Description
While most of the airplanes are manufactured for a particular function which is transportation of man and goods, there have been many such instances when planes have been created for experimental purposes. Results of such experiments are some of the weirdest looking aircrafts with bizarre designs. These are 10 weirdest looking aircraft
1. Vought V-173 : A short range experimental American aircraft was built during the second world war for the American Navy. It featured an unorthodox "one wing" design for lifting purposes. It was rightfully nicknamed as the "flying Pancake". The two piston engines buried in the body drove the propellers located on the leading edge at the wingtips.
2. Grumman X-29 : Another American experimental aircraft which tested a forward swept wing, canard technology and other aircraft technology. Created in 1984 it could not make the cut and was discarded when it could not pass the testing stage as when the computer system malfunctioned, it could not be handled by a human pilot.
3. Edgley Optica : Introduced in 1979 by Britain's Edgley, EA-7 optica was created as a low cost alternative to helicopters. It was mainly designed for low speed observation work. Incorporating elements of both a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft, and having an eye catching cockpit it is still in use in the United Kingdom.
4. Antonov A-40 : This was a soviet experiment to lift its tanks on an airplane. It was tested in 1942, due to the fact that tanks even with their effectiveness could not travel at a fast speed. So they attempted to allow a tank to glide onto a battlefield after being towed by an airplane. Unsurpursingly the experiment failed.
5. Lockheed XFV : Also known by the name "Salmon" this was an American experimental tailsitter prototype aircraft built by Lockheed to demonstrate the operation of vertical takeoff and landing fighter for protecting convoys. However the experiment failed as the skillset required for these operations were too high.
6. Lockheed Martin P-791 : A mix and match of the high speed of an aeroplane with the buoyancy of a ship. P-791 was an experimental aerostatic and aerodynamic hybrid airship built by Lockheed. It can stay afloot at a height of over 20000 feet thanks to its design and is still in use.
7. Rutan Boomerang : Designed and built by now retired American Aerospace engineer Burt Rutan in 1996, 202 Boomerang is a multi engine aircraft. It is a bizarre looking asymmetrical aircraft. In case of an engine failure the plane can still be under control due to the presence of another one.
8. Goodyear Inflatoplane : As being suggested by its name it was an inflatable plane which could probably be fit in the trunk of any car. It was built by Goodyear aircraft company for the US army. Ofcourse it did not receive any order from the military due to the fact that it could be inflated with just a prick.
9. NASA M2-F1 : It was a lightweight unpowered prototype aircraft developed to flight test the wingless body concept. Its strange appearance earned it the nickname of "Flying Bathtub". It was a project by NASA which proved to be successful with the first flight in 1963 and its operations ended in 1966.
10.de Lackner HZ-1 Aerocycle : This was built just because there is freedom to built new stuff. It was a one man Personal helicopter developed by de Lackner. Intended to be used by inexperienced pilots who were given 20 minutes of instruction on how to operate it, after a pair of crashed this project was abandoned.
