Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar: Resembling a Small Flying Saucer, It First Flew in 1959

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 02:11 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Avrocar on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in 2010, when it was displayed in a separate annex and illuminated in natural light. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]

Key Takeaways:

While most Canadian aircraft manufacturers focused on producing rugged bushplanes for challenging northern environments, Avro Canada uniquely pursued innovative and futuristic aerospace concepts, including fighter jets, supersonic interceptors, and experimental VTOL aircraft.
One of Avro Canada's notable projects was the VZ-9 Avrocar, an experimental jet-powered, saucer-shaped vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle, initially funded by the Canadian government and later by the U.S. Air Force.
Despite its ambitious design, the Avrocar suffered from severe instability, control issues, and insufficient power, limiting it to low speeds and altitudes (only 3 feet high and 35 mph), leading to the project's cancellation in 1961.
The cancellation of the Avrocar, coupled with other major project failures like the CF-105 Arrow, ultimately led to Avro Canada ceasing operations in 1962, though the company is remembered for its pioneering spirit and pursuit of cutting-edge aerospace technology.

See a mistake? Contact us.

For the most part, Canadian manufacturers have produced the kinds of aircraft one might expect from a northern country with vast, rugged wilderness, harsh winters, and a large number of unimproved airstrips. Aircraft like the Noorduyn Norseman and the iconic de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver have established the country as a legendary producer of tough, capable bushplanes that are just as happy on skis or floats as they are on wheels.

But not all Canadian aircraft manufacturers have always fit this mold, least of all the Avro Canada Corp.