Apolinar (Paul) Villa UFO Photos, Albuquerque, NM (June 16, 1963)

[invisocat]

Hello everyone!
New here, been searching info on this specific "prearranged" UFO demonstration from June 16, 1963.
Apolinar (Paul) Villa had several contacts and took photos of different UFOs in the 60's, but I have not been able to find any actual analysis of the UFO in these photographs yet. Would like to see other takes or views on this. Paul claimed this is a "Flying saucer which he estimated to be about 70 feet in diameter.", but from the photos, to me it seems a lot smaller based on how the camera focuses around the shot, and the UFO appears to be sometimess less than 2 feet in diameter where it is captured between the trees.

PHOTOGRAPHS:


ABOUT:
"Photo taken June 16, 1963. The occupants of the UFO "permitted Villa to take photo's of their ship which posed and hovered close to the surface between 2 and 4P.M. while he took various shots of the craft framed by the trees in the foreground. He used a Japanese-made Rokuoh-Sha camera with an f4.6, 75mm lens loaded with 120 Kodak film."

ATTEMPT AT DEBUNK:
Apolinar (Paul) Villa, he was a Mechanic, it made me instantly think of car mechanic, having access to various car parts. But I have heard that he worked for the power company in California. Photos being taken in 1963 means that the parts would be pre -1960s at least. To my eyes, it seems to be 2-3 different hubcaps combined to make it look like an UFO. I'm not 100% certain on what make and model caps were used. That's the best explanation I could come up with, and I'm sure the parts listed below is not identical, could have used something else, hammered out any logos, and sanded out any imperfections. I'm not good enough with Photoshop to create a graphic, but my assessment:

Top dome piece:
Baby Moon Hubcap, was pretty common and easily sanded to make it look like Stainless Steel or Brushed Aluminum.


Top layer:
The dome attached to a 1930's Oldsmobile wheel rim, or similar style 2 piece hubcap system.


The middle layer:
Either they are part of the bottom layer, or attached to the bottom and top layer.

Bottom layer:
This is a flat steel hubcap or a circular pan/plate, I couldn't find any pre-1960's hubcaps that matched this style. You can see in the UFO Photos that this part is slightly larger.





SOURCES:
The Black Vault (archived for reference purposes)
"The following photographs are found within the Goddard Space Flight Center, Graphic and Publication Services Branch Collection, within the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). " - https://www.theblackvault.com/docum...s-collection-for-goddard-space-flight-center/

Paul Villa Photo and Contact Case
"Apolinar (Paul) Villa, a mechanic of Albuquerque, New Mexico, had a unique privilege having pre arranged meetings with Space People for the specific purpose of taking pictures of their craft. They told him they came from the galaxy of Coma Berenices, many light years distance." - http://www.ufoevidence.org/cases/case985.htm

 

[deirdre]

https://www.theblackvault.com/docum...s-collection-for-goddard-space-flight-center/

from link: (@invisocat so readers can actually see photos without clicking the links )

 

[deirdre]

the first thing the pics reminded me of are air filters and chromish looking covers..might be an avenue you can look into?

a bad ex..they all look different but i dont have time now really to look

ok im wasting time, i remember one of the old cars on American Pickers ..not a model T but older than the 60s, had like a bubble top on its air filter..even rounder than this..but this might work for the top of the photos too

 

[FatPhil]

View attachment 66151

That image looks like it might be amenable to a Photoshop "shake reduction" filter (one of the "sharpen" options, I'm led to believe), or equivalent.

 

[deirdre]

That image looks like it might be amenable to a Photoshop "shake reduction" filter (one of the "sharpen" options, I'm led to believe), or equivalent.

i might have picked a bad pic..was trying to show the "light dome " look on top
another angle...i guess the top could be actually flat. with a screw hoel to bolt in the air filter.

adding the "alien face" air filter..just because its too darn cute

 

[deirdre]

now im really late..someone else can look up this reference

Article:

The first to declare the Villa photos a fraud was Project Blue Book analysis, but since then others have also verified the apparent hoax. Villa died in 1981.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/34917706@N07/7085922887

 

[Skalman]

now im really late..someone else can look up this reference

Article:

The first to declare the Villa photos a fraud was Project Blue Book analysis, but since then others have also verified the apparent hoax. Villa died in 1981.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/34917706@N07/7085922887

From the front page of the Project Blue Book file for the case, as reproduced in the Internet Archive:

"Photo analysis indicates that the photos are a hoax"

https://archive.org/details/1963-06-8664368-NrAlbuquerque-NewMexico/mode/2up?view=theater

And on page 11 is a summary of the analysis from which I will quote paragraph 2b:

