How the Twin Falls Disc Was Built and Misunderstood

Introduction

The Twin Falls recovered disc of July 1947 was a deliberately constructed object that briefly drew police, federal agents and Army intelligence into one of the most dramatic episodes of the first flying‑saucer wave in the United States. Rather than being an alien aircraft or secret military hardware, the “disc” was a handcrafted physical artefact assembled from everyday materials to resemble what the public then expected a mysterious flying saucer to look like. Its physical design and construction played a central role in why it was initially taken seriously and why the case became a cautionary example in Idaho’s UFO history of how artefacts can mislead before sceptical analysis intervenes. [Wikipedia]WikipediaTwin Falls saucer hoaxTwin Falls saucer hoax

Detailed Description of Materials and Parts

Contemporary press accounts and later summaries reported that the Twin Falls disc was roughly 30 inches (about 76 cm) in diameter – about the size of a large bicycle wheel or small tabletop. [Wikipedia]Wikipedia1947 flying disc craze1947 flying disc craze Physically, it was a circular plate with two domes on opposite faces: one made from clear plastic (often described as Plexiglas) and the other from metal. The plastic dome rose about 14 inches high above the disc’s rim, suggesting a central bubble or cockpit‑like feature. The metal dome on the other side was similarly curved but opaque. Bolts that looked like stove bolts held these parts on, giving the impression of intentional assembly rather than natural wear or decay. [Dosen Profil Lengkap]dosen.profillengkap.comDosen Profil Lengkap Twin Falls saucer hoaxDosen Profil LengkapTwin Falls saucer hoaxJuly 11, 1947…Published: July 11, 1947

Underneath the plastic dome were three radio‑tube‑like components with wires attached to an apparent electromagnetic coil on the outside. Contemporary reporting likened these tubes to vacuum tubes familiar from 1940s radio sets, and the wiring appeared deliberately configured rather than purely decorative. The object’s surface finish was also noteworthy: one side was reported as gold painted, the other silver, the latter possibly from stainless steel, aluminium or even tin plating. [Dosen Profil Lengkap]dosen.profillengkap.comDosen Profil Lengkap Twin Falls saucer hoaxDosen Profil LengkapTwin Falls saucer hoaxJuly 11, 1947…Published: July 11, 1947

The overall thickness of the piece was uneven: the flat circular plate was relatively thin while the dome sections brought the overall depth to about 10–14 inches where they were attached, giving the thing a chunky, convex look from the side rather than a uniformly flat shape. [NICAP]nicap.orgNICAP1947 ChronologyDecember 14, 2005…Published: December 14, 2005

Assembly Process and Visual Design

According to police accounts published at the time, four local teenage boys aged 15–16 spent about two days constructing the disc before placing it in a garden in Twin Falls. [Project 1947]project1947.comProject 1947PROJECT 1947 - UFO REPORTS 1947… Based on this admission and subsequent reporting, the construction likely involved repurposing and combining discarded electrical and household parts rather than any precision engineering or aeronautical techniques.

Components such as radio tubes – common in mid‑century consumer technology – would have been scavenged from old radios. The electromagnetic coil, similarly, was likely taken from a junked appliance or hobby project. The domes could have been fashioned from repurposed Plexiglas scraps or plastic bowls. The contrasting colour scheme – gold on one side, silver on the other – was probably applied with paint to create visual impact under newspaper lights rather than for any aerodynamic reason. The use of stove‑bolt fasteners reflects a workshop‑level approach, where readily available hardware substituted for specialised fixing methods. [Dosen Profil Lengkap]dosen.profillengkap.comDosen Profil Lengkap Twin Falls saucer hoaxDosen Profil LengkapTwin Falls saucer hoaxJuly 11, 1947…Published: July 11, 1947

