U.S. professor seeks patent for flying saucer

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhuanet) -- An engineering professor at the University of Florida is seeking a patent for a flying-saucer-like spinning aircraft that flys utilizing plasma for lift, rather than an engine and wings.

Subrata Roy said the suggested prototype can take off vertically and hover. Dubbed the WEAV, short for wingless electromagnetic air vehicle, the craft has no moving parts and should be very reliable.

Roy's 6-inches-across model is powered by a battery. He thinks a larger craft is possible.

Electrodes lining the vehicle's surface ionize the surrounding air, creating plasma on the vehicle's exterior. An electrical current sent through this plasma generates a force that not only produces the necessary lift and momentum. It also stabilizes the vehicle in windy conditions.

Looking like a flying bundt cake pan, the WEAV design is partially hollow and continuously curved. This larger surface area improves lift and control.

Besides providing surveillance on Earth, Roy also envisions the craft in other atmospheres, such as that of Saturn's moon Titan, where high air density and low gravity would be favorable to saucer flight.

But the path from concept to production may not be smooth. Flying in Earth's air requires a thrust at least 10 times greater than in outer space where drag and gravity are lower. And the plasma necessary to fly also obstructs wave transmission used for communicating with a remote source.

(Agencies)