Mystery Planes?

I just recently happened to acquire a used copy of the 1992 edition of Stanton Friedman's book, Crash at Corona, and I was intrigued to read that prior to the flying saucer waves which surrounded the Roswell crash, there had been numerous reports of "mystery planes" in the early part of the twentieth century.

I'd certainly heard of phantom airship sightings dating back to the late 1800s, but this is the first I've heard of phantom airplanes. Friedman only mentions the mystery planes in passing, unfortunately. Is anybody out there aware of any sources where these mystery plane sightings are discussed in depth?

Thanks!

reply to post by flightsuit

But not until man entered the age of mechanical flight with the first voyages by the Wright Brothers in 1903 could reports of odd aerial sights be judged in the light of rapidly advancing technology. It wasn't until 1911-1912 that airplanes began to be seen in any numbers, and then mainly at air shows where there were people ready to pay for the privilege. This was soon followed by the first of the twentieth-century waves of UFOlike sights. Called "mystery airplanes," they are only now beginning to attract serious attention.

Similar waves of mystery airplanes that failed to conform to known activity were reported from both the United States and Europe in the 1930s, but not until the latter stages of World War II did the press and governments began to pay attention to a cohesive phenomenon: the "foo fighters."

Ch 1; p2

Here's the extract so people have a better idea of your question. I haven't heard of mystery planes from that period and can't help otherwise.

Mystery Airships...

Check out my thread in the link above. That story, and the sightings continued well into the 1900's. A little digging on the interwebz will find you more.

Thanks Kandinsky! Friedman also talks about long, cylindrical UFOs that people in Europe mistook for experimental Russian missiles, but he doesn't go into much detail.

Klassified, I will check out that thread.

reply to post by flightsuit
That might be ghost rockets.

On June 12, the Swedish Defense Staff asked military personnel to report their sightings through official channels, admitting that they had been aware of the phenomenon since May. On July 9 alone, more than 200 reports were received, many of them describing tubular or "spindle-shaped" objects flying low and slowly, with little or no sound.

A week after the establishment of a special "ghost rocket" committee by the Swedish Government, American Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, travelled to Stockholm to meet with the Swedish Secretary of War. According to a secret FBI memo of August 19, 1947, "the 'high brass' of the War Department exerted tremendous pressure on the (Army) Air Force's Intelligence to conduct research and collect information in an effort to identify the sightings."

Source: THE UFO BRIEFING DOCUMENT CASE HISTORIES. 1946: "GHOST ROCKETS" OVER SCANDINAVIA

EDIT: However, ghost rockets were later than the period you are discussing and were during a period of paranoia regarding Russian power.