The finished object resembled what mid‑20th‑century popular imagery suggested a flying saucer should look like: circular, shiny on both faces, and with suggestive bulges and components at its core. The visual cues of complexity – domes, tubes, coils, wiring – made it appear more than a simple plate to lay observers and even trained officials approaching it without context. [Wikipedia]WikipediaTwin Falls saucer hoaxTwin Falls saucer hoax

Why Appearance Suggested Complexity but Was a Prank

At a glance, the Twin Falls disc displayed features that seemed mechanically intriguing. Under the clear dome, the grouped tubes and wiring looked like the control or sensory apparatus of a machine. The play of metallic paints and formed surfaces suggested deliberate manufacture rather than random debris. To police and journalists still caught up in the flying‑saucer fever of 1947, these features created a compelling visual narrative of a manufactured flying object. [Wikipedia]Wikipedia1947 flying disc craze1947 flying disc craze

Yet, on closer inspection and once the local boys’ confession became public, it was clear that none of these design elements possessed functional aeronautical or scientific purpose. The radio tubes were not connected to any power source, coils were decorative rather than operative, and there was no propulsion or control mechanism. The bold use of bright paints and bolts was theatrical rather than technical. In short, the object looked complex enough to intrigue non‑experts precisely because its components were familiar symbols of technology rather than because they formed an integrated machine. That familiarity masked the creative assemblage, making the prank work until closer scrutiny revealed its improvised nature. [Dosen Profil Lengkap]dosen.profillengkap.comDosen Profil Lengkap Twin Falls saucer hoaxDosen Profil LengkapTwin Falls saucer hoaxJuly 11, 1947…Published: July 11, 1947

The case of the Twin Falls disc thus remains an instructive example in Idaho’s UFO history: a physical artefact that seemed to promise mechanical mystery, drawn together from household parts and teenage ingenuity, but which ultimately underscored the need for careful evidence assessment rather than assumption based on appearance alone. [Wikipedia]Wikipedia1947 flying disc craze1947 flying disc craze

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to How the Twin Falls Disc Was Built and Misunderstood. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects

By Edward J. Ruppelt

Relevant to understanding how physical objects and alleged debris are assessed.

See on Amazon

Book

The UFO Experience

By Joseph Allen Hynek, J. Allen Hynek

Discusses investigative standards for unusual claims and artifacts.

See on Amazon

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UFO Crash at Roswell

By Kevin D. Randle

Another recovered-object narrative useful for comparison with Twin Falls.

See on Amazon

Book

The World's Greatest UFO Mysteries

By Roger Boar, Nigel Blundell

Includes famous cases involving alleged physical evidence.

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Browse more on Amazon: The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects The UFO Experience UFO Crash at Roswell

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Endnotes

1. Source: Wikipedia
   Title: Twin Falls saucer hoax
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Falls_saucer_hoax

2. Source: project1947.com
   Link: https://www.project1947.com/fig/1947g.htm
   Source snippet

   Project 1947PROJECT 1947 - UFO REPORTS 1947...

3. Source: nicap.org
   Link: https://www.nicap.org/chronos/1947fullrep.htm
   Source snippet

   NICAP1947 ChronologyDecember 14, 2005...

   Published: December 14, 2005

4. Source: Wikipedia
   Title: 1947 flying disc craze
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947_flying_disc_craze

5. Source: project1947.com
   Link: https://www.project1947.com/roswell/ufo47.htm
   Source snippet

   A disk shaped object was found in Hollywood, California, and another in Twin Falls, Idaho. In both cases the hoaxes are qui...

6. Source: project1947.com
   Link: https://project1947.com/roswell/tfalls.htm
   Source snippet

   PROJECT 1947 -Twin Falls, Idaho - July 12, 1947July 12, 1947 — PROJECT 1947 * * * Lewiston, Idaho Daily Tribune - 12 July, 1947 Army, FBI...

