For modern people, an airplane is a common occurrence, but back in the early 20th century, seeing a winged car was a rarity. The twentieth century marked the era of aviation development. It was during this period that the most amazing aircraft in the world appeared. Although the first human flight took place more than 19 centuries ago.
At the end of the 1st century AD. e. In Spain, the scientist Abbas ibn Firnas designed an aircraft - a glider, on which he was able to take off and stay in the air for about 10 minutes. This was his second attempt, and 25 years earlier the first experiment ended in failure and resulted in minor injuries. Now similar, but more advanced aircraft are called hang gliders. They are used for sport and pleasure flights. In ancient times, the development of gliding progressed slowly, and in parallel, aeronautics with balloons was considered a more promising direction. Despite skepticism, gliding continued to develop and laid the foundation for the creation of motor aircraft.
The appearance of the first models with an engine could be attributed to the achievements of the 20th century, if you do not take into account the flight of the medieval designer Lagari Hassan Celebi. In 1633, the scientist built a guided rocket with a powder engine. On it, he rose to a height of 300 meters in 20 seconds, and then successfully landed with the help of wings pre-attached to his body.
Modern aircraft are increasingly moving away from the laws of aerodynamics in favor of maneuverability. For example, the Su-27 military fighter is stabilized in the air by constant control of aerodynamic stability performed by the on-board computer. In principle, the new airships can be considered amazing, but rather not in appearance, but in capabilities. Proof of this is aerobatics, in which Russian pilots traditionally hold the championship.
Today, many winged aircraft take to the skies, but each model was preceded by several prototypes, many of which never took off. In addition, there were many ideas and prototypes on which work was stopped.
Man's desire to conquer the sky has had thousands of attempts, but many of them ended fatally.
Twin aircraft
The idea of combining two sides into one had good reason - to get a machine with double power, capable of lifting large loads, as well as making long and long-distance flights. The design consisted of two fuselages connected by a middle wing. Such airliners were controlled by two pilots from different cockpits, which made it possible to alternate control. While one pilot was flying the aircraft, the second could rest, thereby increasing the flight time significantly.
Errand boy
This is how German pilots nicknamed the unusual winged aircraft that took part in World War II. The Heinkel 111 Zwilling received its characteristic nickname due to its versatility and application for solving various problems. Constructed, as they say, hastily, the aircraft consisted of two welded Heinkel 111 bombers. Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite effective. Although the design was originally designed as a tug for cargo gliders, the vehicle was modified to serve as a heavy bomber. The design was highly reliable and could even be equipped with three thrust rockets for takeoff with a large load.
The first concept of a jet engine was put forward in 1881 by N.I. Kibalchich. He developed it in his prison cell a few days before his execution.
Fighter Mustang
Taking into account the excellent characteristics of the German model, American aircraft designers created their own welded model of the F-82. The test flight took place on July 6, 1945.
After excellent test results, the US Air Force ordered 500 fighters, but the order was subsequently reduced to 270 aircraft. The reason for the reduction was the development of jet engines, and the F-82 Mustang became the last piston-powered American fighter.
Giant airships
The idea of creating large cargo planes was one of the most difficult to implement. Today everyone knows such models as “Mriya” and “Ruslan”. At one time, the whole world froze in front of their television screens watching the winged giant An-225 Mriya carrying the Buran space shuttle on its back. However, attempts to build multi-ton aircraft have been made before.
Hercules
The Hughes H–4 Hercules is a wooden aircraft with a wingspan of 97.5 m. It is the largest flying boat to date. The only experimental model was created by designer Howard Hughes. The impetus for the development of such an aircraft was the Second World War, or rather German submarines, which posed a serious threat to the US fleet. Moreover, the first flight took place after the war in 1947.
Despite the successful test, this flight was the only one, and the rarity now stands in the museum. The reason for the rejection was new technologies that involved the creation of more advanced airships.
The first and last Caspian monster
The designers of the 500-ton aircraft giant were Alekseev and Efimov. The idea was grandiose and could make a breakthrough in aviation. The aircraft was designed for long-distance flights, could carry up to 240 tons of cargo on board and reach a speed of 200 km/h. Unfortunately, the first model, named "Caspian Monster", crashed during a test flight. And although the pilots managed to escape, the idea was abandoned for many years.
One of the significant incentives for the development of aviation is war. .
The first damn thing is lumpy
The very first attempt to create a transatlantic airliner was the Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano. The 1921 “brainchild” was an awkward design with nine wings in three packages in a triplane configuration. The model was designed for takeoff and landing from and on water.
The first flight was scheduled for March 4 of the same year. After the takeoff run, the airliner took off from the surface of the water, gained a height of 18 meters and fell apart, and both pilots were killed.
