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Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar

en.wikipedia.org

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Re: Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar

#3
This aircraft was flying using the Coandă effect [1] (also see video [2] at 1:38), it was aerodynamically unstable and required active control. It was definitely ahead of its time. It would be great if some of those "crazy 40s-60s concept vehicles" could be revived with the modern technology.

Video in the linked wikipedia page is too short, this one is better [2].

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coand%C4%83_effect

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeHY_c13gVA

Re: Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar

#4
As a non-engineer, it seems like we could solve a lot of the issues with these things today.

1) Active control is standard fare on a ton of places these days - it's 'normal' for a military jet to be aerodynamically unstable.

2) 2000lb of combined thrust without melting the gauges? Check - better insulation, jet efficiency, and electric power all can help here.

3) Funding? C'mon Elon - you know you want one!

Re: Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar

#5
post #3

This aircraft was flying using the Coandă effect [1] (also see video [2] at 1:38), it was aerodynamically unstable and required active control. It was definitely ahead of its time. It would be great if some of those "crazy 40s-60s concept vehicles" could be revived with the modern technology. Video in the linked wikipedia page is too short, this one is better [2]. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coand%C4%83_effect 2…

> It would be great if some of those "crazy 40s-60s concept vehicles" could be revived with the modern technology.

Yep, i wish some collector type (similar to car collecting Leno) spent some money building modern versions of at least some of the most successful/feasible models from the "wheel of VTOL misfortune" https://vtol.org/vstol/wheel.htm . Back then it seems to have been some kind of "Jurassic explosion" of VTOL innovation, and hopefully these days we're having some small renaissance of it.

Re: Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar

#10
post #5
post #3

This aircraft was flying using the Coandă effect [1] (also see video [2] at 1:38), it was aerodynamically unstable and required active control. It was definitely ahead of its time. It would be great if some of those "crazy 40s-60s concept vehicles" could be revived with the modern technology. Video in the linked wikipedia page is too short, this one is better [2]. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coand%C4%83_effect 2…

> It would be great if some of those "crazy 40s-60s concept vehicles" could be revived with the modern technology. Yep, i wish some collector type (similar to car collecting Leno) spent some money building modern versions of at least some of the most successful/feasible models from the "wheel of VTOL misfortune" https://vtol.org/vstol/wheel.htm . Back then it seems to have been some kind of "Jurassic explosion" of VT…

Someone might build scale model drones of a few of those. But manned aircraft would be suicide weapons outside of a carefully controlled flight test program. There are just so many failure modes.