   Published: July 12, 1947

7. Source: dosen.profillengkap.com
   Title: Dosen Profil Lengkap Twin Falls saucer hoax
   Link: https://dosen.profillengkap.com/index.php/en/Twin_Falls_saucer_hoax
   Source snippet

   Dosen Profil LengkapTwin Falls saucer hoaxJuly 11, 1947...

   Published: July 11, 1947

Additional References

1. Source: archives.fbi.gov
   Title: the fbi and ufos flying flapjacks saucers and saw blades
   Link: https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2010/april/ufos_040610/the-fbi-and-ufos-flying-flapjacks-saucers-and-saw-blades
   Source snippet

   It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function. THE FBI AND UFOS Image: Fake Flying Dis...

2. Source: ufodossier.com
   Title: Twin Falls, Idaho multiple observations — UFO Dossier
   Link: https://www.ufodossier.com/incident/1947-gov-twin-falls-idaho-multiple-observations-1e3e
   Source snippet

   August 19, 1947 — TWIN FALLS, IDAHO MULTIPLE OBSERVATIONS 1947-08-19·Twin Falls, Idaho·FBI·unresolved Document cover Page 1 of 65_HS1-834...

   Published: August 19, 1947

3. Source: thinkaboutitdocs.com
   Title: 1947 disc zooms down snake river canyon idaho
   Link: https://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/1947-disc-zooms-down-snake-river-canyon-idaho/
   Source snippet

   1947: Disc Zooms Down Snake River Canyon, IdahoApril 8, 2013 — 1947: DISC ZOOMS DOWN SNAKE RIVER CANYON, IDAHO Orbman April 8, 2013 6 min...

   Published: April 8, 2013

4. Source: ufoinsight.com
   Title: 1947 snake river canyon ufo
   Link: https://www.ufoinsight.com/ufos/sightings/1947-snake-river-canyon-ufo
   Source snippet

   In fact, perhaps because of the several moments the pilots and the air stewardess took to watch the objects, they were able to give a rel...

5. Source: ufologie.patrickgross.org
   Title: It contains the witness’ d
   Link: https://ufologie.patrickgross.org/htm/snakeriver1947.htm
   Source snippet

   UFOs at close sight: Snake River 1947August 15, 1947 — 10.000 CASES: SNAKE RIVER, AUGUST 13, 1947: IN THE PRESS: The article below was pu...

   Published: August 15, 1947

6. Source: diclib.com
   Title: Twin Falls saucer hoax
   Link: https://diclib.com/en/English%20dictionary/Twin%20Falls%20saucer%20hoax
   Source snippet

   meaning and definition. What is Twin Falls saucer hoax WHAT (WHO) IS TWIN FALLS SAUCER HOAX - DEFINITION [Button: Show additional info ab...

7. Source: everything.explained.today
   Title: 1947 flying disc craze
   Link: https://everything.explained.today/1947_flying_disc_craze/
   Source snippet

   On June 24, 1947, private pilot [Kenneth Arnold]({{ 'kenneth-arnold/' | relative_url }}) claimed that he saw a string of nine shiny unidentified flying objects flying past Mount...

   Published: June 24, 1947

8. Source: youtube.com
   Title: Kenneth Arnold UFO Sighting The First UFOs
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLuHgsXGpqc
   Source snippet

   The CIA, Men in Black and the Plot to Take Out JFK | The Maury Island Incident...

9. Source: youtube.com
   Title: The CIA, Men in Black and the Plot to Take Out JFK | The Maury Island Incident
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5KXsiBZjOM
   Source snippet

   The First UFO Sighting In America | UFOs: The Lost Evidence...

10. Source: books.apple.com
    Link: https://books.apple.com/us/book/twin-falls-saucer-hoax-simplified/id6511210061
    Source snippet

    apple.com‎Twin Falls Saucer Hoax Simplified by Solomon Hathaway on Apple BooksJuly 19, 2024 — TWIN FALLS SAUCER HOAX SIMPLIFIED Solomon H...

    Published: July 19, 2024