Aircraft of unusual shape
The most amazing aircraft in the world may only vaguely resemble or have nothing in common with the traditional image of an aircraft. Most likely, when you see such a structure in the sky, your first thought will be about aliens.
Flying bath
The plane was developed as a capsule for the return of astronauts. M2-F1 is one of NASA's failed efforts. The first prototype was even created and flew in August 1963.
The last test of the unusual design took place in 1966, and after that the project was closed.
Flying saucer
Whether aliens from other planets are real is a moot point, but creative Canadian engineers definitely exist. The Avrocar project took 7 years of research, during which 2 prototypes in the shape of a plate were created. Both models were tested in 1952, but it was never possible to raise them above one and a half meters. The further fate of the program is very vague, but the development was officially closed.
Strong pancake
It turns out that before the Americans had a “hard nut to crack,” they also had a “hard pancake.” This is an experimental V-173 fighter from 1942. It received the nickname “Pancake” because of its characteristic shape, which actually resembles a pancake. Despite the first impression of clumsiness, it was distinguished by increased maneuverability and was one of the first aircraft with almost vertical take-off. The extended front chassis gave the model a special stance. With sharp acceleration from a standstill, the car soared into the atmosphere, accelerating in a matter of meters.
There were legends about the fortress of the “Pancake”, the basis for which was an accident during landing. Sharp braking of the chassis, as a result of people accidentally ending up on the landing strip, led to the car overturning. However, she received no damage, apart from scratches, and the pilot, who saved the curious spectators, escaped with minor bruises.
Airplane in a box
The amazing airplanes of the world could differ not only in design, shape and capabilities, but also in the material of manufacture. It is unlikely that you will surprise anyone with inflatable mattresses, boats, swimming pools and even sofas, but an inflatable plane will at least make you smile. In 1959, American engineers proposed to the military a unique design of a single-seat inflatable aircraft, the Goodyear Inflatoplane. With the exception of the engine and some control parts, the structure consisted of durable rubber.
When folded, the airship fit into a 1 m³ box, and assembly and inflation took 15 minutes. The military rejected the proposal due to the vulnerability of the aircraft to any small arms. At the same time, the inflatable model had excellent flight characteristics and real prospects in other areas of application.
History contains many more winged cars that amaze the imagination. Perhaps the time will come when traditional airplanes will be as amazing as vintage gliders made of wooden slats and fabric are today.
Hypersonic experimental vehicle Falcon 2. This is, no less, the fastest aircraft ever created by the US military. Falcon 2 is an experimental rocket-propelled glider designed to travel at Mach 22. His idea is to create a vessel that can reach anywhere on the planet and deliver a bomb payload within one hour, and to achieve this goal, DARPA has developed this durable and lightweight glider. To date, testing is not going as well as we would like, but the program is still in the development stage.
X-51 Waverider. The X-51 Waverider, created by Boeing in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, was designed to exceed Mach 6—far beyond the capabilities of any current combat aircraft. It is launched into the atmosphere from a B-52 bomber and then uses its hydrocarbon fuel engine to accelerate to hypersonic speeds. The final test of the Waverider will take place later this year.
RQ-3 Darkstar. Military drones are on everyone's lips these days, but the concept of unmanned combat aircraft is nothing new. Lockheed-Martin pioneered the industry in the 1990s with its project codenamed "DarkStar". It was a top-secret mission to create an unmanned surveillance drone with stealth capabilities, and although the project was abandoned in 1998, rumors persist that it was brought back for black ops and used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Sukhoi SU-47. One of Russia's best combat aircraft is the Sukhoi SU-47, an experimental supersonic fighter with a forward-swept wing. The unique aerodynamics of the fuselage gives the SU-47 unprecedented maneuverability at speeds exceeding Mach 1. And although the fighter never went into mass production, Sukhoi made attempts to sell it on the open arms market.
Northrop XB-35. The art of aerodynamics is constantly evolving, and as scientists learn more about the interaction of an airplane with air currents and other factors, they improve the shape of their aircraft. One of the most important innovations in aircraft design came in the late forties with the development of the flying wing concept. With less drag, these vessels are more fuel efficient. The Air Force contracted Northrop to develop a bomber based on this concept, and the result was the stunning XB-35, which made many test flights before its propellers began to fail, derailing the project's development.
Boeing X-37B. When we exhaust all options for war on Earth, the conflict will inevitably move into space. This obvious conclusion is behind the development of the Boeing X-37B, a joint project between NASA and the Department of Defense. After launching into space via a disposable rocket booster, the X-37B detaches and can spend a month in Earth orbit before landing. All missions involving the X-37B are strictly classified, so no one knows exactly what it is doing there for so long.
