Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar
The Avro Canada VZ- 9AV " Avrocar " was initially a Canadian military project - and from about 1953 under the code name Project Silver Bug also a secret U.S. Air Force Project - in the early years of the Cold War, the appearance of a flying saucer resembled. It should make use of the Coandă effect at the start and end up as a VTOL aircraft.
History
Avro Canada began in 1946 with the development, however, the Canadian government stopped the program in 1954 for financial reasons. After that, the U.S. government concluded a contract with Avro Canada on the financing and the continued construction. The Americans described the project as " Weapon System 606A ". 1958 took over the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force control of the program, the machine was now called Avro Canada VZ- 9AV " Avrocar ". There two prototypes were produced.
The aircraft was nicknamed Flying Saucer (English: Flying Saucer ). It should total can carry a payload of 1,000 lbs (450 kg) including crew; the maximum speed should be 300 miles / h ( 483 km / h ) and the maximum altitude of 10,000 feet ( 3,000 m). The aircraft was equipped with three Continental J69 -T9 turbojets, each with 417 kg (about 4,090 N) thrust.
The second prototype (USAF / U.S. Army serial no. 59-4975 ) flew for the first time released on November 12, 1959 in Malton, Ontario. The first prototype ( 58-7055 ) flew for the first time after May 17, 1961 at the NASA Ames Research Center near Moffett Field in California. Between July 1960 and June 1961 a total of 75 hours of flight tests were conducted. Was flown by Major Walter J. Hodgson Avrocar.
Flight characteristics
From 0.9 m height, the machine was unstable, the power of the engines was too weak. Above the ground were a maximum of 48 km / h reached. The aircraft was also extremely loud. In December 1961, the program was discontinued. It had taken more than 10 million U.S. dollars. Proposals by Avro with the new General Electric J85 engines were not realized.
In 1975, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum was the first Avrocar prototype ( 58-7055 ). Currently supports the machine in the Garber Restoration Facility in Silver Hill (Maryland).