The Avrocar Was The Real Flying Saucer Of The 1950s
The VZ-9AV Avrocar (“V.Z.” for “experimental vertical flight, “9” for the ninth concept proposal, and “A.V.” for Avro, according to the USAF National Museum) was the creation of British designer John “Jack” Frost. Frost came to Avro Canada in 1947 after designing the DH-100 Vampire, DH-103 Hornet, and the quirky DH-108 Swallow for the U.K.’s Havilland Aircraft Company, said History Net.
Frost headed the Special Projects Group at Avro. His team developed the CF-100 Canuck, the first and only mass-produced Canadian long-range jet fighter and the most successful aircraft project in the Canadian aviation industry. But after World War II, Frost came up with ideas for VTOL aircraft that wouldn’t need takeoff or landing strips. The Canadian government initially funded the project in 1952 but changed its mind immediately when the project became too costly.
In 1953, Frost invited an entourage of American defense experts to the Avro Special Projects Hangar to see first-hand the initial batch of secret models, drawings, and mockups of VTOL aircraft. History Net adds the U.S. Air Force was so impressed that they issued a handsome $750,000 contract to develop VTOL airplanes. More government funding came in 1957, and Frost continued development with funding from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force.
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