Experimental aircraft of the world. The most unusual aircraft in the history of aviation. The most unusual cargo planes
The history of aircraft manufacturing goes back more than a century. It is believed that the first aircraft that was able to make a stable flight was Flyer 1, built by the brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright in the USA. This happened on December 17, 1903. However, attempts to build an aircraft began much earlier. During the existence of aircraft manufacturing, many different aircraft and aircraft were built. Some of them have become fully operational, reliable and usable, even despite their strange looking, while others were removed almost immediately after testing.
Below you can see a selection of photos the strangest and most unusual aircraft, many of whom were or are still in aviation and perform their assigned functions. It is also worth saying that the unusual, and sometimes even funny, appearance of these aircraft is not at all a whim or the creative vision of the designers. Each aircraft is built according to its characteristics, its purpose. Difficult flight conditions require designers to create a shape that would be ideal for a particular purpose, for example, for transporting large loads over long or short distances, for transporting a large or small number of people, for developing ultra-high speed or other purposes. Based on compliance with the laws of lifting a car into the air and the practical purposes of the aircraft, an ideal body is created, which may seem quite unusual from the outside, but is as efficient and reliable as possible in the air.
The strangest and most unusual aircraft photos
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
Douglas X-3 "Stiletto"
McDonnell Douglas X-36
Amphibious aircraft VVA-14
Vought V-173 fighter
Ship-plane (Ekranoplan KM)
Flying tank T-60KT
M.39B Libellula carrier-based bomber
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin fighter jet
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It would seem that modern aviation has reached an engineering dead end and cannot offer anything more interesting than ordinary airplanes and ordinary helicopters. But that's not true. Let's take a look at the most amazing flying machines.
Convair V2 Sea Dart
The world's only supersonic amphibious aircraft was built in 1951. In essence, the Convair C2 Sea Dart was an ordinary jet fighter, but its fuselage easily tolerated prolonged contact with water, and the hull design included hydrofoils to move along the water surface. Despite all the promise, the project was frozen after a fatal testing accident, and since then there have been no further attempts to build a supersonic waterfowl.
Goodyear Inflatoplane
A truly unique idea was proposed to the American military by tire manufacturers Goodyear in 1959. Goodyear Inflatoplane. The entire aircraft (with the exception of the engine and some controls) was made entirely of rubber. When folded, the Inflatoplane fit into a one-cubic-meter box and required only fifteen minutes and a simple bicycle pump to inflate. The plane had excellent flight characteristics, but the military refused to accept the project for a very understandable reason - just one hit from any small arms was enough to bring down the Inflatoplane.
NASA Ames AD-1
In 1979, NASA's Ames Research Center and aircraft designer Burt Root built the world's first oblique rotating wing aircraft. The wing of such an aircraft could be brought into a position parallel to the cockpit. This allowed the aircraft to gracefully handle air currents. Compared to a conventionally designed aircraft, the Ames AD-1 had up to 20% less drag, up to 26% less wave drag, and weighed 14% less than straight-wing aircraft. During testing, the AD-1 showed excellent results; 17 pilots mastered it over the entire period, but the project was suspended, and one single copy of the aircraft was placed in the San Carlos Museum. But the technology is not dead, and today work is underway to create drones with oblique rotating wings.
Vought V-173
The Americans began development of a vertical take-off aircraft long before World War II. However, the first such truly effective aircraft appeared only in 1942. Due to its bizarre shape (the fuselage was an almost perfect circle), the Vought V-173 received the nickname “flying pancake.” The plane was propelled by two huge propellers, each with one 80-horsepower engine. It was assumed that the Vought V-173 would be used to intercept enemy aircraft from aircraft carriers. The crew consisted of two pilots; the designers planned to place weapons below the hull and a high-precision radar on the nose. But none of this happened, due to low engine power and a series of unsuccessful tests, the V-173 gave way to more advanced fighters with vertical take-off, but forever remained in the memory of aircraft designers around the world as a “flying pancake.”
Bell P-39 Airacobra
The seemingly ordinary American fighter of the Second World War was distinguished by a very unusual design element: its engine was located behind the cockpit. A sort of Porsche among airplanes. This engineering solution gave the Airacobra a number of advantages: better maneuverability, aerodynamics, best review, the ability to accommodate heavier weapons, etc. The Bell P-39 was so good that most of all aircraft produced (more than 4,500 copies) were delivered to the USSR under lend-lease.
History remembers the eternal desire of man to fly; along the way there were many discoveries and daring attempts to beat gravity; only in the 20th century did man fully seize dominance in the air, both in altitude and in speed. However, the classic aircraft layouts of the 20th century did not satisfy all design engineers; throughout the last century, inquisitive minds tried to build something radically new in order to revolutionize the idea of aeronautics.
