"Ed Majden" wrote in message news:p8tZb.579658$ts4.461106@pd7tw3no...
"B2431"
The U.S. built and flew a few disc aircraft during WW2. The Chance Vought
V-173
first flew 23 November 1942, which had excellent STOL capabilities and was
apparently impossible to stall.

AVRO Canada experimented with a flying saucer type design in the 1950s.
This was funded in part by the USAF.
and US Army since it was really a GETOL (Ground Effect Takeoff and
Landing) aircraft.

It was known as the Avrocar. It was
abandoned as I guess technology had not been developed (i.e. computer flight
control systems etc) for controlling successful flight. Do a search with
'google' for "AVRO Flying Saucer" if you want to read more about this
project.
Ed Majden

Ed, it was a farce. The mock-up and two prototypes were demonstrated
as purpose failures to mislead the Soviets into believing this was the
direction the US was going with disc technology. Despite the AVROCAR,
the US had already aquired disc technology from Germany via AVRO
Canada and the immense documentation from Wright Field. AVRO, Lockheed
and Northrop all had disc projects way beyond the VZ-9V and some of
those designs and photos are now coming to light: Silverbug, WS 606A,
AVRO Ace/Spade, the LRV (Lenticular Reentry Vehicle), Northrop NS-97,
etc...
Meanwhile the Soviets dropped the disc plans and proceeded with the
T-60S bomber which is based on the German Sanger spaceplane. That
program and prototype(s) are still active in Russia.

Rob