aircraft developed canada secret military project carried early years cold war intended exploit effect provide lift thrust single blowing exhaust rim disk shaped aircraft provide anticipated like performance air resembled flying originally designed fighter like aircraft capable high speeds altitudes project repeatedly scaled time eventually abandoned development taken tactical combat aircraft requirement sort high performance helicopter flight testing proved unresolved thrust stability problems limited degraded low performance flight envelope subsequently project cancelled september history program project referred number different names referred efforts individual vehicles known project later funded referred project joined efforts took final designation projects series design development origins ultimate result series blue skies research projects designer jack frost joined june working british firms worked vampire jet fighter swallow aircraft chief designer research project worked creating research team known special projects group frost surrounded collection like minded engineers arranged work site initially nickname executive wing administration building subsequently relocated second world war era structure company headquarters building secured security guards locked doors special pass cards times operated shared space project teams time frost particularly interested jet engine design ways improve efficiency sacrificing simplicity turbine engine found reverse flow design complex interested ways clean layout led design new type engine layout flame cans lying directly outside outer rim pointed like wheel power drawn new type turbine similar fan opposed typical like design conventional engines turbine drove shaft resulting engine arranged form large disk referred engine jet thrust exited entire rim engine presented problems trying adapt design typical aircraft project time aircraft industry increasingly interested aircraft expected future european war start nuclear exchange destroy aircraft need operate limited roads unprepared fields considerable research effort solutions securing second strike capability solutions included rocket launched aircraft like zero length launch concept companies started work aircraft appropriate long term solution frost felt excellent performance new engine natural fit aircraft high expected power weight ratio problem use thrust drive aircraft forward problem fitting large engine suitable airframe frost suggested series thrust flowing engine rear order pipes short possible design ported thrust leading edge essentially thick delta wing engine disk shaped triangular delta shape pushed near met engine disk producing shape roughly like playing card reason design referred ace likely reference engine disk shaped intake positioned middle meant engine air located near middle wing ace design located centre aircraft cockpit positioned main bearing spine ran cockpit area rear edge aircraft versions basic layout studied including disk like cut away rear portions delta wing operations aircraft expected sit pointed supported long landing legs extended spine landing accomplished high angle making visibility approach difficult number experiments era attempted solutions problem including rotating pilots seats proved effective problem experiments stability difficult arrange entirely unexpected solution problem require thrust directed downward larger area helicopter lift supplied entire area disk designers turned bleeding air engine directing pipes arranged aircraft frost engine design large number arrangement easy build design advanced funded effort contract wooden mock project completed images remain appears project considered costly military establishment time involved extremely expensive air defense projects february story project leaked toronto star images design apparently order gain funding strategy widely employed time known policy press release days later minister defense production informed house_of_commons working mock model flying capable flying miles hour climbing vertically funding forthcoming project flat project continued frost interested effect fluid flows follow strongly convex shapes unexpected frost felt effect engine design produce practical aircraft exhaust flowing outward upper surface aircraft directed downward like arrangement produce lift force entire edge aircraft allowing land flat produced number small experimental designs compressed air place engine order select suitable airframe shape eventually decided disk best solution continued experiments found thrust direction system intended operations worked forward flight case disk shape good lifting surface neutral terms lift direction fly sideways readily fly forward modifying application small jet thrust overall craft dramatically altered creating sort virtual needed configuration instance directing small jet thrust large mass air pulled upper surface wing dramatically augment flow wing creating lift appeared offer solution problems era designing aircraft effective speeds lift created wing following lift generated shock waves points critical single design offer high performance regimes blown disk attack problem laid performance jet thrust modify normal wing resulting design tuned high performance reasonable performance offer single design project late group defence experts visited view new fighter jet way frost opted tour rerouted special projects area proceeded project mock models drawings seen senior company officials completely circular disk shaped aircraft known project agreed funding contract followed management interested commit million build private venture prototype march air_force added additional funding aircraft wide variety designs studied fighter aircraft revolved disk shape leading project involving large disk fighter aircraft concept proceeded wind tunnel testing variety scale models featured raised section middle engine intake covered series closed forward flight frost performance estimates concept potential altitudes debate concept groups attempting gain funding pet projects like nuclear powered bombers repeat earlier release extensive article appeared look magazine claims speculated current ufo sightings soviet built article went describe aircraft clearly influenced design testing purposes new engine consisting armstrong jet engines blowing outer rim designed stood private venture stop gap design built bunker like building facility intended test project concepts provide test data viability concept original plan initially test engine rig continued free flight testing unfortunately testing smooth test model suffered hazardous oil leaks resulting fires eventually got point staff afraid machine safely booth constructed bullet proof glass quarter inch thick steel final disastrous nearly lethal engine test involved jet engine running wild convinced frost dangerous test vehicle necessary genesis gather flight data basic concept engine development continued frost proposed building smaller proof concept test vehicle called point involved wide variety experiments smaller aircraft act flying interested concept frost pitched smaller design prototype vehicle suitable army needs aerodynamic initial performance requirements minute capability ground effect mile range new plan appeared everybody happy million joint services contract managed air_force awarded build test army referred standing unusual departure normal nomenclature latest series aircraft army interest program apparently high recalls trip washington late 1950s request additional funding study helicopter drag reduction funding approved remark helicopter army buy helicopter replaced funding approximately program moved project march additional million contract received second prototype projected performance far excess requirement knots maximum speed feet ceiling mile range ground effect maximum takeoff weight transition forward flight ground effect calculated maximum weight transition ground effect working test models manufactured disaster struck canadian government cancelled arrow program black friday february ensuing result lay employees including days following announcement arrow cancellation special projects employees