to his modest cheracter, in view of his extraordinary faculties,he was named hoad constructor of the Ministry ofGerman Airways and Directorofthe German Inetitute ofAirwaysResearch in Berlin-Adlershof. craft,Ishould like tosubmitfirstthe followingexplanations: shauedbetrarlalidaelphysist-Hukitl The firstphysiclamand mathematicianwhoconsidered tho newScience ofAero- dynamicsafterthecomnencementofpurelyexperimentaldevelopmentsofaircraft constructionwas theRussian ProfessorJukowskdofMoscow.Before thefirstWorld War and together with'my esteemed teachor,Dr. Kutta from the Technical High School ofStuttgart,Germany,he developed the theory ofairplane-wingbeam.Professor suudary and whichin any caae explains for'the firsttime theoretically the roasonwhya "Kutta-Jukowski Theoryof Airplane-wingbeam"has been the foundation of all aero- dynemias.As alraady mentioned, tho core of this work is the so-called boundery VaueV-gtratum,whioh conaists of the thin layer ofair in which the transition of Velocity Zero totheVelocityofthelovingObject takesplace。If the objectis streamlined then the boundary stratum will endeavor not to sever,no whirlwinds will occur,andtherefore no loss ofonergy will take place in that stratum.Since nature always functions mogt economically, it always tries to avoid loss of energy, and thereforeaplanewing would rather bear weight than cause adiaruption of the course ofthe ourrentand let the wingdrop. The logical conolusiong basedon these theoretiodiscoveries were obvious: already in the yaar 1915 Profeasor H.C.Bauman,also from the Technical.High School ofStuttgart,receiveda patent on the "Splitwing" through whiah the artificial interruption ofthe'courseofthecurrent,thetearingoftheboundaryatratumand the consoquent brolcing and diminishing of the landing apeed would be attained.This ARCHILAARRLODN PLEASE RETURNTO

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RESTRIOTED CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY SO DB-27143 Attachmentl --2- procedure was later applied to agreatextent to the fighter plane luster Ju.S8 under the nane of"dive-brake".This patent had tobe handed to the Inglish PageSplitwingismorewidelylmowm. However,developrente procoeded.Itwasprincipally the AerodynanieEx- perimental Institute of the Gottingen University,directed by the renowned Professors Prandtl and Betz,and Constructor Flettner,which drew its conclusions from the theory ofthe airplano-wing-boan.Flettner proved that the conditions ofarotatingobject are similar to those which appear ina "translatorischen” movement.Thusevolvedthe"rlettnerRotor. Professor Junkers,head of the well kmowm airplane works inDeBsau,who in theyear1915receivedhiepathbreakingpatenton theone-piecemetalvingwithout junctures,ordered a research group,which was headed by Professor Dr.Bock,and towhich Ihad the honor tobelong,to investigate towhat extent theupliftofa acylinder turning atgreatspeed.Thecylindervas two-thirdsofthe lengthof thewingandwasinstalledinthenoseofthewing,whereitcouldbestbeadapted to the ving'sprofile.To assiatus with aorodymamic problens,the Gottingen University sentus Profeasor Prandtl.The experiments turned out tobe extremely difficult and involvedmanycasualties.Thopurelytechnicalquestionofthe speedyupliftofalongcylinderoflightcongtructioncouldnotbesolvedattha.t time.Inexplicable vibrations and axle breakages oocurred time aftertina which ProfessorJunlers ordered us to inveatigate,andwith which we wore occupied for uonths Not lessthanfourrcen,allexperiencedandtriedpilotsofthe firstWorldarand outstanding engineers,died in these experinents。Itwas clear tous thatonlya gas-turbine could produce the diroct uplift of the cylinder.However,since mean- whilemore prossingproblems awaitedsolution,experimentswith this typeofair craftwereintermupted。 enlightening discoveries.Professor Betz found that supersonic speeds,such as are produced by quickly rotating propellers,created entirely new conditions. This investigation,howevex,neoded the furaiahing ofa wind tunnel for supersonic forwarded to the United Stateswhere itgreatlyamazed all sciontiste。 Now lightwas shed on nany things.Itwas found thatthe tearing ofthe boudary stratum at supersonic speeds involved much greater resistance,so that ofair,and theoretically experiences there the sane upliftasanobjectof the samesurfaceinthewater.Theconvertingoftherevelationsfoundinresearch into reality,however, needed the solution of the starting force through a gas- turbineoranotherequivalentmachineorinstrunent. rapuciey lanyheretofore umexplainedphenomenanow foyundan explanation.For example wirkumg")wasmuchgroaterthan could beexplainedaccording to the lavsof ballistics.Paradoxicalexplanationswere soughtforthiaauchas thatthe air resistance decreapes with growing epoeds.Todayweknow thattheee quicklyrotating nissiles"swim"in the surrounding layars ofairand therefore lose partof their weight.Full clarification was brought about only with supersonic speeds,which were obtainodin theexperimentswithrocketg（v-2)andwerearrivedatbyflights ofmanyhundredsand thougands ofkilometers,andwhich can onlybe explainedby the way in whioh these missiles literally"hang" in the air.The surprise of the specialized soiontists the world over at the astounding results of the German V-2 "Flying Discs": pointed the vay for airplane construction for the whole world,thus aleonay his idea ofattachincFlettner Rotors have a revolutionaryeffect.Airplanes of this toamphibiousplaneg of thesame size.The lackofupliftproduced by the Flettner Rotors can easilyboachievedthrough theoblique position oftheentire airplane ARCA. PEASSRETURTO RUSTRIOTED AOENGX AICSTVB), BLDC. A18

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REOTRICTED CENTRALINTELLIGENCEAGENCY SO.DB-27143 Attachment l -3~ witha positive startingangle in conneotion vith the onormouslyhigh starting apeod.The attaching of spoedily rotating tops assures side stability.Thero isalso tho possibility ofattachinghorizontal auxiliarypropellersof the helicopter type.And what about the quegtion of the starting force? The safety ofsuch anaircraftstandsandfallsonthe starting forca ofthe oylinders,and only too well do Iromember the caeualties inflicted by the lackofit.As I mentioned beforo,only the developnont ofa gas-turbine can bring the solution, sinceitconsistsonlyofrotatingpartsandworkswiththedopendabilityofa steamengine。 There is only one more question to be aneuered:could such an aircraft carry enoughfuel forworld-widejourneys?Thisqueation iseasilyanswered in the affirmative.Inthe firstplacosuch an aircrafthas a tremandousoarrying capacity,aswe have already geen;and in the second place chemical rasearch has madeastounding developnentsin thisrespect.Welmou todayquiteapartfrom atomic energy-oarriers of energy ofunsuspected power and duratlon.LIt should be substances which nelted up to 20 omts.of steel platos within fractions ofa an action-radius possiblewhich far surpasses thatofgasoline engines。 The future will. show whether the "Flying Discs" are only the products of inagination or whether theyare the resulteofafar-advanced German sciencewhich, possibly,aovell as the noarly finishod atoniebombs,mayhave fallon into the handsoftheRussians. ,A-18

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