A lift unit for a vertical take-off and landing type aerial vehicle. A smooth, cylindrical rotor, rotating at a high rate, as close as is practicable to the smooth, inside of a half-cylindrical, cradle-shaped stator, generates lift. While there is no up or down force within the very small space between the rotor and stator, there is reduced aerodynamic pressure on the exposed upper half of the rotor. Atmospheric pressure remains normal beneath the stator, producing considerable lift. Panels designed to slide over portions of the rotor, vary the lift, either uniformly or differentially to provide control. The streamlined unit is attached in a plurality to the wing of a conventionally configured, fixed-wing aircraft with the axis of the rotor aligned parallel to the thrust line of the vehicle. This lift unit is very efficient and produces no downward efflux, facilitating rescue operations.