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10 Fascinating Experimental Aircraft Of World War II

It should come as no surprise that during World War II, airplane designers around the world built some fascinating experimental airplanes. From early helicopters to bombers meant to attack the United States, these are some of the most interesting airplanes to ever fly.

10 Blackburn B-20

During World War II, floatplanes and flying boats played a big part in the air forces of the world powers. Floatplanes had the advantage of being more flexible in water operations, but they were often small and struggled with maneuverability due to the large float on the bottom of the plane. Flying boats were often used as patrol bombers, but they were large and slow. So the Blackburn Aircraft Company decided to design an airplane that joined the best elements of floatplanes and flying boats, ending up with the oddball B-20 (somewhat similar to the one depicted above).

Half of the B-20’s fuselage was a retractable float. When the B-20 went to land on the water, the lower part of the fuselage would descend into the water. This configuration would give it more versatility in combat, and it would also increase the wing incidence to give it a shorter takeoff run. As soon as the B-20 was in the air, the fuselage would join back together, making it look like a small flying boat . In this configuration the B-20 had much less drag than other flying boats, giving it unprecedented speed.

However, during a test flight, the B-20 fell apart and crashed, killing some of the crew. The British Air Ministry realized that it was a fluke. The concept of the B-20 was sound, but as Blackburn focused its attention to building preexisting airplanes, the need for its experimental aircraft dropped. Nothing ever came from the B-20.

9 Ryan FR Fireball

Compared to Germany and the United Kingdom, the United States ended up behind the curve when it came to building and adopting effective jet aircraft. The first jet fighter in the United States was the dismal P-59, which was not any better than a propeller-driven aircraft. At the same time that Bell built the P-59, the Navy was working on the FR Fireball, a fighter which used an odd power plant system. Instead of just having a jet engine, the Fireball used a propeller in the front and a jet engine in the back.

Since early jet engines had sluggish throttle response, the Navy considered them too dangerous for carrier operations. During most operations (specifically landing and takeoff), the Fireball used its propeller engine, but when they needed extra thrust, the pilots activated the jet engine . Other than that, the Fireball was a highly conventional airplane, coming out as basically a normal fighter plane with a jet engine strapped to the back.

Although it entered service in March 1945, the Fireball never saw combat service. Ryan only built 66 Fireballs, and they were quickly replaced by the next generation of jet fighters. In addition to poor range, the plane was also hurt by its lackluster performance, as Fireballs were slower than many planes even when using the jet engine. Despite the flaws, the Fireball was an important step for the Navy. It was their first jet airplane. The Fireball also was the first airplane in the world to land on an aircraft carrier under jet power . . . albeit accidentally. When a pilot’s prop engine failed in 1945, he was forced to land on the USS Wake Island under jet power .

8 Blohm & Voss BV 238

The aerospace company Blohm & Voss designed most of the Luftwaffe’s flying boats during World War II. As the war progressed, the company’s engineers designed even more complex and large flying boats. Ultimately, this culminated in the BV 238, a behemoth flying boat that was the biggest airplane designed by the Axis powers during the war.

Blohm & Voss built the BV 238 in 1944, intending for it to offer the Luftwaffe long-range transport capabilities . Luftwaffe commanders also investigated the possibility of using the giant flying boat as a long-range patrol bomber. Flight testing showed that the airplane was stable and could perform the transport role effectively .

Disaster struck for the flying boat when three American P-51 Mustangs found the prototype docked at Lake Schaal. Lieutenant Urban Drew attacked the boat, causing tremendous damage to the fuselage. Before the German engineers could save the BV 238, it sunk to the bottom of the lake . With the war turning in the Allies’ favor, Blohm & Voss discontinued work on the airplane. As for Lt. Drew, he became something of a legend. After all, he set the record for “biggest Axis airplane ever destroyed by an Allied pilot.”

7 Flettner Fl 282

Most people do not think of the helicopter as being a weapon of World War II, but while the fighting nations were rushing to develop jet propulsion, they were also working on the first generation of helicopters. As with jet propulsion, the Germans held an early lead over other nations. They experimented for years with helicopters, but it was not until the Fl 282 that they had a design that could be be mass-produced.

