7 planes of unusual shape, which are easy to mistake for UFOs

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

From the very day when a person first took to the air, he did not stop for a day in his search for new and more and more perfect forms and structures. Every year, engineers from all over the planet created new aircraft. Sometimes they got something that, it would seem, would not be able to fly.

1. M2-F1

In 1963, the US tested the M2-F1 aircraft, which they wanted to use to return astronauts to Earth. Engineers jokingly nicknamed their creation "Flying Bath". The dimensions of the device were 6.1x2.89 meters, and the mass reached 454 kg. The Flying Bath was operated by a single pilot. The tests took place for 3 years, after which the project was closed. The M2-F1 is now a museum piece at Edwards.

2. Stipa-Caproni

This aircraft was created by the Italian engineer Luigi Stipa in 1932. The master called his creation "intubed propeller". Despite a number of bold ideas and good aerodynamic performance, the "flying barrel" could not surpass the existing aircraft in terms of its parameters. Moreover, the car was extremely inconvenient to drive.

3. Vought V-173

For its characteristic design, this aircraft was jokingly nicknamed "Flying Pancake". The Vought V-173 was created in 1943 by the American engineer Charles Zimmerman and became the first vertical takeoff vehicle. The wingspan of the vehicle was 7.1 meters, and the maximum speed could reach 222 km / h. The plane was conceived as a carrier-based bomber. He can now be seen at the Smithsonian University.

4. XF-85 Goblin

The smallest jet fighter in history, the XF-85 Goblin, was created in 1948 by McDonnell. It was assumed that the egg-shaped apparatus will be placed in the bomber compartment. Only pilots who passed the most severe selection could operate the car - the height is no higher than 172 cm and the weight is no more than 90 kg (already in gear). The project was closed in 1949.

5. Aero Spacelines Super Guppy

One of the most unusual aircraft in the world, thanks in large part 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 could take off at all. However, the Flying Whale was able not only to rise into the sky, but also took 24,500 kg of cargo with him.

6. K-7

The multipurpose Soviet aircraft K-7 was a real "Flying Monster". They wanted to use it both as a military machine and as a civilian one. The giant was 28 meters long and had a wingspan of 53 meters. The mass of the apparatus is 21 thousand kg. The plane could carry 112 paratroopers or 8.5 tons of bombs. In the military version, 12 firing points were also installed on it. After 7 successful test flights, a disaster struck during the new test, which claimed the lives of 15 crew members. Over time, they decided to close the project.

7. Inflatoplane

The project of the American company Goodyear from 1956 specifically for the Pentagon. The aircraft is a hybrid of an airship and a hot air balloon. Most of the body was made of rubberized nylon. The "rubber plane" was propelled by an engine with a power of only 60 hp.

When inoperative, the device fit into a small box, which made it possible to carry it even in the trunk of a small car.