I found this article on digg and it was really interesting. Apparently in the late 50s early 60s an engineer “Jack” Frost developed a flying saucer for the US Air Force. The Avrocar was never fully implemented but did have successful tests with speeds reaching 100 miles per hour. The Avrocar.

This type of government sponsored cutting edge technological development is incredibly fascinating but rarely publicized. I think we perceive the government’s use of technology as being pretty limited. Ground breaking high-tech research has a way of uniting people behind a common goal. Early NASA accomplishments propelled astronauts to the status of professional athletes. The all-American all-intellectual sports team became emblematic of American adventurism coupled with academic ingenuity. It was a powerful force.

This communal pride is lost in America today but not because the government isn’t doing some badass research. My favorite site to peruse on this topic is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA. Exoskeletons that increase speed, strength and endurance would pretty much rock, or the Nano Air Vehicle. But even if you don’t find their projects very interesting DARPA projects always have awesome names, like this one, Mathematical Time Reversal.