wasn business usual team included people teams moved main building nearly company brass involved group operations devoted projects recommended related work including cancelled stop work order came frost forced try rescue project elaborate effort frost case continuation military funding late authorized continue flying programs design disk shaped aircraft basic shape upper surface disk fairly curved disk feet diameter feet thick main structural large triangle components attached blade sat center triangle thrust directed straight opening lower surface power control system running outer rim disk power provided jet engines attached engine fuel oil tanks support systems expected future models majority airframe aluminum weight pounds pilot control entirely single mounted control stick pitch roll controlled conventional fore aft motions controlled twisting stick mechanical stick instead controlled flow high pressure air craft directly attached control surfaces indirectly local cable replace controls intended cable like throttle controls engines attitude thrust control system consisted large ring situated outside main disk shaped roughly like rounded triangle flat surface inside viewing craft control invisible appearing neutral position blend profile pilot controls moved ring relation rest craft affecting moving outward center craft vertical lift increased moving entire ring produce upper surface bend surface ground ring resulted thrust directional control discovered craft inherently unstable forward flight aerodynamic center pressure forward center gravity included mechanical stability control system independent pilot controls fairly large angular momentum intended act powerful providing normal direction flight control cables attached base pulled craft moved relation control surfaces counteract motion vehicle manned crew positioned separate areas airframe practice pilot usually board testing number flights observer second cockpit control problems completely solved test pilots acquired touch extremely sensitive control eventually able demonstrate hands flight nonetheless test pilot project pilot nasa chief test pilot fred iii flew considered tricky vehicle fly likened flight balancing beach ball rudimentary small wheels mounted shafts set substituted later testing normally fitted operational history testing rolled factory june october tested static rig unfortunately hot gas exhaust found mix reducing engine thrust addition fan generated lift small area surface lowering overall thrust available proved higher losses expected series modifications able solve problem large degree problems reduced maximum lift higher altitudes ground effect weight aircraft meant aircraft incapable ground effect following tests vehicle sent nasa wind tunnel testing second completed august september attempt ground vehicle airborne roll pitch coupled started forced wheels ground turn pilot immediately shut engines changes stability system provide control authority new investigated improve ability control sorts problems testing continued clear problem inherent design engineers started referring effect named appeared similar spun ground investigations effect revealed causing problem ground effect high pressure air craft trapped filling entire area providing stable base craft rose ground effect air formed single narrow column described frost tree intermediate altitudes craft momentarily transition regime time vehicle entirely supported support disappearing led strong pitching motion soon occurred approach ground establish supporting air raised limit process repeat craft rolling modifications carried order try solve problem eventually series holes vehicle located feet center provide central jet stabilize ground modifications complete apparently working completely free flight occurred november test proved control system unacceptable intended direct air forward flight idea positioned order provide control lift lowered raised lift lowered sadly lift improve control input resulted loss altitude flights testing temporarily halted december time logged hours test time total completely new design installed winter original removed replaced single ring ring shifted relation craft control input sealing gap opening tests continued january appeared work better new control system improved qualities craft unstable higher speeds knots similarly modified april tested wind tunnel problem clear ring blocked overall engine thrust overall power greatly reduced craft sped underside reduced reducing lift upper surface somewhat unexpected considered bad thing loss engine thrust positive effects lift appear appreciated end order maintain lift higher forward speeds craft pitched end control capability convinced concept proposed new program major propulsion control system instead single triangular later ring control new system included separate control systems forward flight combined single series transition doors opened blocking directing flow downward aircraft control regime provided moving outer portion focus flow higher speeds doors closed allowing air flow edge aircraft series simple like controls located new control system covered rear aircraft outer section featured controls modifications completed model testing resumed april new design demonstrated better control considerably improved lift vehicle able travel knots great improvement knots previously reached remained unstable pitch exhibited strong nose trim nasa engineers attempted modify tail proved sit help frost team considered new designs large vertical tail wing tip mounted designs lbf thrust increased diameter june second nasa flight evaluation conducted similarly modified second prototype facility tests vehicle reached maximum speed knots showed ability traverse ditch feet inches deep flight critical altitude proved dangerous nearly impossible inherent instability flight test report identified range control problems cancellation modifications achieved funding ran march frost proposals modified design accepted related programs officially cancelled december military company executives encouraged additional research projects exploring new configurations married disk platform lift jet version interest resulted canadian sources cap end special program number later proposals including fighter concept derived submitted fulfill nato competition tactical strike fighter needs filled general terms interest faded widely believed nuclear strike start european war second logged flight hours end flight testing judged performance failure couldn lift safely feet ground design limiting high speed performance accompanied heat screaming exhaust noise impractical military considered technical failure design rubber skirt shy world taking company designer applied number patents canada established pivotal role related experimental vehicles world latest developments dead end design according curator technological innovations intrigued designers design elements embodied use fans led experimental programs canadian worked young engineer based initial series experimental vehicles technology utilizing buried fan series looked remarkably like miniature flying successful tests designs time publicized abandoned latest project flying car appearance story end termination program produced military paid work reverted ownership end program second example utilized flight testing returned canada briefly display montreal man world exhibition lengthy period outdoor display restoration virginia marked testing wind tunnel test model nasa remained storage donated maryland continued gathering dust years museum finally scheduled restoration display newly constructed instead loaned ohio arriving november restoration included missing bubbles display june museum cold war gallery moved scale replica prepared production secrets past resides exhibit canada specifications data canada flying world worst aircraft pioneering failures dollar disasters general characteristics crew capacity observer engineer diameter height wing area weight max takeoff weight powerplant engines lbf thrust speed mph estimated mph actual range nmi estimated actual service ceiling estimated actual
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