Vought V-173. Dubbed the "Flying Pancake", the Vought V-173 was one of the most unusual experimental aircraft of World War II. With its round design and two giant propellers, it was designed to fly at speeds far below those of the day. The V-173 had incredible maneuverability and was incredibly durable—after one test flight, it flipped over and essentially landed upside down without suffering any serious damage. It was an extremely interesting concept design, but unfortunately there weren't enough practical applications for it and the project was abandoned.
Tupolev TU-95LAL. The fission of the atom opened new horizons in the art of warfare, but the very capabilities of nuclear technology exceeded the simple destructive power of atomic bombs. We all know that nuclear energy revolutionized submarines, but the Soviet Union also tried to use it in airplanes. In 1961, the Tupolev TU-95LAL was launched, a bomber modified to use a small nuclear reactor as a fuel source. After forty test flights, the program was mothballed due to multiple safety concerns.
Ryan X-13 Vertijet. Vertical takeoff and landing excited the minds of aircraft manufacturers throughout the 20th century. The fact that traditional aircraft require long takeoffs and runways seriously reduces their effectiveness on the battlefield. One of the smartest and most unique attempts to solve this problem came in 1953, when the US Navy contracted Ryan Aeronautical to create an aircraft that could take off vertically, transition to level flight, and then land vertically. Only two X-13s were built before the project was shelved.
Aerocycle De Lackner HZ-1. Reconnaissance is one of the main tasks of air support, but using an entire aircraft for reconnaissance seems to be an irrational use of resources. Or at least that's what the creators of the De Lackner HZ-1, a single-seat flying platform controlled by tilting in different directions, thought. The Army acquired several units for testing, but they turned out to be more difficult to control than originally thought. Plus, the underbelly rotors tended to lift rocks and dirt from the surface directly into the pilot's face if the flight was conducted at too low an altitude.
From the very day when man first took to the air, he never stopped for a day in his search for new and increasingly perfect forms and designs. Every year, engineers from all over the planet created new aircraft. Sometimes they came up with something that seemed impossible to fly.
1. M2-F1
It's strange, but it flies. |Photo: blogspot.com. In 1963, the USA conducted tests of the M2-F1 aircraft, which they wanted to use to return astronauts to Earth. The engineers jokingly nicknamed their creation the “Flying Bathtub.” The dimensions of the device were 6.1x2.89 meters, and the weight reached 454 kg. The “Flying Bathtub” was controlled by one single pilot. The tests took 3 years, after which the project was closed. Now M2-F1 is a museum exhibit at Edwards Air Force Base.2. Stipa-Caproni
Looks like something from another planet. |Photo: soulblog.ru. This aircraft was created by Italian engineer Luigi Stipa in 1932. The master called his creation “intubated propeller”. Despite a number of bold ideas and good aerodynamic performance, the “flying barrel” was never able to surpass the parameters of existing aircraft. Moreover, the car was extremely inconvenient to drive.
3.Vought V-173
The first aircraft with vertical take-off. |Photo: mansden.ru. Due to its distinctive design, this aircraft was jokingly nicknamed the “Flying Pancake.” The Vought V-173 was created in 1943 by American engineer Charles Zimmerman and became the first vertical take-off aircraft. The wingspan of the device was 7.1 meters, and the maximum speed could reach 222 km/h. The aircraft was conceived as a carrier-based bomber. It can now be seen at the Smithsonian University. 4. XF-85 Goblin
Watchdog for a bomber. |Photo: livejournal.com. The smallest jet fighter in history, called the XF-85 Goblin, was created in 1948 by McDonnell. It was assumed that the egg-shaped device would be placed in the compartment of a bomber. Only pilots who had passed the most stringent selection could drive the car - height no higher than 172 cm and weight no more than 90 kg (already in equipment). The project was closed in 1949.
5. Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
It still flies. |Photo: vistapointe.net. One of the most unusual aircraft in the world, largely due to the shape of its fuselage. The car was created in 1962. The plane looked so strange that every skeptic doubted that the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy would even be able to take off. However, the “Flying Whale” was able not only to rise into the sky, but also took 24,500 kg of cargo with it.
6. K-7
They decided to close the project for a number of reasons. |Photo: mirtesen.ru. The multi-role Soviet aircraft K-7 was a real “Flying Monster”. They wanted to use it both as a military vehicle and as a civilian one. The length of this giant was 28 meters, and its wingspan was 53 meters. The mass of the device is 21 thousand kg. The aircraft could carry 112 paratroopers or 8.5 tons of bombs. In the military modification, 12 firing points were also installed on it. After 7 successful test flights, a disaster occurred during a new test, killing 15 crew members. Over time, they decided to close the project.
