The Flying Saucer Ambitions of Project 1794
4Project 1794 epitomizes the audacious spirit of the 1950s Cold War era. Commissioned by the U.S. Air Force and developed in collaboration with Avro Aircraft Limited, this initiative aimed to birth a supersonic "flying saucer." Groundbreaking for its time, the design envisioned a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, leveraging the Coandă effect—a fluid dynamics principle.
The aircraft aimed for a top speed between Mach 3 and Mach 4, soaring over 100,000 feet and boasting a range of 1,000 nautical miles. Despite the promising vision, translating this concept into a functional reality proved elusive. The subsequent, smaller prototype, the Avrocar, faced stability issues and remained tethered to low altitudes. By the 1960s, after investing millions, the project was shelved. Nevertheless, its legacy, rekindled by declassified documents in 2012, remains a testament to an era's boundless ambition and innovative zeal.