The Flying Bedstead was a nickname given to two completely different experimental vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, both receiving the nickname because each comprised a skeletal platform raised on four legs that resembled a bedstead.
These aircraft were the Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig (TMR), and the later LLRV (Lunar Landing Research Vehicle) developed as part of the Apollo program. Both aircraft relied on jet lift (engine thrust directed downwards) rather than aerofoil surfaces, such as wings or rotors, as a means of providing lift.
Read more about Flying Bedstead: Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig (1953), Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (1960s)
Famous quotes containing the word flying:
“You’ve always reminded me of a seagull, Jo. Strong and wild and fond of the wind and storms. And dreaming of flying far off to sea. And Mother always said that I was like a little cricket. Chirping contentedly on the hearth, never able to bear the thought of leaving home.”
—Victor Heerman (1893–1977)