'BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR": 1947 STYLE

 Several official documents from 1947 provide a description of an object no one could identify.  It's shape, speed, maneuverability were all built from numerous interviews with "qualified" witnesses (those with experience and knowledge of aircraft). 

The consensus of those witness descriptions revealed a common form emerging. Yes, some were obviously weather balloons, some were ordinary aircraft, but....these engineers, pilots, designers, and scientists and trustworthy John and Jane Q. Public revealed they were seeing the same things. For those following aircraft designs of the day, the first thought was the "Flying Flapjack" of the Navy. Yet, there were, according to records, only two built, and only one was operational in June-July 1947 and it never left Connecticut.  There were a lot of "flying wings" in design and construction and test stages but all were the delta form or just had swept back wings. 

The speed was over 350 mph (sometimes estimated upwards to the 600 range and occasionally as high as 1000 mph).  Usually described in terms of "very fast", "terrific speed", etc. Average commercial craft and military ranged from 150 to 500 mph regularly seen in the skies. 

Maneuvers: Sudden stops, sharp 90 degree turns, reversals and hovering, swift angled or straight vertical climbs, just as speedy disappearances. Most observing these would note that the G-forces would have been incredible and beyond capabilities of the day.

Altitude: As low as 300 ft. and as high as 100,000

Color: Shiny, metallic aluminum like surfaces or a dull cream or white

Lighting: Bright white light, sometimes rows of red, green, amber or blue along the sides, sometimes a  red-orange glow on the flat back edge.  Sometimes the entire object would glow red.

Sound: Consistently no sound; a few instances were a sound was heard but may have been merely coincidence of environment (a train in the distance making a roar or hum, etc.). Other times only the sound of something moving and displacing air (a swish, whoosh, etc.).

Last Seen: Mt. Rainer, Washington; Phoenix, AZ; Bakersfield, CA; elsewhere.