Flettner designed the Fl 282 with the odd feature of intermeshing rotors . This meant the two main rotors angled away from each other, but the arc of the blades crossed. In other words, they were carefully synchronized to avoid disaster. The intermeshing rotors gave the helicopter the advantage of not needing a tail rotor to offset the torque from the main rotors. Other than that weird feature, the Fl 282 was a bare-bones design, just minimal framing attached to an engine.

The Luftwaffe was so impressed by the Fl 282 that they ordered 1,000 choppers. Possible roles for the helicopter included anti-submarine warfare, naval spotting, and reconnaissance . However, by the time production was ready in 1944, the Luftwaffe was already fighting on the defensive, and the fleet of Flettner helicopters never materialized. Flettner only completed a few models, but these were well received by pilots. Nevertheless, shortly after production started, an Allied bombing raid destroyed the production plant, ending any possible production of the helicopter. The engineer behind the project, Anton Flettner, immigrated to the United States where he helped design excellent helicopters for the United States Air Force.

6 Kyushu J7W

One of the most futuristic-looking airplanes of the era was the Japanese-designed J7W Shinden, an airplane with a canard design . That refers to a plane with the “main wing mounted at the rear of the fuselage and a smaller wing fixed to the front.” The hope is that with this innovative layout, the J7W would be highly maneuverable and able to fight American B-29 bombers.

The interceptor had a big engine that drove a six-blade pusher propeller by an extension shaft. During testing, the engine caused a lot of problems as it was prone to overheating, even when tested on the ground. By the time the war ended, the Kyushu engineers figured out most of the problems with the engine. To take down the B-29 bombers, the J7W carried four 30mm cannons, making it one heavily armed aircraft.

Japanese Navy officials had such hope in the J7W that they ordered production before the first prototype even got off the ground. Fortunately for the B-29 crews, the J7W only completed three test flights before the war ended, and the plane never entered production. Even during testing, the J7W barely got any flight time, only clocking a combined 45 minutes in the air over three test flights. The war ended before the Navy could perform other tests on the airplane. A proposed turbojet version of the airplane never left the drawing board .

5 Heinkel He 100 And He 113

As the Luftwaffe geared up for World War II, they looked at a variety of airplanes to replace their primary frontline fighter plane, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 . The leading competitor for the design was the Heinkel He 100, one of the best airplanes in the world at the time. Although it is difficult to find wartime documents about the He 100, it is clear that the plane was a significant improvement over the Bf 109 and had a variety of characteristics that would have made it an effective airplane against Allied pilots.

Most impressively, the He 100 broke and held the world speed record for an airplane of its class. However, for some reason, the Luftwaffe decided to continue development on the Bf 109 and its variants. Nobody knows exactly why the He 100 project stopped

Even though the He 100 never reached frontline service, it played a fascinating role in early propaganda efforts. When the war began, the United Kingdom did not have adequate information about the Luftwaffe, including what types of airplanes it flew.

Taking advantage of the situation, Joseph Goebbels announced that the Luftwaffe was fielding a new He 113 fighter, but in reality, it was just a repainted He 100 prototype. German publications often featured pictures of the “new fighter,” accompanied by reports of its combat abilities . These reports made it to the UK where the Royal Air Force became concerned about the He 113. Until 1941, pilots reported facing the airplane, but there was no proof that their stories were accurate. Eventually, the Air Ministry figured out that the Luftwaffe was tricking them and that the He 113 didn’t exist.

4 Fisher P-75 Eagle

During the early part of World War II, the United States hadn’t yet developed the fighters that would later aid them against the Luftwaffe. Most of these planes, like the P-51 and P-47, were still under development and hadn’t reached their peak performance. Because of that, the Luftwaffe generally had the advantage in terms of air power. To counter Luftwaffe airplanes, the United States Army Air Force began looking for a high-speed interceptor fighter with heavy armaments .

The Allison engine company saw this as a chance to show off their new V-3420, a huge 24-cylinder engine that was actually two V-1710 engines mated into one. Allison and the Fisher Body Division of the General Motors Corporation worked together to make a new airplane around the engine. Oddly, Fisher decided to build the P-75 with preexisting parts. The P-75 was a mixture of other successful airplanes, including the Dauntless dive bomber and a variety of fighters including the P-51 and P-40 . The huge engine was located in the middle of the airplane, driving the two contra-rotating propellers by a drive shaft.

