AIRCRAFT DESIGN PROPOSED BY SQN. LDR. G.L. WALLER - FEASIBILITY STUDY

This document collection details the administrative and technical evaluation of an aircraft design proposed by Squadron Leader G.L. Waller of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in early 1966. The proposal, titled 'Aircraft with Annular Aerofoil,' was submitted to the Department of Air and subsequently referred to the Department of Supply for a feasibility study. The design featured a circular body with a central rotating assembly, including a centrifugal fan, an annular aerofoil, and jet reaction devices intended to provide vertical and transitional flight capabilities. Squadron Leader Waller sought to patent the concept and requested an evaluation of the aerodynamic principles involved. The Department of Air, believing the invention might have military significance, requested that the Aeronautical Research Laboratories (ARL) conduct a detailed study. Correspondence between Waller, the Department of Air, and the Department of Supply shows that Waller met with ARL staff to discuss his ideas and provided patent specifications and schematic drawings. ARL conducted a technical review of the proposal, focusing on the aerodynamic properties of the annular aerofoil and the efficiency of the air generator system. Their assessment, dated May 20, 1966, concluded that the data provided was insufficient for a precise study but noted that the design did not appear to offer any obvious aerodynamic advantage over existing vertical lift systems. The Chief Superintendent of ARL, T.F.C. Lawrence, formally advised the Department of Air that no further action was required regarding the proposal. The file includes internal memoranda, letters of correspondence, patent application documents, and technical comments outlining the design's mechanics, such as the use of variable control vanes and the gyroscopic stability provided by the rotating components.