All Directions Flying Object Claims Incredible Flight Characteristics

You’ve seen cheesy video clips where aliens cruise around in flying saucers to torment humanity. As envisioned by the ADIFO, or All Directions Flying Object, this saucer shape could actually be the key to amazing flight capabilities.

The 1.2 meter diameter prototype — which resembles a B2 bomber morphed with an alien flick craft of yore — is able to take off vertically with four electric ducted fans (EDF) and can maneuver at low speeds like a quadcopter. Besides looking amazing, the device’s disc shell and two horizontal fans allow it to produce lift in horizontal flight in a similar manner to an airplane’s wings. Testing suggests that such an aircraft under the power of jet engines would even be capable of supersonic flight at high efficiency, without a prohibitive sonic boom.

Between its vertical takeoff abilities, the potential for previously unheard of maneuverability, and claimed supersonic flight possibilities, creator Razvan Sabie, who developed the protptype with Iosif Taposu, claims his device could “change the actual paradigm of flight.”

While it looks amazing, one could also argue that the prototype a quadcopter with an interesting facade. Notably, the video below at 5:05 shows a horizontal thrust/weight ratio is only .3, not enough to keep it in the sky in this mode. On the other hand, with a more powerful engine and more development, who knows, perhaps we’ll all be driving flying saucers to work or the next country on a regular basis!

[h/t: New Atlas]