Amazing unused aircraft designs
Throughout the years aviation has evolved dramatically due to no lack of trial, error and innovation. Here are some widely unknown designs of aircrafts that have been developed but either never came to be, can’t be built yet or do not have any particular use in society.
NASA AD-1
Built in 1979, the NASA AD-1 proved that the wings of an aircraft could pivot quite dramatically without losing any of the planes’ stability.
Stipa-Caproni
The Stipa-Caproni was built in the 1930’s, with the propeller contained entirely within the fuselage. Although never put onto the production line, the aircraft worked and lead to the development of the jet engine.
Nemuth Parasol
The Nemuth Parasol was built by students of Miami University to prove that even a circular wing could keep an aircraft in flight.
Vought V-173
The Vought V-173 was an experimental place developed by the US. It was able to fly exceptionally slowly.
281 Proteus
The 281 Proteus was designed to be as efficient as possible in order to stay in the air as long as possible. This allowed the aircraft to act as telecommunication relays, though they later became obsolete with the development of unmanned aircraft.
Blohm & Voss 141
The Blohm & Voss BV 141 was a German tactical aeroplane, notable for its asymmetry.
Grumann X-29
The Grumman X-29 was notable for its wings – which are attached to the body of the aircraft at the opposite angle to usual jet planes.
Sikorsky X-Wing
The Sikorsky X-Wing aimed to combine the vertical lift of a helicopter with the forward speed of a jet plane. The project was dropped in 1988.
Lockheed-Martin P-791
The Lockheed-Martin P-791 was designed to combine buoyancy with aerodynamic propulsion, allowing it to shift heavy cargo loads quickly.
Beriev Be-200
The Russian Beriev Be-200 was a short-lived amphibious aircraft on a huge scale.
The White Knight Two
The White Knight Two is designed to carry spacecraft between the two fuselages and ferry them to the very edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin
The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was a ‘parasite fighter’ that was meant to be deployed from the bomb bay of a larger plane.
Bartini Beriev VVA-14
The hulking Bartini Beriev VVA-14 was a soviet plane that employed vertical take-off.
Avro Canada VS-9 Avrocar
The Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar was developed by the US during the cold war in secrecy. The aircraft would have looked very much like a flying saucer, though it had severe overheating problems that prevented its practicality.
Snecma Flying Coleoptere
The Snecma Flying Coleoptere was a French experimental aircraft that could take of and land vertically, removing the need for a runway.
De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle
The De Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle was designed to take a single soldier into difficult-to-reach areas for reconnaissance missions.
The Puffin by NASA
The Puffin was designed by Nasa to carry a single pilot.
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