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Hey, here is a flying saucer for sale! [cgi.ebay.com]


Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

Awful lot of workmanship into something that will most likely never fly...

Well, you have to admire the guy for following his dream! Too bad he never got airborne in it. MM

Hey Mike,

Guess what...they do fly - yes I know, it's a huge shock!!!

(but they don't fly very well)

There is one here in Sydney that flies, or at least "did fly" out of Camden Airport - I must see if I can find a pic to post here

Cheers

Matt, seems like a lot of effort there - but if it made him happy, I am all for it!

Looks incredibly unstable and unforgiving...I'd PASS on this one, but it does belong in OSH, at the museum somewhere in a corner!

Falls under the category of "...just because you can, doesn't mean you should" bin!

MM

Mike? Where is your sense of adventure?

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

Bill, why am I not surprised you know where to buy a flying saucer??

If it flies, it would be popular with the Young Eagle crowd.

"Daddy, I want to fly in THAT! "

Hey that thing is right up the road from me. I go there all the time. I called a friend who's from the airport, been there for years, knows everyone etc.

Here's the deal according to him.
It never flew.
Engine hasn't run in about 20 years.
None of the talk of another one being sold or flown is true. (of the same design by that builder)
It's never even been taxied.
It did receive a bit of rash from getting loaded on a truck once.
No museum has wanted it.
It uses spoilers to turn and they are very small.
He thinks the value is near zero.
The guy I spoke with bought another of this builders projects called Cyclops. It did fly, but not really well.

I'd heard of this guy and the project but had never seen a picture.

I have a different friend who built a round wing design and took it to Oshkosh a few times. We always thought he'd die in it. He did land/mush/crash in my wheat a few times using my runway to take off. He finally gave it up about 4 years ago. We are all relieved.

I wish I had a picture of that one to show you. It's REALLY different, not that that is a bad thing, just unpredictable in flight. Imagine a small enclosed fuselage with a conventional tail, but the wing is an oval shape almost donut like, tipped back at about 50 degrees with an airfoil all the way around it.

When it was displayed at Oshkosh. He always got the same questions over and over and over. So he put a little sign on it that said.

Yes it does
Not very high
Tests are ongoing

If it was predictable at all it would be a hoot!! Especially putting flashing lights around the edge and flying at night!!

Bill
Grants Pass, Oregon

I just had a look at the ad. Wow, that must have taken 3000 hrs+ to build. I wonder if some simple gyro/servo/electronics could help a pilot control it, and fly it at least in ground effect?