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RE: First autonomous coanda effect UAV flight by December

Last post 09-18-2008 4:43 PM by Prof Millar. 1 replies.
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  • 09-18-2008 4:28 PM

    RE: First autonomous coanda effect UAV flight by December

    Flightglobal:
    The first autonomous flight of Geoff's Flying Saucer (GFS) Project's Fenstar 50 internal combustion engine-powered, coanda-effect unmanned air vehicle is expected by the end of 2008 following its maiden flight in June. The Fenstar 50 will have ...

    Author: Rob Coppinger

    Date: 27 August 2008

    Read the full article

  • 09-18-2008 4:43 PM In reply to

    Re: RE: First autonomous coanda effect UAV flight by December

     

    An earlier design of a coanda effect VTOL vehicle is described in Wikipedia: "In 1952, the Avro Special Projects team had started research and development work on a series of "flying saucer"-like vehicles. The only design that materialized was the VZ-9-AV Avrocar, funded entirely by the U.S. military from 1956. The Avrocar was proposed to the U.S. Army as a type of "Flying Jeep" that could also serve as a proof-of-concept test vehicle for a later supersonic flying saucer design, the Weapon System 606A for the USAF. Two Avrocars were built, one for wind-tunnel testing at NASA Ames and the other for flight testing. The designs were underpowered and only operated in a ground-cushion effect, much like a hovercraft. When the Avrocar prototypes failed to perform at heights above three feet off the ground, the U.S. Army and USAF cancelled the project, in 1961. Both Avrocars were on public display, one in Building 22 of the Smithsonian Paul E. Garber facility, the other at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum, Ft. Eustis, Virginia. The latter Avrocar was dismantled and put into storage c. 2002, due to increasing deterioration (it was displayed outside, and the museum is very close to the ocean). The curator of the US Army Transportation Museum stated in 2008 that it would take between US$500,000 and US$600,000 to entirely restore it. Furthermore, because it is at a federal (military) installation, the work must be done by contractors, rather than volunteers. A grant of US$80,000 was received to begin restoration, however this amount was only enough to restore one piece approximately five ft by five ft."

    www.laesieworks.com/ifo/lib/AVRO-Car.html  has more photos and indicates one remains: "National Air and Space Museum took possession of the first Avrocar, serial number 58-7055. The museum currently stores the aircraft at the Garber Restoration Facility at Silver Hill, Maryland."

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