The following text is from a posting to uk.rec.ufo,alt.paranet.ufo by Roger Cook. He dismisses the notion that a disk needs to spin at high
speeds:
"As to the AVRO VZ-9AV Avrocar, it is no secret that this craft was un-stable
in it's "ground-effect" surface travel. It is also a widely diseminated fact
that it never flew out of "ground-effect". What is not spoken of, is the
fact that it could have flown..... under certain circumstances. The official
testing was done by the U.S. Air Force, and the following report details it."
Avrocar Flight Evaluation, W H Deckert, W J Hodgson,
Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA. FTC-TDR-6l-56,
January 1962. (27 pgs)
"After detailing the two seperate test sessions (both in surface travel),
they listed requirements before any more testing (including free-flight)
would take place. The two major ones; were that the cockpit be moved to the
front of the aircraft, and that suitable flight control surfaces be added to
the craft (fyi: those same control surfaces might even have prevented the
"hub-capping" of the craft, thereby making it stable even in surface travel
in "ground -effect").
Sadly, the program was cancelled before this could be done."
Here are a few NASA report citations that I copied from
home.swipnet.se... discusing the stability of disk shaped craft.
1 Static Longitudinal Stability and Control Characteristics at a Mach Number of 1.99 of a Lenticular-shaped Reentry Vehicle, C.M. Jackson Jr, R.V.
Harris, Jr. NASA Technical Note D-514, NASA Langley Research Center, Oct 1960 (16 pgs)
2 Subsonic Longitudinal Aerodynamic Characteristics of Disks with Elliptic Cross Sections and Thickness-Diameter Ratios from 0.225 to 0.425., F.A.
Demele and J.J. Brownson, NASA Ames Research Center, NASA TN-D-778, Apr 1961 (25 pgs)
3 Subsonic Longitudinal Aerodynamic Characteristics of Disks with Elliptic Cross Sections and Thickness-Diameter Ratios from 0.225 to 0.325., F.A.
Demele and J.J. Brownson, NASA Ames Research Center, NASA TM-X-556, May 1961 (46 pgs)(De-classified )
4 Landing Characteristics of a Lenticular-Shaped Reentry Vehicle: Ulysse J. Blanchard, NASA Langley Research Center, NASA TN-D-940, Sep 1961 (32
pgs)
5 Experimental Investigation of a Disk-Shaped Reentry Configuration at Transonic and Low Supersonic Speeds: Lazzeroni, F. A. NASA Ames Research
Center, NASA TM-X-652, May 1962 (27 pgs)(De-classified )
6 Investigation of the Low-Subsonic aerodynamic Characteristics of a Model of a Modified Lenticular Reentry Configuration: G. M. Ware, NASA Langley
Research Center, NASA TM-X-756, Dec 1962 (28 pgs))(De-classified )
7 Large-Scale Wind-Tunnel Tests of a Circular Plan-Form Aircraft with A Peripheral Jet For Lift, Thrust, and Control. R.K. Greif, William H.
Tolhurst, Jr., NASA Ames Research Center, NASA TN-D-1432, Feb 1963 (97 pgs)
8 Supersonic Aerodynamic Characteristics of Some Reentry concepts For Angles of Attack up to 90 deg: M. L. Spearman, NASA Langley Research Center,
AIAA Paper 85-1795, Jan 1985 (8 pgs)
9 Supersonic Aerodynamic Characteristics of Some Reentry concepts For Angles of Attack up to 90 deg: M. L. Spearman, NASA Langley Research Center,
NASA-TM-87645, Nov 1985 (32 pgs)
10 The Discus Body and its application to V/STOL Aircraft and Space Vehicles, by Martin Gerloff, Aero/Space Engineering, Jan 1960, pp. 51-56
11 Disk Shaped Vehicles Are Studied For Potential As Orbital Aircraft, AVIATION WEEK, 15 Jun 196O, pp. 27-28
12 Landable Disk Re-Entry Vehicles: P A Giragosian & W D Hoffman, Fairchild Stratos Corp, Hagerstown, Md, in Dynamics of Manned Lifting Planetary
Entry, Symposium, 3rd, Proceedings, (Philadelphia, Oct 1962) Publisher: JOHN WILEY & SONS, New York, NY, pp. 729-749
These seem to state that a spining craft is not required.
Also I would think that a craft could be designed that would be stationary and have what would amount to a large roller bearing, surrounding the pilot
who is located at the center of the disk, along the wall of the outer perimeter . This bearing would spin at a high speed and allow the craft to be
stable and you could counter the effect of the bearing by using an opposing force the same way a heliocopter tail rotor counteracts the spin of the
main prop.
Just a thought. Who knows what's out there. I also agree the US would not have used such a classified craft in Iraq. It was not needed.