7. Inflatoplane
Rubber plane. |Photo: popmech.ru. A project of the American company Goodyear from 1956 specifically for the Pentagon. The aircraft is a hybrid of an airship and a balloon. Most of the body was made of rubberized nylon. The “rubber plane” was powered by an engine with a power of only 60 hp. 
And it's not a joke. ¦Photo: popmech.ru. When not in use, the device was placed in a small box, which made it possible to carry it even in the trunk of a small car.
Dear reader, just recently you and I had the opportunity to talk about a very interesting area of technological progress, and judging by the responses, it is interesting not only to men but also to our fair sex, dear women. We talked about the exciting history, beautiful, although not always, concepts and designs. I agree, the topic is quite interesting, especially since it worries almost everyone, because every day we come across this type of transport and many have the opportunity to drive their beautiful car.
In today’s article I would like to provide material about a not so distant, despite its frequent location, form of transport - the airplane. Namely, about rare, sometimes strange and crazy ideas and designs, both from ours and from foreign aircraft designers.
What can I say, flying on an airplane brings a lot of pleasure. And I will not be mistaken if I say that a person who has at least once used the services of Aeroflot was left with excellent impressions. Although... If you look at the miracles of aircraft manufacturing that we will talk about today, I will probably be a little more careful in my judgments.
Go? Or it would be more correct to say: “Let's fly!”
Very often, aircraft designers design their aircraft around a central concept of functionality. However, sometimes they just want to prove that their car flies. From UFO-like saucers to inflatable airplanes, designers have tried and tested almost everything. Some of these bizarre, strange creatures have become the source of future generations of flying machines, while others are gathering dust in museums or worse, awaiting their fate in "cemeteries."
Top 10 strangest aircraft that existed in the history of aircraft manufacturing.
The Goodyear Inflatoplane
To begin the list of the strangest airplanes that have existed in the history of mankind, let me just tell you that creating an inflatable airplane to rescue surrounded soldiers on the battlefield was not a bright idea, to say the least. However, this is exactly what Goodyear tried to do when it sold its idea for a new inflatable airplane to the US Army in 1956.
Naturally, the Army was interested and impressed by this strange idea and asked Goodyear to develop some prototypes for testing.
The initial prototype, GA-33, was built and flown in less than 12 days. It was basically a huge hot air balloon with an air engine on top. The wings, seat and tail were made from durable aircraft fabric developed exclusively by Goodyear for the Inflatoplane. Called Airmat, it was made by weaving layers of rubberized nylon with thousands of nylon threads. The rest of the fuselage was a conventional airship. The pressure needed to maintain the airframe's rigidity was provided by an air compressor, which was driven by the same 40 horsepower engine that propelled the aircraft.
When not in use, the entire aircraft and its engine could be packed into a box small enough to be transported in a wheelbarrow. The box could also be carried in the back of a jeep, truck, or even parachuted from an airplane. The big idea was to drop the packed aircraft behind enemy lines, then a soldier could use a hand pump to inflate it and have it ready for flight in less than 6 minutes. Later prototypes such as the GA 468 and GA 467 included a more powerful 60 hp engine along with two-seat variants.
After much testing, the Army concluded that the aircraft was simply not practical to serve as a rescue and reconnaissance aircraft. And it's not hard to see why an inflatable rubber plane that flies at 55 mph isn't exactly what a soldier would want. By 1959, Goodyear ceased production of Inflatoplanes and the program came to an end. However, this is one of those strange aircraft that actually had a place in the aircraft industry.
The Stipa-Caproni
This unique aircraft, also known as the "Flying Barrel", was the brainchild of Italian aeronautical engineer Luigi Stipa and is still considered one of the unusual aircraft.
After an in-depth study of the principles of dynamics, the design engineer believed that if the engine and propeller were placed in a conical tube, the overall thrust output would be increased. He called his project "intubated propeller".
To test his theory, he began collaborating with the famous Italian aircraft designer Caproni and in 1932 began working on a prototype. Stipa used a 120 horsepower De-Havilland Gipsy 3 engine attached to a wooden propeller with two blades. The entire assembly was contained within the aircraft's large tubular fuselage.
The test flight results proved that the new design was an aerodynamic marvel. Despite the weak engine and short wing span, the aircraft showed great stability. However, it was unable to achieve high speed due to the large amount of drag generated by the fuselage. This limited the aircraft's top speed to 81 mph. However, Luigi didn't care about top speed.
The readings confirmed that its design was suitable for use in larger aircraft engines such as bombers and commercial airliners. Luigi then approached the Italian government and asked for funding to take his elaborate propeller design to the next level. Although test pilots confirmed the advantages of its design, the government was more interested in the speed of the aircraft. Consequently, the Stipa Caproni project was revised and forgotten.