In this publication we will try to talk about the most interesting aircraft of the last century, from almost familiar designs to actual “flying saucers”. Readers will be interested to know what the world's aircraft designers set their sights on and what they achieved in the end.
Experimental racing aircraft Bugatti 100P
Looking at this fast-moving beauty, you can’t say that the history of its creation began back in 1938. Yes, that’s when the aviation design department Italian company Bugatti began developing and then building the aircraft in the hope of not only surprising with its swift and bold shapes, but also winning the German Cup. Unfortunately, the beginning of the war and difficult economic situation after that it did not allow the plane to leave the hangar.
Vertical take-off and landing fighter Vought XF5U Skimmer “Shumovka”
The Vought XF5U vertical take-off and landing aircraft was designed to escort supply convoys as a win-win method to combat German submarines. Even America at that time could not equip each convoy with an escort aircraft carrier, and the use of the Skimmer could solve the problem, since it could take off from almost any transport ship. Unfortunately for the designers, the prototypes were built after the war and the Vought XF5U was no longer needed.
Unique Proteus aircraft
The Proteus high-altitude aircraft was originally developed as a mobile communications center, but later developed into a multi-purpose platform with the help of which it would even be possible to deliver passengers to suborbital ships. Proteus has already set several records, in particular a flight altitude record of 19,277 meters.
Experimental aircraft Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The SR-71 Blackbird strategic supersonic reconnaissance aircraft was operated by the US Air Force from 1964 to 1998. In addition to the stealth technology used in its construction, the SR-71 is interesting for the following facts: since at speeds of more than 3300 km/h the aircraft body heats up to 400C, a fuel with a high ignition temperature was developed especially for the Blackbird, which also acts as... a coolant for the cockpit air conditioning system .
Original Northrop YB-35 Flying Wing aircraft
The long-range strategic bomber XB-35 Flying Wing was designed according to the flying wing design and had truly impressive performance for its time, although it never went into production. Its four pairs of three-blade coaxial propellers were driven by four 28-cylinder engines producing 3,000 hp each. each, in order to avoid overheating, each of the engines was equipped with a cooling unit with a capacity of 350 hp.
In the 30s in the USSR, an aviation design bureau under the direction of K.A. Kalinina embarked on a grandiose and bold project for its time - a multi-engine transcontinental aircraft that would be capable of performing a wide range of tasks and, depending on needs, could serve passenger airliner and a heavy bomber and landing aircraft.
Experimental vertical takeoff aircraft VAK 191
When creating the vertical take-off and landing aircraft VAK 191 Fokker, a unique flying stand SC-1262 was built, equipped with five Rolls-Royce RB-108 turbojet engines. At this experimental stand, various tests were carried out for more than a year to evaluate the capabilities and characteristics of the power plant and on-board systems. aircraft.
Unique aircraft VZ-9V Avrocar “Flying Saucer”
In the sixties of the last century, the American Air Force became interested in the research of the Canadian company Avro Aircraft, which was seriously engaged in the implementation of a project of a disk-shaped aircraft capable of performing vertical takeoff and landing. Although the plane was embodied in metal, the prototype did not live up to expectations - the aircraft constantly experienced problems with the power plant and stability in the air.
Experimental fighter-interceptor Leduc 0.22
The Leduc 0.22 fighter-interceptor, which was developed by the French designer Rene Leduc, has a very unique appearance; in addition, the pilot in the cockpit had to be in a supine position and, in the event of an emergency, shoot from the fuselage together with the cockpit, and only after reaching a safe speed and altitude the pilot could leave the module independently and land using his own parachute.
Experimental F-85 Goblin Fighter
Light fighter The F-85 Goblin fighter was developed as an escort aircraft for ultra-long-range heavy bombers, and in theory, the Goblin was supposed to spend most of its journey in the bomb bay of the escorted aircraft, and to protect the “owner” from enemy attacks, it was brought out using special equipment. The project was closed due to the difficulties and failures that accompanied the docking of the F-85 with the carrier for return loading on board, although the aircraft itself showed excellent flight qualities.
For modern man an airplane is a common sight, but even at the beginning of the 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 appearance, but according to possibilities. 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.
Mustang fighter
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 incentive to develop 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 accidentally ending up on runway people, causing the car to overturn. 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.
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 expanded greatly job responsibilities pilots, temporarily transforming 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, he became the first (and on this 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 “strange aircraft” to the next level. new level. It was developed in the early 1980s to test the concept of a rotating wing. The long thin wing of this jet plane could turn at such an incredible angle that it turned out to be 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. During the war, this “heavenly snake” shot down many more planes enemy than any other US 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. He was able to rise to incredible heights, and he 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 can 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.