Of course, it should come as no surprise that making a fighter plane by combining parts from preexisting airplanes does not work. The P-75 was slow and sluggish in its interceptor role, causing the Air Force to pass on the design. Fisher then tried to advertise the P-75 as a long-range escort fighter for bombers, but by that time, better fighter planes were available, leaving Fisher to stop development on the P-75.

3 Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1

Most major countries in the world experimented with rocket-powered airplanes during World War II, the most successful being the German Me 163 Komet interceptor. But lesser known than the Komet is the Soviet experimental rocket fighter, the BI-1.

In the late 1930s, Soviet officials wanted a fast, short-range defense fighter powered by a rocket. The need for such a plane became especially pronounced as German forces began to invade Russia. Engineers completed plans for the rocket plane by spring of 1941, but Stalin did not give authorization to build a prototype. However, when the German invasion began, Stalin told engineers Alexander Bereznyak and Aleksei Isayev to get the airplane ready as soon as possible. It took only 35 days to complete a working prototype . Getting just under the deadline, a bomber towed the BI-1 aloft, allowing it to glide to the ground for a first test.

Rocket motor tests commenced in 1942, but powered flights quickly revealed that the BI-1 only had 15 minutes of flight time from the moment the pilot ignited the rocket on the ground. This proved a severe limitation.

When the third prototype disintegrated midair during a level flight, the engineers realized that there was another problem. The frame, made of plywood and metal, was not designed for nearly supersonic speeds. Research on supersonic aerodynamics was still in its infancy, and the BI-1 airframe was not designed to perform at those speeds without falling apart . Quite simply, the BI-1 was too fast for its own good. With that limitation, testing ground to a halt, and the war turned in favor of the Soviets, ensuring that there was no further development of defensive rocket planes.

2 Junkers Ju 390

Although they did not realize it at the time, the Luftwaffe made a serious error when they refused to develop any long-range heavy bombers. By the middle of the war, the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force were conducting raids into German airspace, causing mass destruction to the German war industry. That’s when Luftwaffe commanders realized they needed a heavy bomber, specifically one that could strike the United States. Thus the “America Bomber” project was born.

The Luftwaffe considered many different designs for the project, but one of the most feasible was the Junkers Ju 390. Junkers, a German company, developed the new bomber from their existing Ju 290 heavy transport . The new bomber had six engines and was capable of a transatlantic flight. Test flights commenced in 1944, and they showed the Ju 390 was an effective and powerful machine. However, by that time, the Luftwaffe was on the defensive, and any offensive bomber projects were given low priority. Junkers only could finish two prototypes by the time the war ended.

Mystery and conspiracy shroud the Ju 390 tests and operations. According to some sources, one of the prototypes flew from Germany to South Africa on a test flight. Some wartime reports show that the bomber was also test flown over the Atlantic Ocean, entering United States airspace before turning back . Fringe conspiracy groups also believe that a Ju 390 flew to Argentina at the end of the war, carrying secret weaponry for escaped Nazis. Whatever the case, the Ju 390 was the closest the Germans ever came to developing a bomber that could reach the United States.

1 Northrop N-9M

During the ’30s and ’40s, famous aircraft designer Jack Northrop worked tirelessly on his idea for flying wing airplanes. Northrop hoped to build high performance airplanes that consisted only of a giant wing, eschewing traditional airplane engineering. At the beginning of World War II, Northrop convinced the United States Army Air Force to fund his research into flying wings with the hope of creating a bomber based on that configuration. They agreed to fund his research, so Northrop went ahead and built a small test airplane to investigate the feasibility of a flying wing bomber .

Named the N-9M (“M” for “model”), the airplane was small and light. It had a boomerang shape with no vertical control surfaces. Power came from two pusher propellers. The N-9M took some getting used to, but it was a good airplane once the pilot adjusted. During testing, one fatal crash occurred, but that did not deter Northrop. By the end of the war, he had enough research to build his flying wing bomber, the XB-35. Unfortunately, with the war over, the Air Force did not have much interest in the bomber or its jet-powered cousin, the YB-49. The project ended in the late 1940s.

Even though the original flying wing bombers never came to fruition, the Air Force began using the B-2 stealth bomber years later. To design this airplane, Northrop used a lot of the research he developed while working on the N-9M, making this World War II plane the predecessor of the famous B-2. Currently, one of the N-9M prototypes is still flying, making regular appearances at air shows and other events.

