Flexible-surface thrust and journal foil-bearings of novel design were fabricated, and their performance was convincingly demonstrated, both individually and jointly as a unified rotor-support system. A versatile rig was constructed and instrumented, and experimental results are copiously documented with graphs and oscilloscopic data of trajectories, waveforms, and scans of amplitude response. The thrust bearings combine advantages of surface compliance with the superior load capacity of the spiral-groove configuration. The flexible supports provide means of deliberate control of clearance topography, in contrast to bearings in which the formation of the lubricating wedge is casual and incidental. At speeds of 40,000 to 45,000 rpm and a mean clearance of the order of 15 to 20 micrometers (600 to 800 micro in.), the resilient, air-lubricated, spiral-groove thrust bearings comfortably support a load of 127 N (29 lb; 13 kgf), equivalent to 3.0 N/sq. cm. (4.5 lb/sq in, 0.31 kgf/sq cm). The construction of journal foil-bearings is extremely simple. In one design, a coiled ribbon of plane foil and a retaining cartridge constitute the only components. In another design, the plane foil is integral with a section preformed to an open octagon with rounded vertices. A radical departure from operational characteristics of rigid gas bearings is achieved.