[...] Photograph #7 shows the UFO at close range with a leafless branch, on the left side of the print, passing behind the object. Two twigs from this branch are readily visible on the right side of the object and in good alignment with the main branch. It does not seem possible that these twigs are from the tree on the right which are further away. Therefore, the object is between the branch and the camera. The object is estimated to be 20 inches in diameter and 7 inches high.

https://archive.org/details/1963-06-8664368-NrAlbuquerque-NewMexico/page/n11/mode/1up?view=theater

Photo #7 is this one:

 

[deirdre]

Photo #7 is this one:

i can see the branch in your photo, but i sharpened it a tad to help others maybe see it. my slider started from the yellw line..i dont really like to manipulate photos becausee i think half of the ufos phots we see wouldnt look like UFOs before the ufo guys start manipulating the photo.

i put a pink line directly above the branch i see on the left and pink arrow where i see it pop out on the right. But the green arrow branch is, to me, also obviously behind the ufo. ?

No lines version

 

[NorCal Dave]

That's the best explanation I could come up with, and I'm sure the parts listed below is not identical, could have used something else, hammered out any logos, and sanded out any imperfections. I'm not good enough with Photoshop to create a graphic, but my assessment:

He wouldn't even need to hammer out or sand off names or imperfections, just make sure they don't show in the photos. The problem with these old cases is trying to figure out what someone used 50-60 years ago. The models could have been cobbled together from all sorts of random things. Chrome bits for cars and vehicles was big in the '50s and '60s, so lots of possible bits to work with.

Looking at his other photos, I like this wee little landing vehicle:

 

[deirdre]

He wouldn't even need to hammer out or sand off names or imperfections, just make sure they don't show in the photos. The problem with these old cases is trying to figure out what someone used 50-60 years ago. The models could have been cobbled together from all sorts of random things. Chrome bits for cars and vehicles was big in the '50s and '60s, so lots of possible bits to work with.

Looking at his other photos, I like this wee little landing vehicle:

View attachment 66170

: ) i liked that one too.

 

[invisocat]

i can see the branch in your photo, but i sharpened it a tad to help others maybe see it. my slider started from the yellw line..i dont really like to manipulate photos becausee i think half of the ufos phots we see wouldnt look like UFOs before the ufo guys start manipulating the photo.

i put a pink line directly above the branch i see on the left and pink arrow where i see it pop out on the right. But the green arrow branch is, to me, also obviously behind the ufo. ?

View attachment 66168

That's a nice catch.
I saw this video and in it, it looks like there's a fishing line attached to it. Would make a lot of sense why the photos are around trees.

The following pictures from 2 different shots seem to have some kind of thing perfectly above it in both shots, about the same distance from the dome:

Then saw in a video something that resembled fishing lines next to it:

VIDEO:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_huczNgY_I


I'm pretty bad at this, but could analyze the angles and distance from the UFO and the truck? These seem to show that the UFO is the same size no matter what angle he shot the photos from, but where there could be a shadow, it's masked by foliage. Did he hide behind the bushes? Was he unable to find an open space?

After digging a little deeper on his other photos, I had a thought, since he worked for the power company, means he could climb power/telephone poles and just hang these things from the top. All the pictures, he tries really hard to not show the shadows, to a point where he block them with his trucks. And one of them to me look like it's actually casting the shadow on the truck. (different set of photos)

 

[John J.]

Therefore, the object is between the branch and the camera. The object is estimated to be 20 inches in diameter and 7 inches high.

Micronauts! Very tiny aliens, like the ones who hide your pen/ keys/ comb/ small change when you need them most.

 

[jarlrmai]

: ) i liked that one too.

Yeah it has real 50's sci-fi B movie vibes.

 

[Mick West]

We know it's super easy to fake things with a model on some fishing line, or occasionally throwing things in the air.

It would be great if there was some conclusive evidence they were fake. But is there any evidence they are "real"?

Absent anything beyond the photos, it's essentially just one guy telling a story.

 

[deirdre]

The following pictures from 2 different shots seem to have some kind of thing perfectly above it in both shots, about the same distance from the dome:

i dont know. i dont know enough about what different focal lengths do to real world objects in photos, so im not sure we can just zoom in. although if i do, the dots dont really match location. But mostly im having a hard time believing he would go through the trouble of building such a nice ufo and using a big orange fishing bobber or something to hang it..while sending those photos to the military.

 

[flarkey]

The reflections seen on the underside of the UFO in these pics makes them appear like they are very close to the truck's wing mirror, and as @invisocat said above, it appears to be casting a shadow on the truck's front wing.

edits: typos

 

[deirdre]

The reflections seen om the underside of the UFO in these pics makes them appear like they are vey close to the truck's wing mirror, and as @invisocat said above, it appears to be casting a shadow on the truck's front wing.

