The AEREON 26 was an experimental aircraft developed to investigate lifting body design with a view to using its shape to create hybrid designs, part airship, part conventional aircraft. It was powered by a piston engine, driving a pusher propeller, and generated lift through the aerodynamics of its lozenge-shaped fuselage.
Although results of flight tests conducted in 1971 were promising, funding for larger and semi-buoyant aircraft was not forthcoming at the time. The story of the test program was famously recounted by John McPhee in his book The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed. This aircraft has a special place in UFO and conspiracy lore, since enthusiasts have drawn parallels between the shape of this aircraft and some reported UFOs from around the same era.
The Aereon craft is an unusual one that combines the lifting capabilities of conventional aircraft with the lighter than air capabilities of a blimp.
The Aereon spokesperson was up-front and stated that the Aereon26, as detailed in "The Delta Pumpkin Seed," is the biggest Aereon ever built.
After NIDS described the reports from the different sightings at Illinois to the Aereon spokesperson, he speculated that if a large Aereon type craft is flying, then it represents a stolen patent by persons unknown.
AEREON26, a least-cost, least-size manned model to demonstrate aerodynamic feasibility, performance and handling qualities, was field-tested in 1970 and flight-tested in March 1971.
The AEREON26 was a dynamically scaled model of the much larger sized DYNAIRSHIPand was the shining success of Project TIGER.
Achieving flight through aerodynamic lift alone, the 26 was not a hybrid; rather it was used to test the aerodynamic qualities of the aerobody.
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