Revealing Project 1794: America's dream of a supersonic flying saucer

In 2012, the United States Air Force made public numerous files, among which were those detailing a clandestine aircraft program shaped like a flying saucer. This American "UFO" was envisioned to travel at supersonic speeds, soar at high altitudes, and counter Soviet bombers. What then became of Project 1794?

We were on the brink of seeing real flying saucers in the sky. That was, at least, the ambition of the Americans in the 1950s who endeavored to realize the Project 1794 scheme. Its budget in 1956 stood at $3.168 million (equivalent to about £22 million today). These resources were earmarked for crafting an aircraft inspired by the flying saucer design.

furthermore, the American goal was for the aircraft to reach speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 4, cover roughly 1,000 miles, and implement vertical takeoffs and landings (VTOL). Such capabilities would ensure the craft's viability, even if key airbases and runways were rendered useless in a potential standoff with the Soviet Union.

The mission to create this saucer-shaped aircraft was assigned to the Canadian entity Avro Canada. Nevertheless, the endeavor did not progress past the experimental stage. Testing indicated that the design was aerodynamically unstable and probably uncontrollable at high velocities. In the end, the project was shelved in 1960 by the Americans.

It's noteworthy that Project 1794 wasn't the sole concept for a flying saucer. History records multiple instances, with the VZ-9 Avrocar being another notable attempt though with slightly less lofty objectives than Project 1794.

In this instance, the US Army sought a craft that could double as a universal flying platform and a close support vehicle. The VZ-9 Avrocar was envisioned to exceed speeds of 480 km/h, achieve an altitude of roughly 3 km, and span 1,000 miles. However, it was found to be incapable of ascending beyond 90 km. Consequently, this project too was discontinued by the Americans.