Some people feel there is no evidence for flying saucers, while others believe we are not alone in the universe. UFO sightings have been a constant source of inspiration for science fiction writers since the dawn of human flight. But what if you discovered that flying saucers existed and that the US government had concealed their existence?The US Air Force developed plans for a government-issued flying saucer in 1956 and 1957, and prototypes were manufactured by the Canadian corporation Avro.

These prototypes were meant to produce flying saucers capable of doing what citizens had been reporting for years: vertical takeoff and Mach 4 speeds.The initiative was known as Project 1794 (among other things) and called for a variety of traits commonly associated with UFOs, such as the classic brilliant disk shape. NASA and the Army aided in the continuation of the program.

Various versions were produced over a four-year period, including the Avrocar, which had been on the Canadian government docket in 1952 but had been sold to the United States government in 1958. Unlike previous flying saucer versions, the Avrocar’s pilot’s cabin was positioned to the side rather than in the center of the plane. A center turbine was supposed to provide incredible take-off velocity.

This Cold War flier was also supposed to be a bomber, and if it had been successful, it would have been one of the stealthiest and deadly aircraft of the age. However, these flying saucers were unlike anything else ever made, and progress was slow.The program was canceled in 1960 because to unsatisfactory results (reports indicate that none of the flying saucers ever came up to the early lofty expectations) and expensive costs. The archives were released by the United States military in 2012, and included lengthy memos, illustrations, and plans for the extraordinary flying saucer program, which never got off the ground as intended.