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:

Unlike most Canadian manufacturers known for rugged bushplanes, Avro Canada pursued ambitious, cutting-edge aerospace projects, including fighter jets, airliners, and the experimental VZ-9 Avrocar.
The VZ-9 Avrocar was a unique, jet-powered, "flying saucer"-like Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) vehicle, initially a Canadian government study that was later funded by the U.S. Air Force.
Despite its innovative design, the Avrocar suffered from severe instability, uncontrollable oscillations, and insufficient power, limiting it to an altitude of 3 feet and speeds of 35 mph, leading to its cancellation in 1961.
The Avrocar's failure, coupled with other project cancellations like the CF-105 Arrow, contributed to Avro Canada ceasing operations in 1962, though the company is remembered for its pioneering spirit and pursuit of futuristic aerospace concepts.

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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.