American Dream Planes Volume One: Circular Wings 1934 - 1962

In 1947, the U.S. Navy needed an air-superiority fighter with extreme short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) capabilities, slow-flight performance, and hovering ability, able to operate from the rear decks of the warships, but this airplane did not exist until the BAE Sea Harrier entered service in April 1980.
Full flight tests of the Chance Vought XF5U-1 “flying saucer” prototype were scheduled for December 1948 at Edwards AFB, but the U.S. Navy suddenly cancelled the contract on March 17, 1947, with orders to destroy the prototype.
The irrational decision to destroy all traces of the XF5U is only comparable to the destruction of all Northrop's flying wings produced and, in both cases, there were powerful political reasons.
Year 1947 was incredibly special. Just five days before the cancellation of the XF5U, the doctrine to contain the Soviet expansion was announced to Congress by President Harry S. Truman. The Cold War had started.
In May 22, the President signed an Act of Congress that implement the Truman Doctrine.
On June 4, the first Mogul balloon was launched, five days later the U.S. attaché in Moscow informed the War Department that the Soviets had begun the serial construction of the Horten Ho VIII flying wing bomber.
In June 26, the U.S. newspapers first began using the term flying saucer.
The Roswell incident occurred on July 8.
In July 26, the President signed the National Security Act creating the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.
The first North American F-86 swept wing fighter was flown on October 1, thirteen days later the Bell X-1 experimental rocket plane flew faster than the speed of sound, but it was a record that was kept secret.
In December 30, the Soviet swept wing fighter MiG-15 makes its first flight.