Flying saucer

Flying saucers were a form of disc-shaped spacecraft used by many species throughout the universe for many millennia. On pre-first contact Earth, it was often used as a general term for alien spacecraft, much the same way the term Martian was used for any kind of alien. In this usage, it was more or less interchangable with the term UFO.

Dalek flying saucers
During their history, the Daleks made extensive use of flying saucers of several types. During the 22nd century Dalek invasion of Earth, they used of saucers for planetary transport. (TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth) During the Last Great Time War, the Daleks' fleet consisted of about ten million flying saucers, including the Dalek Emperor's flagship. (TV: Dalek, The Parting of the Ways)

Dominator flying saucers
The Dominators also made use of flying saucers, which were powered by negative mass flux absorption. These ships could absorb radiation and convert it into propulsion. (TV: The Dominators)

Cyberman flying saucers
The Cybermen used a saucer-shaped landing craft when landing on the Moon in 2070. (TV: The Moonbase)

Adiposian nursery ships
The Adipose used nursery ships to carry young Adipose from the planet on which they were seeded to the Adipose homeworld. These ships were large enough to carry several million Adipose and were equipped with levitation beams to transport the Adipose safely surface into the craft. (TV: Partners in Crime)

Jathaa Sungliders
These saucer-like crafts, apparently capable of interstellar travel and possessing powerful weapon systems, seemed to be the main mode of transportation for the Jathaa when visiting Earth. (TV: Army of Ghosts, TV: End of Days).

Nedenah Flying Saucers
The Nedenah were a species of explorers that frequently visited Earth using flying saucers. These were large, featureless, pale-coloured discs. They could move thirty times the speed of sound, stop in a second and were highly manoeuvrable. Though they were opaque and windowless, the Nedenah would navigate by the ship telepathically, beaming the view from outside. The hull could be shed if it was damaged, leaving an undamaged hull underneath. (PROSE: The Devil Goblins from Neptune)

One of their crafts crashed near Roswell in 1947 and was salvaged by the United States Army, who reversed engineered many technologies from it. (PROSE: The Devil Goblins from Neptune)

Krillitane craft
During the 2007 Krillitane infiltration of Deffry Vale High School in London, saucer-like craft were spotted in the area. (TV: School Reunion)

Foo Fighters
In 1945, the Doctor witnessed a jellyfish-like saucer craft he said was the source of the Foo Fighter rumours amongst air force pilots of the time. It was piloted by a member of an unnamed species. (PROSE: Atom Bomb Blues)

Behind the scenes

 * Flying saucers are the stereotypical alien spaceship in the real world. They were first reported in June 1947 (and had a history of similar forms recorded in tapestries and paintings) and have appeared in science fiction and alleged real world sightings since.