6.  FILAMENT-LIKE MATERIAL. 

MAJOR JESSE MARCEL

(Corley)  [Q:  There was something about string mentioned... twine or silk?] "That I didn't see myself.  See, many other people went out there."

WILLIAM BRAZEL JR.

(F&B) "[There was] something on the order of heavy-gauge monofilament fishing line...The "string", I couldn't break it."

"[There was also] some threadlike material.  It looked like silk, but was not silk, a very strong material [without] strands or fibers like silk would have.  This was more like a wire, all one piece or substance."

(B&M)  "There was some thread-like material.  It looked like silk and there were several pieces of it.  It was not large enough to call string, but yet not so small as sewing thread either.  To all appearances it was silk, except that it wasn't silk.  Whatever it was, it too was a very strong material.  You could take it in two hands and try to snap it, but it wouldn't snap at all.  Nor did it have strands or fibers like silk thread would have.  This was more like a wire--all one piece or substance.  In fact, I suppose it could have been a sort of wire--that thought never occurred to me before."

1st-LT. JAMES McANDREW (Speaking for the Air Force Report)

(KPFA)  "Other people described a monofilament-type line that was some-kind of fiber optics.  Well there was indeed some single nylon line present on this balloon."

CHARLES B. MOORE

(USAF description)  [The Mogul radar reflectors were made of] single strand and braided nylon twine, brass eyelets and swivels to form a multi-faced reflector similar in construction to a box kite.

(Pflock description)  Moore and his team used very strong (150 and 300 pound test) monofilament nylon line in rigging their Mogul arrays.  This could account for the material which has been said to resembled heavy gauge monofilament nylon fishing line.  Also used was hand braided lobster twine, composed of many fine nylon threads.  Moore told me the twine's individual strands strongly resembled silk threads when the twine unraveled, which it did easily when broken or cut.  This could account for the debris described as silk-like threads.

ROSWELL DAILY RECORD, 7/9/47

(Information provided by Mac Brazel in interview)  

(Quoted in USAF Report.)  "No string or wire were found, but there were some eyelets in the paper to indicate that some sort of attachment may have been used."

USAF REPORT

(Description of Mogul balloon radar reflector)

This blueprint provides the specifications for the foil material, tape, wood, eyelets and string...  An examination of this device revealed it to be simply made of aluminum-colored foil-like material over a stronger paper-like material, attached to balsa wood sticks.