The U.S. seriously considered building a flying saucer. It was expected to be a VTOL machine, with a speed of 1,800 mph and combat radius of 1,500 miles. The designer was a shy 35-years-old English-born engineer named John C. M. Frost. He designed this flying machine as un upgrade of a previous concept he did for A. V. Roe Canada Ltd. - Project Y.
The principle of Frost's flying saucer is based on the 1930s' jet-outlet experiments of a Frenchman named Henri Coanda and was expected to work like this: jets of gas are propelled down and out from vents in the edge of the saucer, pulling air down over the saucer's top and diminishing the air pressure on the top surface. When this pressure is sufficiently less than that on the saucer's under surface, the saucer rises. (This difference in pressure is what gives any airplane wing its lift.)
According to theory, the pilot - sitting in the center of the saucer atop the engine - will let go all 180 jet streams. Slowly the craft will rise. To level off, he cuts down power. By adjusting rear blasts to go out instead of down and then shutting all but rear ports, he goes forward, the jets propelling the craft as in a conventional plane. As the pilot changes direction - shutting off ports on left to go left, or those in "back" to reverse - his cockpit will automatically revolve so he is facing forward. He can, if he wishes, almost stop in mid-air, tilt it and have a look below.
While all this sounds very cool, it remained only a concept on a drawing board.
_________________________
images and info provided by the LIFE Magazine / LIFE Magazine International / LIFE Magazine Atlantic ARCHIVE from the Zetu Harrys Collection
.jpg)
Social Plugin