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= NAIK: = Zi re | SZ i Sectional view of the more advanced Project Y2 Silver Bug aircraft powered by a radial flow gas turbine. USAF for the pilot can only be described as rather limited, with a serious restriction on down- ward visibility. Any centrally mounted cockpit in a disc-shaped aircraft would suffer from this problem and in an attempt to improve matters a glass panel was set in the floor below the pilot’s legs. The more advanced aircraft powered by a RFGT engine seems to have been designed from the outset with a military role in mind and it was initially given the secret USAF codename Project Ladybird. Rather puz- zlingly, schematics of this 29ft (8.84m)-diam- eter flying disc show little spare internal space that might be used for weapons car- riage. Like the smaller research vehicle, no type of undercarriage was proposed, although it seems probable that retractable landing legs would have been fitted to facili- tate easy ground handling and avoid damage to the underside of the aircraft. The performance of this aircraft would have been nothing short of astonishing, with an estimated maximum speed of Mach 3.5 and a service ceiling in excess of 80,000ft (24,384m). USAF figures indicate that this design was expected to be capable of reach- ing 70,000ft (21,336m) in 4.2 minutes from a hovering position. Because of the aircraft’s 950 Imperial gallon (4,318 litres) fuel capacity and gross weight of 29,000 Ib (13,154kg), its range was limited to about 620 miles (997km). However, the question of thermal build-up at sustained supersonic speeds duction Minister C D Howe. Perhaps not sur- prisingly, Howe was blamed for withdrawal of support for the flying disc programme, which allowed the Americans to take it over! duction Minister C D Howe. Perhaps not sur-_ designs in 1954, under a USAF programme build-up at sustained supersonic speeds prisingly, Howe was blamed for withdrawal known as Project 9961 Silver Bug, which was of support for the flying disc programme, another name for Project Y2. Both Silver Bug TECHNICAL REPORT which allowed the Americans to take it over! —_ aircraft stemmed directly from research car- ried out during Project Y and the first design The Bugs took the form of a small circular one-man Deciassified 29mnees By July 1954 several successors to Avro subsonic VTOL research aircraft with a diam- | Thon Canada’s Ace were on the drawing boards, _ eter of 21ft 6in (6.55m). Clarks J00¢T ATIC:WADE REPORT ON when the Pentagon effectively took control of This design was powered by eight Arm- mower suven ave Avro Canada’s SPG. The American commit- strong Siddeley Viper axial flow turbojet PROHECT NO. 9261 mentalso meant that USAF scientists working engines that drew air through inlets around at Wright-Patterson AFB became directly — the centre of the aircraft and ducted exhaust involved with the work, along with some of _ to the edge of the disc. When hovering the the best aeronautical specialists at The Mass- lower air inlets would be closed and the achusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and _ exhaust gases would be directed downwards SHI-SIAIGIY —isrenRUARy 108s to | bey ¥6 Se Bes tests) & osAP AI?! ro) Perietiig. DS SS 972-2 3 Y, NACA Ames in California. to create a powerful ground cushion effect, In 1995, previously secret USAF documents _ which was similar to the system proposed for concerning Avro Canada were declassified _ the first Project Y aircraft. The cockpit was AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE under the US Freedom of Information Act located at the centre of the flying disc and (FOIA). They showed that John Frost’s group covered by a one-piece dome-shaped trans- were developing two different aircraft parency. An ejector seat was fitted and space — USAF Project Silver Bug document cover. USAF TECHNICAL REPORT Deciassifed 29mneos Ath: Dod Froo-t, @ ‘Shr /anad Tracer CLE bcos (inte eS, MAE yon ATIC'WADC REPOK (Uncisied) JOINT ATIC-WADC REPORT ON PROJECT SHLVER BUG PRORECT NO 996) Design for the small Project Silver Bug eight- engined research craft. USAF AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE ‘omi0 USAF Project Silver Bug document cover. USAF Secret Projects: Flying Saucer Aircraft