In an era shadowed by the Cold War, the pursuit of technological marvels in the sky was not just a matter of innovation but a strategic imperative. Among the many ambitious projects of the time, one aircraft seemed to leap from the pages of pulp science fiction into the realm of aerial reality. The Avrocar, a Canadian-developed VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, promised a vision of the future that ultimately fell short of its lofty aspirations.
The Avrocar’s journey began in the early 1950s with A.V. Roe (Avro) Aircraft Limited, later known as Avro Canada, embarking on a quest to develop a supersonic fighter-bomber that could vertically lift off the ground. Its circular and flat shape, deviating from conventional aircraft design, caused it to resemble the era’s popular depiction of a “flying saucer.” This resemblance was not mere coincidence, as the period brimmed with public fascination over UFOs, fueled by numerous sightings and a proliferation of extraterrestrial themes in Hollywood films.
The Avrocar aimed to utilize the exhaust from turbojet engines to drive a circular “turborotor,” creating a cushion of air known as “ground effect” for low-altitude floating. On paper, directing the thrust rearwards would propel the vehicle forward, allowing it to accelerate and climb like a traditional jet.
Initial Canadian government funding in 1952 could not sustain the project’s financial demands, leading Avro to pass the torch to the U.S. military in 1958. The U.S. Army envisioned the Avrocar as a subsonic all-terrain transport and reconnaissance craft, while the U.S. Air Force coveted a stealthy VTOL aircraft capable of evading radar and breaking the sound barrier. These divergent requirements signaled the beginning of Avrocar’s troubled development.
Despite early optimism, the Avrocar, designated the VZ-9AV (“VZ” for experimental vertical flight, “9” for the ninth concept, “AV” for Avro), faced severe stability challenges. Wind tunnel tests at NASA’s Ames Research Center and scale model evaluations at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio unveiled a grim reality—the Avrocar suffered from aerodynamic instability and insufficient control for high-speed flight, manifesting as “hubcapping,” an uncontrollable pitch and roll motion, when more than three feet off the ground.
The dual prototypes of the Avrocar numbered 58-7055 for the first and a second unnamed, strove to demonstrate the aircraft’s viability. However, the vehicle’s performance fell drastically short of expectations, achieving a maximum speed of only 35 mph—far from the supersonic dream. These shortcomings led to the project’s cancellation in December 1961.
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