SKYLITE: The Project to Mimic UFOs

This document details the history of 'Project Skylite,' a proposed initiative by the McDonnell Douglas aerospace company to construct an imitation flying saucer. The project originated from an internal research group known as 'BITBR' (Boys In The Back Room), which operated from 1967 to 1970 under the leadership of Dr. Robert M. Wood. The group, which included a diverse team of researchers, physicists, and a psychic, sought to duplicate UFO observables—such as shape, illumination, and electromagnetic signatures—to understand or replicate the phenomena reported by witnesses. The project was closely linked to the company's interest in advanced vehicle concepts and was potentially an offshoot of earlier CIA-funded work on Project AQUILINE, which involved the development of small, bird-like drones at Area 51. The proposed Skylite platform was intended to utilize 8-foot and 16-foot 'Giant Weather Balloons' from Edmund Scientific, coated with metallic materials to enhance radar reflectivity. The team also explored the use of ionizable gases and radio-controlled ignition to simulate the 'vanishing' or disintegration of objects. Despite the technical planning documented by Paul Wilson, the project failed to secure government funding. The document notes that the US government's interest in such studies appeared to wane following the 1969 Condon Study and the subsequent closure of Project Blue Book. Ultimately, the McDonnell Douglas team concluded that their research into anti-gravity and UFO duplication yielded null results, leading to the cancellation of the BITBR project.