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Project 1794: Plans for an Air Force flying saucer (images)

Looks like it was based on hovercraft technology....did they try counter rotating top and bottom central power modules with jets for straight line acceleration? I heard that Marconi also experimented with flying saucers somewhere in the Venezuelan jungle ..or was that another myth?

Two counter rotating metallic disks with imbedded field coils that could be electrified to generate electromagnetic fields would allow for gyroscopic assymetries that could be electronicly controlled and these would produce assymetric thrust vectors. This process would enable one to rapidly nd smoothly build the gyroscopic assymetry and recede it as desired for thrust vectors of a craft...

Wikipedia has a much clearer description of the project and its shortcomings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_VZ-9_Avrocar#U.S._Involvement:_Project_1794.2FWS_606A

Throughout the 50's there were more than the normal random number of flying saucers reported between Edwards AFB and the Nevada test site. Locals in Southern Nevada always speculated that the Air Force was experimenting with them. Although this one may be declassified and apparently not able to account for the reports, (since it didn't really fly) I don't think that this is the only instance of a contract for experimentation. Does anyone know of any other contracts? The reports were of quite a capable flying machine, which of course were always discounted since the USAF did the investigation.

It's a damn silly idea, aside from being ridiculously inefficient, think about the levels of tolerance, material stress and how fragile it would be.

You could probably take one out with a fridge magnet....