A UFO investigator believes he may have “solved” Britain’s biggest X-Files mystery.
Former BBC Horizon producer Simon Holland came forward after the Daily Record yesterday revealed new clues on the famous “Calvine Incident” in Perthshire in 1990. His own investigation suggests that defence firm British Aerospace were developing a classified Radar-busting defence system, which may have involved a secret diamond shaped aircraft escorted by privately owned Harrier jets.
Holland, from the Mull of Kintyre, contacted the Record after we revealed the identity of hotel porter Kevin Russell, believed to be the man who took the famous photographs that caused worldwide intrigue for decades.
Holland, whose YouTube channel attracts many UFO buffs, said: “I was sent the Daily Record story and I think it’s fair to say that there are a lot of people out there excited at this exciting development. The Kevin Russell mentioned in the story would have the best, first hand account of what happened and he could help settle this enduring mystery.
“But I do have my own theory on what he photographed.”
Whatever the truth behind Calvine, it is accepted that the photo was taken in 1990 then negatives were sent to the MOD before being lost. We told how one photo was retained by an RAF press officer - and the print had a note on the back saying “copyright Kevin Russell”. Kevin was a porter at a Pitlochry hotel in 1990.
Holland said: “I think there is an acceptance by many that the photo is not a fake. There was, I believe, a mysterious aircraft in the sky that day. The MOD previously stated, no ‘known’ Harriers were flying in Perthshire on 4th Aug 1990. That turns out to be a massive clue to who’s they were.
“I discovered that the only other British Harriers were privately owned by BAE Systems, the defence contractor. They used their Harriers as multi-roll defence test platforms, testing BAE advanced technology. “I dug deeper and found that Marconi Advanced Materials, based inside BAE HQ at Warton, Lancashire, were probably working on an advanced ‘stealth’ skin material for the USAF.”
Holland said he recently tracked down Ron Evans, who developed British Aerospace’s Stealth Programme at Warton Airfield, in Lancashire in the late 1980s.
He said: “Ron did not confirm any Calvine testing but has explained the use of secret meta materials to hide aircraft from radar. I think there is enough evidence to suggest there was something going on and it would be very helpful if the MOD would just come out and tell us all about it.”
Holland’s offerings chime with some of the investigations of Matthew Illsley, who laid out his appeal for information in yesterday’s Record. Illsley has worked closely with Professor David Clarke, of Sheffield’s Hallam University, who tracked down the only photo of the incident known to exist.
Exhaustive research by the UFO hunters, seeking to find the photographer, involved contacting 150 Kevin Russells in Britain, Australia, the US and Canada, and about 300 more Scots called Russell. None confirmed they were the right man.
The photo of Kevin was supplied to Illsley recently by a person who worked at the Pitlochry Hydro in 1990. The Calvine file should have been released after 30 years in 2021 but the MoD blocked the release of key details until 2076 due to “privacy concerns”.
Some UFO experts believe the object is a secret US reconnaissance aircraft named Aurora - a silent, supersonic spy craft. One MoD insider described the Calvine photo as the most spectacular UFO picture ever captured - and the Holy Grail in terms of hard evidence that such things really exist.
BAE Systems has been asked to comment.
