posted on May, 5 2007 @ 07:41 AM
UK based GFS Ltd (which stands, in typically English style, for Geoffs Flying Saucer) are already known on these boards for their US Army and UK MoD
sponsored flying saucer UAV project.
Now the company seems to be broadening its horizons, certainly with a view to partnership with one of the aerospace majors (please let it be BAE
Systems!
) as they have now revealed plans for two different versions of this basic vehicle type, this one, illustrated below, is a single or two
seat man carrying 'scout' vehicle which could also serve as a medevac craft.
an interesting point to note on the design is the raised platform fairing on the forward edge, where the canopy is mounted on this drawing, this is
intended to deflect any headwind allowing the coanda effect to do its thing, undisturbed, on the remaining disc surface below the vanes. This has been
a serious barrier to progress with coanda effect flight in the past and is also why all the GFS demo video's were shot indoors, this simple measure
however alleviates the problem and GFS now believe they are very close to a practical 'outdoors' flying saucer.
The other design they have proposed is a larger unmanned cargo carrier with, at present, a 100ft diameter disc envisaged. This scheme is however
extremely preliminary in nature and no further details are available just yet.
[edit on 5-5-2007 by waynos]