1976 - Science Paper 3 Leonard Cramp ENGINEERING & UFOs

Magazine Overview

This document is "SCIENCE PAPER 3" published by the British UFO Research Association in May 1976. It is a paper titled "An Engineer Looks at UFO'S" presented by Leonard Cramp, A.R.Ae.S., M.S.I.A., at the first National Research and Investigations Conference in Stoke on Trent, England, in May 1975. The price for members was 30 pence and for non-members 50 pence.

An Engineer Looks at UFO's

Leonard Cramp begins by stating his professional background as an engineer, not a physicist, and his intention to present the subject from an engineering perspective. He acknowledges the overlap between scientific disciplines and the necessity of venturing into physics, albeit in lay terms.

Cramp identifies two main schools of thought within ufology: those who attribute phenomena to the occult and those who accept the reality of extraterrestrial hypotheses. He aims to mend this rift.

He shares a personal anecdote about a friend who dismissed him as a "nuts and bolts type" when asked to investigate a case of noises in a house, highlighting a perceived dichotomy. Cramp, however, states that his experience in orthodox science and the occult has shown him the futility of subscribing to either extreme. He reveals his own background in a family with psychic repute, his own experiences as a medium, and his ability to cause limited psychokinesis, which he has demonstrated to his satisfaction as an engineer.

Cramp asserts that "the metaphysics of today is the science of tomorrow. There is no division." He argues that there is no fundamental difference between building a house from clay and building a super computer through thought or wishing. He likens wind to a force we know little about, and suggests that the structure of matter itself is also a force or condition we do not fully understand. He uses the analogy of a hydrogen atom, with a pinhead-sized proton at the center of the Albert Hall and an invisible electron whirling around, to illustrate that matter is largely empty space and that an atom is an "illusion," representing a condition or energy rather than a solid chunk.

He posits that if matter is an illusion, then it is not unreasonable to think that the brain, made of atoms, can take a signal from an "idea" and initiate a process of action. He states that we are already on a metaphysical plane and are not merely "nuts and bolts" beings.

Cramp quotes Aime Michel, who stated that "An advanced technology to us today would be indistinguishable from magic." He illustrates this by suggesting that modern technology would appear magical to someone from 350 years ago.

He describes an experiment conducted in Caxton Hall, London, where he used a small, unfamiliar gadget. After demonstrating it in a darkened room, he asked people to describe what they saw. He found that no two people described the event identically, with descriptions ranging from a red, circular glowing light to a pulsating light. He notes that when the experiment was repeated with lights on, the bewilderment and laughter increased. He concludes that people tend to focus on one aspect of an unusual event.

Cramp further elaborates on misinterpretation, using the example of seeing a high-flying jet. If one is programmed to expect wings, they will see wings, but someone unfamiliar with jets might describe it as a thing that "grew appendages" and did not obey technological rules.

He emphasizes that misinterpretation is not the sole explanation for UFO phenomena like shape-changing or dematerialization, but stresses that we are already on the metaphysical plane. He suggests that advanced technology does not have to be purely mental and that seeing a craft pass through walls might be a real technological achievement, not necessarily an act on the metaphysical plane.

He reiterates the need to avoid division in the subject, stating that "all we are learning is mechanised metaphysics."

Cramp then shifts focus to the reality of flying saucers by discussing scientists looking for better means of aerial travel, specifically focusing on anti-gravity. He states that in space and aeronautical flight, we combat the force of gravity, about which little is known.

He explains the basis of aerodynamics for aeroplanes, involving the ejection of fluid to create thrust and lift. For rockets, he describes the ejection of fuel to achieve lift, noting that rockets must carry all their reaction medium, making them inefficient compared to aeroplanes which use the atmosphere. He calls the rocket one of the "most inefficient means of travel man has ever invented."

Cramp discusses the prohibitive transit times for interplanetary travel due to the bulk of fuel required. He mentions that even Einstein's time-dilation effect and atomic-powered rockets do not significantly solve the problem, and further improvements would involve intolerable accelerations on occupants.

He then delves into the nature of gravitation, describing it as a "uni-directional flow of some kind." He explains that on Earth, there is a tendency to move towards the center, which is called gravitation. He notes that on a very high mountain, a falling body is attracted to the Earth's center but also simultaneously attracted to the mountain, indicating a displacement. This suggests gravitation is not solely inherent to the center of a body but is a directional force.

He illustrates this with the example of two planets, where a person on one planet experiences attraction to its center, and another person on a distant planet experiences attraction to its center. He notes that gravity obeys the inverse square law and never dies, its effects reaching out over vast distances. He concludes that gravitation is universal and almost certainly uni-directional.

