Project 1794: That Time the U.S.A.F. Looked into Building Their Own Flying Saucers
The Jet Age and Aviation Innovation
The 1950s was a very interesting time in aviation as the Jet Age was just starting up. Everyone worth their salt wanted to push the limits of aircraft design with the newfangled “Jet Engine” that was becoming more common. One of these efforts was known as “Project 1794”.
Project 1794: Goals and Design
Project 1794 aimed to design and test a proposed supersonic vertical take-off and landing saucer-type aircraft in 1957-58. This aircraft had the shape of a flying saucer.
Apparently, the “Flying Saucer” would be fitted with a new type of jet engine that would not only take advantage of the saucer design but also allow the craft to travel at speeds between Mach 3 and Mach 4. It was designed to reach a ceiling of over 100,000 ft and have VTOL capabilities and an operational range of at least 1000 miles. The advanced propulsion system was expected to provide unrivaled maneuverability while in flight.
Challenges and Cancellation of the Program
Unfortunately, tests with another saucer-shaped aircraft, the infamous “Avrocar”, showed that not only were they difficult to control, but they could never reach the goals set by the program. Ultimately, the program was canceled in 1960, and the military seemingly lost interest in flying saucers.
But considering just how many “UFO” sightings there were during this time, who is to say that at least one prototype was not only built but actually flew, only to be retired because the USAF got something better?
~NC