The Blohm & Voss BV 141
Already in 1937, the Nazi air force needed a reconnaissance aircraft. To accomplish this task, two aircraft were selected: the Focke-Wulf 189 “Uhu” and a completely new development - the Blohm & Voss BV-141 (LINK 5) asymmetric tactical reconnaissance aircraft. Later he entered the list of the most unusual flying machines.
The Focke-Wulf was a conventional twin-engine aircraft and was officially declared the winner. However, the design of the BV 141 was so promising that the ministry secretly decided to continue research on the aircraft.
Unlike other aircraft of its time, the BV 141 used an asymmetrical approach. The plane was divided into two separate sections, connected together by the wing. The main body housed the BMW engine, and the cockpit was located away from the body, on the wing. The design was inspired by the ideals of former pilot Richard Vogt, who was a designer at Blohm & Voss.
The aircraft was certainly a better observation aircraft than the Focke-Wulf 189 and certainly one of the strangest aircraft. Despite an order for 500 of these machines, the project was stopped due to various factors. Later, Allied bombing destroyed the main Focke-Wulf plant, resulting in about 80% of the Blohm & Voss workforce switching to production of Focke-Wulf aircraft.
Hughes H4 Hercules
Back in 1942, the American government needed a large cargo aircraft that could transport troops and cargo across the Atlantic to Europe.
The Second World War was going on. Nazi ships and submarines constantly attacked American supply ships trying to reach Europe. Aviation magnate and billionaire Howard Hughes responded with a proposal that no one thought was reasonable at the time - the H4 H4.
If this project is completed, it will be the largest aircraft ever built, as well as the largest flying ship.
- said Howard Hughes.
What's even more interesting is that when Hughes signed his contract with the Army, he was prohibited from using metals in the construction of his giant airplane because it was wartime and metal was in short supply. So Hughes decided to make a giant airplane out of wood.
As the war dragged on, people began to doubt Hughes, who could not complete the development of his giant "Flying Dutchman". The press began to mock him, calling his creation a “Christmas tree.” The plane was actually made from laminated birch wood.
Hughes continued to work on the aircraft until it was ready in 1947. On a short flight to Long Beach Harbor, Hughes decided to find out if his plane could fly. He did it. His creation flew only a mile, 70 feet above the ocean's surface. It has never flown since and is the only one of its kind.
It still holds the record for the highest wingspan of any aircraft ever built, including giants like the Antonov An-225 and Airbus A380, not to mention one of the strangest aerial creations to take to the skies.
Vought V-173 / XF5U-1 "Flying Pancake"
This is certainly one of the unusual aircraft designs that can easily be added to today's list.
After the Japanese Air Force attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, the US military needed an aircraft that could take off and land in a confined space, such as the deck of an aircraft carrier. It was also expected that the new device would be effective in combat encounters with submarines and fighters. The development was entrusted to the Vought company, which was famous for producing the famous F4U Corsair fighters.
In 1942, the company began working on the "Flying Flapjack" design, a shape that did not have a nose, tail or wing section. Instead, the entire body resembled a pancake-like shape, with two propellers protruding from the tip of each side.
The first prototype was named V-173. It really impressed during test runs, demonstrating the ability to take off and land at extremely low speeds. This was due to the fact that, unlike most conventional aircraft, the entire body of the V-173 was involved in lifting the vehicle as it took to the skies. The hull was also very stable and did not impede movement during flight. All this made it an ideal candidate for aircraft carriers.
The Navy soon began funding production and testing of an improved version of the XF5U-1. It was basically a redesigned V-173 with larger engines and a larger body. The designers also intended to use lightweight material for the aircraft body. It was a balsa wood core laminated with aluminum. At that time it seemed fantastic.
The XF5U was expected to have a top speed of 425 mph with a landing speed of only 20 mph. However, the design suffered from excessive vibration in the engine compartments. These vibrations could potentially destabilize the aircraft in flight, so testing was delayed. By the time the problems were resolved, the war was over, and the military began to turn its attention to jet aircraft, which looked much more promising.
The Bartini Beriev VVA 14 (Bartini Beriev VVA 14)
The Bartini VVA 14 was an experimental seaplane prototype developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The designer of this strange aircraft was Italian aeronautical engineer Robert Bartini.
When the Soviet Union began to fear that the United States would launch a nuclear attack on them from its submarines, the country's leadership turned to the Beriev aviation company, which was well known for the development of its seaplanes.
It was decided to build an amphibious aircraft that could take off from land and water, could glide at high speeds on the surface of the ocean, and also have VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capabilities. His most important task was to hunt US Army submarines.
