Glen Burnie: Disc-shaped aircraft in barn

Discovery On August 17, 1949, Capt. Claudius Belk from the Air Force, tipped off by Stewart Smith from Baltimore, Maryland, together with Maryland State Police, located disc-shaped experimental aircraft prototypes stored in an abandoned tobacco barn in Glen Burnie, Maryland. The devices were constructed from reinforced plywood with aluminum edges, covered in aircraft fabric, featuring a central revolving axle controlled by brakes and four airfoil blades.

Initial Assessment and Retraction An Air Force spokesperson first suggested these finds might represent prototypes matching reported flying saucer sightings. However, within a day, this was retracted after confirming the crafts were built by self-taught aeronautical engineer Jonathan E. Caldwell, who had left the site in 1941 and relocated to Nevada. Caldwell's disk-rotor design, completed around 1936-1938 with registration NX99Y, had undergone a test flight attempt in 1937 or 1938 by mechanic Willard Driggers, resulting in minor damage.

Investigation Context This occurred amid the post-Kenneth Arnold UFO wave and Roswell incident, during Project Sign's efforts to probe flying saucer reports. Investigators, including those from Project Sign, deemed the prototypes unable to account for nationwide sightings due to their age and condition.

Significance The event marked a brief media sensation and official retraction, underscoring early military scrutiny of potential terrestrial explanations for UAP amid public fascination.