View attachment 66197

so the inside cabin of that truck seems to be 50 inches. does that seem to jive with the Project Blue Book estimate of 20inches? (not reallys sure if its the same ufo model though)

 

[MapperGuy]

The reflections seen om the underside of the UFO in these pics makes them appear like they are vey close to the truck's wing mirror, and as @invisocat said above, it appears to be casting a shadow on the truck's front wing.

View attachment 66197

In the right side image doesn't the bottom of the UFO show a distinct YELLOW tinge, just like the fender????
And if the shadow on the fender is not the UFO what IS casting it?

 

[Ann K]

In the right side image doesn't the bottom of the UFO show a distinct YELLOW tinge, just like the fender????

Both pictures do (although I'd call it orange, like the truck). And the thing that looks like a reflection of the mirror (that bright spot on the left) appears to be on the inside rim of an empty upside-down bowl.

 

[Sourcut]

 

[NorCal Dave]

That particular UFO does appear to have a disk brake as a possible structure. Although, I'm not sure how common disk brakes were in the early '60s and they tend to be heavy for their size, typically made out of cast steel. He seemed to have access to lots of junk that he cobbled together to create the various crafts.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I've always genuinely liked this particular photo. A straight forward - yet wondrous - nuts and bolts flying saucer. It's great to imagine it cruising across

the galaxy. And great to imagine what the interior looks like. It has that classic Science Fiction vibe. The sense of wonder. I'd like to meet the Captain of this craft... a serene and wise person of immense knowledge and experience.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I doubt that the center section of the saucer is a brake rotor. I think a good candidate is a cut down section of an air blower wheel.

These particular examples are from late 50's GM auto interior heaters.

The diameter would be a pretty good match for a baby moon hubcap, which is typically about 7 inches across.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

EDITED TO CORRECT DATE - 1963 not 1965

Re: Availability of disc brake rotors in 1963. Rare, but possible to get.

1965 Corvette - First year discs were an option - too late

Jaguars - since early 50's - don't match


Citroens - don't match

Not something you'd pick up for cheap in a New Mexico junkyard.


'65 Corvette rotor

There were also disc brakes on aircraft landing gear. But I don't think they looked like this. They had multiple thin rotors... I think.


What do we think... Is it a good visual match? The parts that separate the inner and outer rotor surfaces are called "vanes."
EDIT - not a valid match

Starting in 1949 the Chrysler Crown Imperial had discs, but a different design. Not a match.

1950s vintage Jaguar disc brake rotors: not vented - a vented disc brake has a rotor made of two parallel plates with a gap or vanes in between.

A very few Citroën cars with disc brakes were imported to the U.S. starting with the DS19.
These were inboard brakes. Also, not vented.

1963 Studebaker Avanti - vented rotors but not a good match. The space between the two parallel plates is too narrow.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Another possibility is a torque converter impeller

These are not car parts, though. These are parts for Caterpillar equipment.

This one is for a backhoe

I'm kind of liking this. It's possible it could fit without being cut down. But this is modern stuff. Going to be hard to find vintage examples on the Internet.

The impeller on cars doesn't look like this. None that I know of, anyway.

 

[Sourcut]

Would it fit? Rare. Expensive. Even as a part salvaged from a wreck.

He was a mechanic and used car parts to build his alien craft. Whenever he replaced things like brake discs, he kept the old parts, so he didn't have to buy anything.

 

[NorCal Dave]

What do we think... Is it a good visual match? The parts that separate the inner and outer rotor surfaces are called "vanes."

Just me, but I think the brake rotor fits that particular photo really well. However, there is the problem of availability in that time frame and the weight, assuming the UFO was suspended somehow.

Another possibility is a torque converter impeller

The ones from the tractors look right too, but as you say they are modern. Here is a modern version of an impeller for a GM Power glide:

GM's Powerglide goes back to 1950, so by the early '60s, junked parts would likely had been available, assuming the old parts were similar. Lighter weight for sure.

The very dubious claims of Timmothy Good had Villa working as a mechanic in the Air force and then for the Department of Power and Water in Los Angels prior to his trip to New Mexico for the photo session:

Villa claimed that ten years prior to photographing his first series of saucers in 1963, he had been contacted by extraterrestrials while he was working for the Department of Water and Power in Los Angeles.

https://gratisenergi.se/villa.htm

Assuming any of that is true, he may have had access to all kinds of parts from cars, trucks, equipment and other stuff.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

You can see that the impeller is not a separate piece. He would have to do a lot of cutting to reveal the vanes. Not a big problem for a mechanic.

There were all sorts of air blowers around. From refrigerators, home furnaces, AC units, clothes dryers...


I've updated post #24 because I got the date wrong. These photos are from 1963 not 1965. The only vented disc brake rotors I can find would be off a 1963 Studebaker Avanti. Rare. Really Rare. And not a good match.