Cramp then considers the basic facts of matter, discussing electrical attraction and gravitational attraction. He quotes Professor Taylor, who stated that gravity is one of the weakest forces known to nature, approximately one sixtillionth the strength of electrical attraction.

He mentions the idea of overcoming gravity, referencing H.G. Wells' concept of cutting off the Earth's gravitational field. He demonstrates a toy that illustrates how a "spaceship" (soft iron) can be isolated from a magnet's field by heating it, causing the iron molecules to lose alignment, thus making the magnet lose its hold. This is compared to the Curie effect.

He also discusses the "near proximity effect" related to Dr. Luthwaite's machine, which involves creating a powerful magnet with an alternating field. He clarifies that this effect is limited to near proximity and cannot repel a spaceship into deep space.

Cramp shares that his own thinking on gravity shifted after witnessing levitation in his home, without questionable mediums. As a member of the British Interplanetary Society, seeing a cable float in his room prompted him to ask questions about gravity. He found little information and noted that Einstein explained gravity by suggesting space is curved around a body.

He states that he came to the conclusion that "space and matter are in fact synonymous." He also discovered that gravitation has a property that rocket engineers could employ: "uniform motion."

He explains that motion can be caused by progressive acceleration (reaction or force) or by gravitation. In progressive acceleration, molecules are inert and resist movement (inertia). Movement is initiated by ejecting mass (rockets) or by wheels turning (cars), which is a principle of reaction.

Gravity, however, has the unique property of accelerating matter uniformly, molecule by molecule, atom by atom. He suggests that a gravitational field offers no foreseeable limit to the acceleration a body could attain.

Cramp then relates this to a branch of physics not his domain, quoting research on a third, predictable rate of change of mass into energy. He compares the energy yield from one gram of hydrogen: thermochemical (0.053 hp-hr), thermonuclear (286,000 hp-hr), and direct conversion of mass into energy (33,500,000 hp-hr).

He summarizes three factors: gravity is weak, it has enviable uniform acceleration capability, and Burkhard Heim predicted that direct conversion of mass into energy could generate gravitational waves. He notes Heim's work involved six-dimensional calculus and was complex.

He explains that current propulsion uses fuel to create electric current, which powers motors. Heim's concept suggests that direct conversion of mass into energy could produce a motivating field acting directly and uniformly on a source in any direction.

Cramp then discusses the concept of gravitation as a uni-directional flow, implying it pushes upwards as well as downwards. He suggests that a spaceship could function by taking in this energy and accelerating, becoming less "weighty" until it moves upwards. He uses the analogy of a tidal wave and a ship trying to go against it.

He applies this to UFOs, suggesting that if a gravitational field is created around a vehicle for upward movement, a slow initial take-off would be necessary to avoid the ground "going up" with the vehicle. He notes that UFO reports often describe slow initial lift-offs followed by rapid acceleration, with witnesses reporting craters left behind.

Cramp states he has filled a book with engineering predictions for a gravity-propelled vehicle. He offers obvious predictions: generating gravitational waves would likely produce excess radiation, possibly visible light (an "exhaust"); the vehicle would not make noise when moving rapidly; and fields, including gravity, must radiate spherically from a source.

He further explains that a spaceship operated by this method would receive acceleration or thrust in one direction. If the field is contained within the craft's perimeter, the outer molecules might not receive much thrust, allowing the vehicle to push through the air like an aircraft. He notes that UFO witnesses often report a "wooshing" noise.

If high speed is required, the field becomes extensive, and the air molecules adjacent to the craft receive the same velocity and thrust, making the air stagnant and not moving. This means the vehicle behaves like an aircraft with an enveloped casing of air, but with a shearing effect on the air molecules. This would result in no sound, which aligns with UFO reports of silent, fast-moving objects that are not aeroplanes.

Cramp concludes by stating that these facts of UFO activity can be correlated to gravity field propulsion. He encourages readers to extend this research and consider whether these attributes found in UFO reports can be attributed to mere coincidence. He is not claiming to have invented this idea or that UFOs prove it, but suggests that nature provides a clue, implying that either humanity is being "hoodwinked" or is being shown a craft that represents "our future."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this paper are the exploration of UFO phenomena from a scientific and engineering perspective, the potential for anti-gravity propulsion, and the interconnectedness of physics, metaphysics, and consciousness. The author's stance is one of open-minded inquiry, seeking to bridge perceived divides in understanding and to find rational, albeit advanced, explanations for observed phenomena. He advocates for a unified approach to ufology, moving beyond simplistic occult or purely extraterrestrial explanations towards a deeper understanding of fundamental forces and potential future technologies. The paper strongly suggests that advanced technology, particularly related to gravity manipulation, could be the key to understanding UFOs and represents a potential future for human transportation.