If successfully developed, VVA 14 would prove a serious threat to any Western navies attempting to invade Soviet waters. Development of the first prototypes began in the early 1970s.
The body of the device resembled the fuselage of bomber aircraft, with pontoon arms extended on both sides. One straight wing provided lift, and two turbofan engines provided airborne propulsion. The aircraft initially used inflatable pontoons, but later switched to metal ones to enable high-speed travel on water. Two more turbofans were added to the forward end of the fuselage to give it high speed on the water surface.
Unfortunately, the final design was never completed as the company tasked with supplying the jet engines needed for vertical takeoff never delivered them on time. Bartini died in 1974 and with his death the aircraft began to encounter numerous problems during testing and the project was finally abandoned. It's a pity.
The last remaining VVA 14 is in dismantled condition at the Air Force Museum in Monino, Moscow.
The Konstantin Kalinin K-7 (Konstantin Kalinin K-7)
One look at this plane and you can definitely tell where it came from. From Russia. Sorry, in this case from the USSR, since this aircraft was built in the 1930s.
Its purpose was to serve as a bomber/cargo aircraft. The K-7 was the largest aircraft of its time, with a wingspan longer than the B-52, so it landed with importance right on that list of unusual flying designs.
It was created by former World War 1 pilot Konstantin Kalinin. The aircraft's design was quite unorthodox, with a small central fuselage and giant, thick wings. The landing gear was built into two pontoon structures under the wings. Propulsion was provided by a total of seven V12 engines, six in thrust and one in push configuration. The plane was capable of carrying 19 people along with 16 tons of bombs and 120 paratroopers in its giant wings. Strange structures below the wings held the landing gear, along with eight 7.62mm machine guns and eight 20mm cannons.
The first and only K-7 developed was used in a total of seven test flights. He could fly, which was quite amazing.
However, there were some problems. During the flight, the tail sections vibrated strongly. The smart designers decided to weld giant pieces of steel for the tail booms to hold them in place rather than look for real problems with the aircraft. And thus the test flights continued.
However, on one test flight, the tail section broke and the ailerons jammed, causing the aircraft to crash. The accident resulted in the death of 15 people and was a major blow to the Soviet propaganda machine, which had just revealed its huge aircraft to the world. Konstantin Kalinin was arrested on charges of sabotaging his own plane, branded a traitor, and was eventually executed by firing squad in 1938.
The Avro VZ9 Avrocar
The VZ9 was the result of an experiment conducted by Avro Canada and the US military to create a "flying saucer". This is actually why this project ended up on our list of strange aircraft.
It's clear that someone at the Pentagon was heavily into watching a ton of movies about aliens and their vehicles.
The military hoped that the "saucer" would have stealth characteristics, be able to fly at altitudes of up to 100,000 feet and have a maximum speed exceeding sound.
This "brainchild" created by the Avro company, nowhere came close to achieving these impressive goals set by the US military. Instead, it could barely rise above 3 or 4 feet before losing control, and the top speed was only 35 mph. In addition, piloting the aircraft was a huge inconvenience and caused physical harm to the pilot. The centralized rotor lifted everything that was under the device, water, sand, stones and threw it in the pilot’s face. So it was very difficult to fly without a protective windshield.
Numerous tests in NASA's air navigation tunnels revealed that the aircraft's design was fundamentally flawed, and any attempt to increase performance would require a complete overhaul of the basic design. After spending more than $10 million on the project, the government finally decided it was in its best interest to abandon the project.
The XF-85 Goblin (Goblin XF-85)
Long-range bombing aircraft were extremely important to the aviation of any country, and World War II proved this fact. Although bombers were good at delivering large payloads over long distances, they could not deal with enemy fighters. And the accompanying fighters could not keep up, or rather wing-wise, with the ever-expanding range of bombers.
The Goblin was the smallest jet fighter ever built, with an egg-shaped body that was only 15 feet long. It was equipped with four .50 caliber machine guns to compensate for its unimpressive size.
It was originally installed inside the hull of a B-29 to test its functionality before being used in the B-36. "Baby" Goblin had to separate from the bomber body, complete its mission and return back.
Separation was not a problem and the tiny plane handled it just fine. However, the biggest problem was the return. The B-29's propeller blast would throw the Goblin sideways, making hooking the hook to the trapeze nearly impossible.
Only 3 of 7 re-engagement attempts were successful, and in one case the aircraft crashed into the trapeze, breaking the forward fuselage and cockpit canopy. Since the designers did not provide any landing gear, the pilot somehow miraculously landed on the water surface of the lake.