Or possibly an early '60s model Jaguar. I'm still hunting that down.

Disc brake rotors don't seem likely. Vented rotors are common now. But not in 1963.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I think that these '65 Corvette vented rotors are modern upgrades. I doubt that the originals looked like this.

I think brake rotors are not credible. (And they would be awfully heavy, as pointed out.)
Torque converter impellers would also be too heavy.

I'm going with air blower wheel as most likely. Very common. And light.

 

[JMartJr]

While weight would be AN issue, I don't think it would be an overwhelming one. Pretty strong nylon monofilament line for fishing was very widely available by the 1960s. Thin for its strength and somewhat transparent, it's ideal not just for catching fish, but for hanging UFO models from a string less likely to show up in a photograph...

In the late 1930s, nylon changed the game. Anglers loved the new braided lines made with nylon. In the late 1940s, polyester lines became very popular. Then came the 1950s, when nylon monofilaments made fishing lines easier to use. Big brands like Stren and Trilene became known at this time. This was a giant leap forward in fishing line technology.

and

In 1937, DuPont changed fishing forever with the first monofilament lines made from nylon. These lines were affordable then and still are, costing as little as $5 a spool. Nylon's invention boosted fishing line strength and use, making it better than silk or horsehair. By the 1950s, nylon lines were the top choice for anglers globally.

Source: https://thehistoryofsportfishing.com/the-evolution-of-fishing-line-from-ancient-to-modern/

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Oh, man... how could I forget a VW engine cooling fan! Not hard to find at all. Right size: 8.9 inches. And light... made of the same magnesium alloy that the VW engine case was made of.

https://www.jbugs.com/product/13111...x2xPCHOCUZmbA5APC_huhGUVYQwhlPmGuHknOfM&gQT=1

This fan fits 1954 to 1970 Standard Beetles, 1956 to 1970 Karmann Ghias, and 1955 to 1970 Type 2 Bus models. The fan blade is roughly 30mm wide.

 

[Sourcut]

Oh, man... how could I forget a VW engine cooling fan! Not hard to find at all. Right size: 8.9 inches. And light... made of the same magnesium alloy that the VW engine case was made of.

https://www.jbugs.com/product/13111...x2xPCHOCUZmbA5APC_huhGUVYQwhlPmGuHknOfM&gQT=1


View attachment 80972
View attachment 80978

That's it.

 

[Fin]

Oh, man... how could I forget a VW engine cooling fan! Not hard to find at all. Right size: 8.9 inches. And light... made of the same magnesium alloy that the VW engine case was made of.

The ship has exactly the same number of windows as the fan has fins! What a coincidence!
The ship's base does appear to be slightly wider than its top section. Just an observation.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I don't think the top of the saucer is a car part.

I've looked at a lot of vintage dog dish hubcaps...

This one is the best match:

Why I think a dog dish hubcap is not credible. The top of the saucer has:
-A flat spot
-No logo
-A bolt hole in the center

Dog dish hubcaps don't have bolt holes and always have a logo. I've never found one that has a flat spot such as we see in this photo.

A better match is a metal lamp shade. I've seen these things listed with the words: art deco, machine age, atomic age, mid-century modern and flying saucer lamp. This type of desk lamp was made in the 30's, 40's and 50's. Very common. These lampshades sometimes have flat spots, and always have bolt holes.

I'll start with the best match I've found so far:

This is not an exact match. Finding the exact match isn't going to be easy. How many thousand different designs were produced?

A selection of other lamps, just to give you an idea of what they look like...

It's possible that only the center section of the saucer top is a lampshade and the it's fixed to some kind of rim. But I don't think so. For this reason: It would be too small. The VW engine fan is 8.9 inches in diameter and the top of the saucer is only slightly larger. Nine inches is already pretty small. I don't think there were lampshades as small as that center section would have to be. I think the entire top section of the saucer is a single piece.

A legitimate question: Is that really a bolt hole in the top section of the saucer, or just a spot or an artifact? I think it's a bolt hole but I'm not at all certain. What do you think?

 

[Mendel]

No logo
-A bolt hole in the center

I think the photo shows a logo, and a hole can be drilled at any time l

you were looking at VW parts already

 

[JMartJr]

A better match is a metal lamp shade.

Perhaps look on the other end of a common household appliance?

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I think the photo shows a logo, and a hole can be drilled at any time l

you were looking at VW parts already
View attachment 81208View attachment 81209

I've already considered that...

But I don't think so.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

Perhaps look on the other end of a common household appliance?
View attachment 81211

This shows that this was a common design motif.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

I'll keep looking at hubcaps. For example this one for a Corvair.

It's not a match, but it has some elements that might make you think.

It's got a shallow indentation that might look like a flat top. The logo is pretty subdued and might be missed in a low resolution photo.