New Mexico Wing? August 25, 1951

See also entry on this page.

As noted in an earlier entry -there is an apparent connection between the famed "Lubbock Lights" and a sighting near Albuquerque, NM the same date. The question is does the sketch from one reflect the other sighting and do they both represent an experimental aircraft?

Albuquerque, NM 1951-08-7008373, Project Blue Book. On August 25, 1951 (seen at 2200 ; 0258 hrs) on the east side of Albuquerque, a man and his wife observed on object "similar to a flying wing, but one and one-half times larger than B-36."  (Note this date - it is the same as the famed "Lubbock Lights"; in fact witness from one will identify the sketch as what they saw in the other incidence).

The object was heading S-SE "object had strong glowing white lights on trailing edge of wing and black striped under the wing..." Further, it made absolutely no sound. Its speed was estimated at 300-400 mph, at 160 degrees, and 1000 feet. The stripes reflected light but the space between them was a flat and non-reflective surface. Mention was made that a similar object had been reported "v-shaped" over Lubbock .

This letter 0f 14 November 1951 (File No:24-115) labeled subject "unconventional type aircraft...Albuquerque, NM, 2158 hours 25 August 1951 to Commanding Officer, ATIC at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. The letter references a letter received30 October 1951 - file AFOIH-ATIAA-2c.  "#3 On 10 November 1951, a Mr and Mrs [named blacked out] were shown the photographs enclosed with reference d letter, and stated the formation of lights captured similar to the light they had observed on the trailing edge of the unidentified object they saw at 2158 25 August 1951 above Albuquerque, NM ... Mr. {name blacked out] sketched an outline..."

Was the object seen an extra-terrestrial craft, a foreign craft, or an experimental craft? The sketch does seem to show some characteristics similar to a flying wing type of craft. The black and white stripping might also be a clue as planes were often marked this way especially during testing as the stripping allegedly informed ground sources they were "friendlies." 

The above two photos of a flying wing aircraft from the 1950's.  The issue of the absence of sound in the New Mexico sighting given its estimated altitude. By contrast, the trio of scientists who reported the Lubbock Lights v-shaped object estimated - because of the lack of sound - a much higher altitude coupled with far greater speeds than allowed by any suggestion of a flock of birds.

Below is a new generation take on the same concept of the flying wing.

	Northrop Grumman's concept is based on the extremely aerodynamic "flying wing" design. The four Rolls Royce engines are embedded in the upper surface of the wing to achieve maximum noise shielding. The company used its expertise in building military planes without a stabilizing tail to propose this design for the commercial aviation market. This design is among those presented to NASA at the end of 2011 by companies that conducted NASA-funded studies into aircraft that could enter service in 2025. The image is dated circa 2011 , Northrup-Grumman.
Source	http://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/features/future_airplane_gallery19.html (direct link)