Other re-entry problems, the Goblin's tiny engine and limited firepower would have put it at a disadvantage compared to Soviet fighters.
Due to docking problems and poor performance, the USAF eventually canceled the Goblin program. Later they began to focus on long-range refueling of aircraft, a much more practical solution to the bomber escort problem. But still, little Goblin found a place on our list.
The Lun class Ekranoplane
The Lun ekranoplan tops the list of unusual aircraft created by aircraft designers. If there is one word to describe Soviet technology, it is “huge.”
This particular mammoth aircraft, known as the Lun-class MD-160, is a cross between an airplane and a ship. It could fly just 5 meters above the water and reach speeds of over 500 km/h. The upper fuselage is equipped with six SS-N-22 anti-ship missile launchers. If small threats appeared, such as boats or low-flying aircraft, Lun was equipped with 23 mm cannons and 50 caliber machine guns.
During the Cold War, Soviet designers experimented with a special type of aircraft known as an ekranoplan. These planes could fly very close to the surface of the water, and could glide at high speeds along the surface of the ocean. This resulted in improved fuel efficiency as well as stealth since radar, which at the time was not capable of detecting aircraft flying at such low altitudes, could not do so.
The first and only aircraft of this class in history was designed as a high-speed vehicle for transporting people and ships. It was deployed to the Black Sea Fleet in 1987 and remained in service until the late 1990s. The plane weighed 350 tons and was longer than other similar aircraft. It could travel across the surface of the ocean at speeds of almost 500 km/hour, faster than any ship, making it an excellent interceptor vehicle.
The ekranoplan could also sneak past enemy radar and fire a salvo of anti-ship missiles before the enemy realized the plane was even there. However, the large size of the "giant" made it an easy target for enemy fighters, so an entire escort of fighter planes and submarines would be needed to accompany it. Plans for a second Lun ekranoplan, both as a rapid response aircraft and as a search and rescue vessel, began in the late 1980s, but the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the program.
The beautiful Lun MD-160 was decommissioned in 1997 and is now at the naval base in Kaspiysk, awaiting its fate. There are rumors that activists are turning to the authorities in order to preserve the ekranoplan and transfer it to the museum. At the moment, the fate of the Project 903 Lun ekranoplan rocket ship is unknown.
Whatever methods and types of means of transportation, our dear reader, you use, remember that there are still many unusual, strange and fascinating things in the world, which we will talk about at our next meeting. Bye!
The invention of flying machines, which allow humans to travel in the Earth's atmosphere, ranks among mankind's greatest innovations. Aviation challenges the limits and new ideas emerge all the time, but the aircraft listed below are not even remotely "the norm."
(Total 22 photos + 5 videos)
Convair V2 Sea Dart
1. In addition to standard aircraft, pilots sometimes have access to very interesting aircraft. The fighter that will be discussed now could land directly on the surface of the ocean. And he greatly expanded the job responsibilities of pilots, temporarily turning them from ordinary pilots into ski chassis operators.
2. The Convair V2 Sea Dart was an experimental American fighter aircraft built in 1951 as a prototype supersonic seaplane, complete with a watertight hull and a pair of hydrofoils.
3. It was decided to abandon the production of this fighter after the disaster that ended in the death of the pilot. But nevertheless, it became the first (and at the moment the only) seaplane to break the sound barrier.
Goodyear Inflatoplane
4. When a car tire company enters the aircraft market, very unusual results are to be expected. In 1959, Goodyear Tire tried to satisfy the market's demand for a small, comfortable airplane, and its response to those demands was very quirky. The Goodyear Inflatoplane's open cockpit was made entirely of rubber.
5. In fact, everything there was made of rubber, except for the engine and wires. The plane could be stowed in a 1 meter long box and could be fully inflated using a regular bicycle pump in just 15 minutes. From an aerodynamic point of view, the car was excellent, as it rose into the air with incredible ease. However, Goodyear Tire faced serious problems. They were unable to convince the military to buy their creation after the military learned that the plane could be shot down with just one bullet or even a slingshot.
NASA A1 Pivot-Wing
6. The NASA A1 Pivot-Wing was able to take the concept of “weird plane” to a whole new level. It was developed in the early 1980s to test the concept of a rotating wing. The long, thin wing of this jet could turn at such an incredible angle that it was almost parallel to the pilot's cabin. The idea behind this unorthodox and exceptionally innovative approach was to compensate for vortex disturbances in the air flow in this way.
7. The strange plane even made several flights, and it flew surprisingly well, but the results were still not considered convincing enough to justify the cost of its production. However, modern drones based on this aircraft's design are currently under development.
