Sep. 09, 1954 - First official picture of Britain's” Flying Bedstead”. Britain's latest flying machine”...

Sep. 09, 1954 - First official picture of Britain's” Flying Bedstead”. Britain's latest flying machine” The Flying Bedstead” news of which was given by the Minister of Supply, Mr Duncan Sandys on the eve of the Farnborough Air Show is seen her in the air during a test flight. It has no wings or rotors and can take off vertically from a horizontal position, it is powered by two Rolls-Royce” None” engines set horizontally in opposition, one on either side of the framework. The jets from these engines are ducted through 90 degrees so that both engines discharge vertically downwards under the centre of gravity. The pilot sits on a platform above the two engines. The pilot sits on a platform aboce the two engines. The control movements which he needs to balance the machine are supplied by compressed air jets which are discharged through nozzles at the ends of cross arms which can be seen clearly in this picture