Vought V-173
8. The Vought V-173 was developed in 1942 as a prototype vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of intercepting enemy fighters by taking off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Due to its strange design, test pilots nicknamed this aircraft the “flying pancake.”
9. Its fuselage had a round shape. A pair of engines drove huge propellers, which did not touch the ground during takeoff only thanks to the elongated landing gear. Low demand and one accident decided the fate of this project, but it began development in this direction, which eventually led to the appearance of the famous Harrier Jump Jet.
Bell P-39 Aircobra
10. Still, sometimes it is better for experts to stick only to what they are really familiar with. During World War II, Bell Helicopters produced a powerful and incredibly maneuverable fighter aircraft with excellent combat characteristics.
11. Most airplanes have engines located at the front, but Bell, being a helicopter company, created a fighter with an engine centered behind the cockpit. A long shaft coming from this engine rotated the propeller at the front, but this design led to an unusual location for the machine's center of gravity. This “sky snake” shot down many more enemy aircraft during the war than any other American Air Force fighter. However, some “Cobras” died not because they were shot down by the enemy, but because they fell themselves, easily falling into a “tailspin” even due to the most insignificant mistakes of the pilots.
SR 71 Blackbird
12. The SR 71 Blackbird was created before the era of universal satellite technology. It was the first reconnaissance aircraft of its kind, with unprecedented speed and range. It was capable of rising to incredible heights, and it looked like a scary, almost alien spaceship.
13. However, there were serious flaws in the design of the SR 71 Blackbird. As soon as the plane climbed to an altitude of 7 km and accelerated to a speed of 3300 km/h, its outer skin heated up to 400 degrees and began to glow red. This hellish picture outside the cockpit did not please the pilots too much. And although the cabin was insulated with asbestos, the pilots still had to sit in it for half an hour after landing, in order not to singe their feet when leaving. Even the transparent cockpit canopy was heated to 300 degrees.
Convair Pogo
14. The Grumman X23, aka Pogo, represented a radical departure from all aircraft manufacturing norms. It wasn't even eccentric, it was full-blown absurdity. In appearance, Pogo slightly resembled a regular airplane, if you do not pay attention to the jet engine built into the nose cone of the device. This engine allowed Pogo to take off vertically. But unlike most aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing, the nose of the Pogo lifted up at a right angle before takeoff, so that the pilot in the cockpit almost lay down like an astronaut in a rocket. Only after such preliminary preparation could the Pogo take off.
15. There were several successful test flights, but like many other aerial failures, this project never made it far from the ground.
McDonnell Douglas X-15
16. The X-15 is a very old project, but it was such a significant and anomalous leap forward that it remains unsurpassed in aviation history to this day. First tested in 1959, the experimental X-15 rocket plane was 2 meters long, with two tiny meter-long stubs of wings on each side.
17. A series of tests showed that the rocket plane was capable of reaching an altitude of 107 km, so that two completed missions were qualified as space flights. When this small plane passed through the dense layers of the atmosphere, its speed was six times the speed of sound. The X-15's skin was coated with a special nickel-based alloy, which was similar to that found in meteorites. This alloy prevented the fastest aircraft on the planet from burning up in the atmosphere.
Blohm and Voss BV 141
18. In the ordinary world, symmetry is a rule that can be seen in almost everything, from eyes to wings and fins. Engineers are also inspired by this principle when creating their inventions, and this rule is also true for aircraft engines. However, during the Second World War, German engineers from the Dornier company noticeably deviated from this norm and created a reconnaissance aircraft in which the tail stabilizer was located only on one side, and the cockpit was located asymmetrically, on the opposite side.
19. At first glance, this design looks unbalanced. However, due to the fact that the cabin is located on the right side, and the main propeller is to the left, a moment of force arises during flight, which helps the plane fly smoothly. As a result, this bizarre device not only successfully took off from the ground, but also subsequently inspired many creators of modern sports aircraft to create devices with a similar design.
20. Consider a house on the water crossed with an airplane. This is the idea behind the Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano. This machine set the bar for airplane weirdness so high that even Richthofen's Red Fokker looks pale in comparison. The length of this aircraft was 23 m. Weight - a whopping 26 tons. This floating and flying aircraft was built to become the first transatlantic airliner in the history of aviation.
21. Based on the theory that with enough wings you could lift anything into the air, engineers created a stack of three wings in the front and three in the middle. Instead of a tail, another, third set of wings was used. This monstrous machine could probably be classified as a triple triplane, and nothing like it was ever built before or since.
22. Getting off the ground was not a problem, but immediately after takeoff, at an altitude of 18 meters, the device began to fall apart and then fell into the water. Both pilots were killed. After this, the plane was repaired, but later it burned down. This happened at night, and the details of this incident are still not fully understood.