Zachery Brasier is a physics student who loves aviation history and likes to write on the side. Check out his blog at zacherybrasier.com .

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10 of the Rarest Experimental Aircraft of WWII

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When we think of World War II aircraft, common models like the Spitfire or the B-52 Bomber often come to mind. However, there was much more taking off from airfields and design tables worldwide. This is a dive into ten unusual and rare experimental planes which did not make it into mass production yet left their mark in aviation history. To qualify for our list, these aircraft had to exist, complete at least one flight, and not have been mass-produced. From the USA to the Soviet Union, creative minds pushed the limits of aircraft design.

1. Fisher XP-75 Eagle

In the realm of unique concepts, the Fisher XP-75 Eagle takes flight with its distinctive design. Born from a 1943 expectation for a high-climbing, long-range aircraft, the XP-75 was armed with a similar configuration to the single-engine Bell P-39 but fell short of expectations during testing. Despite its potential, recurring faults and rapidly evolving fighter technology led to its cancellation in 1944.

2. Caproni Campini N.1

Italy’s foray into jet propulsion manifested in the Caproni Campini N.1. Italy’s aviation experts were neck and neck with German innovation, thinking they had made history with the first jet turbine-propelled aircraft in 1940. However, the He-178 had already claimed that title. The ambitious N.1 underwent several tests until the Allied forces’ advances in Italy ended further development.

3. Heinkel He 100

Engineers at Heinkel, not satisfied with the performance of the German BF-109, sought to break speed records by creating the He 100, a swift contender that soared to 416 mph. Yet, even with its significant velocity, surpassing the early Spitfire’s 362 mph, it remained a prototype, as the established BF-109 continued its service.

4. Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

The Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster was a rare bird with speed in its DNA, boasting a high-speed pusher configuration. In 1944, this experimental bomber had the speed (410 mph) to impress, born from a private endeavor by Douglas to create a smaller counterpart to the B-29 with comparable range. A surviving XB-42 is being restored for future display, honoring its place in aviation progress.

5. Piaggio P.119

A novel design came from Italy’s Piaggio P.119 with its mid-mounted radial engine—a stark contrast to other fighters of its day. Designers hoped the engine placement would increase maneuverability and enable a larger arsenal. However, the turning points of the war, including the Italian Armistice, brought the P.119’s development to an end.

6. Blohm & Voss BV141

An innovation in asymmetry, the German-designed Blohm & Voss BV141 reconnaissance aircraft, performed admirably despite its uncommon shape. While the machine’s performance was solid, the odd design did not make it off the drawing board into full-scale production.

7. Flettner FL 282

The Flettner FL 282 stood out as one of the few helicopters considered for WWII operations, tasked with reconnaissance and transport. The German helicopter was little-known because most were not ready for wartime action. A production order was placed, yet only a fraction was built before a bombing raid halted progress.

8. Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1

Further east, the Soviet Union’s Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1 stretched the imagination with its rocket-powered design meant to counteract enemy fighters. After a mere dozen flights, the ambitious interceptor project faded away by 1945 as other technologies took precedence.

9. Vultee XP-54

The Vultee XP-54 catches the eye with its unusual look and advanced features, such as an ejection seat that fired downward. Its pioneering twin-boom, pusher configuration was cutting-edge in 1943. The fighter aircraft also featured an electrically lowered pilot’s seat, which at the time seemed straight out of science fiction.

10. Antonov A-40 Flying Tank

The Antonov A-40 was unlike any other—the epitome of unconventional. This Soviet-built machine was a tank that could glide, a literal “flying tank,” trialed in 1942. It was intended to deliver battlefield vehicles directly to the front lines. While it proved the concept feasible, it was never deployed in combat.

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Top 10 Rare Experimental Aircraft of WW2

If you're looking for some inspiration for your next scratch build project, here are ten unique airplane designs.

For this list, there are only three rules: 1) the aircraft had to exist, 2) it can't have gone into full production, but 3) it had to have completed at least one flight. We're also looking at planes that aren't your usual bunch, so there should be some here that you haven't seen before. Let's get started. 

An image of the XB-42 (number 7 in this list).

10.   Fisher   XP-75 Eagle

An experimental mid-war fighter design.

First Flight: 1943

Purpose:  Long-range fighter

Brief: This experimental aircraft was designed to meet the USAF requirements for a plane that could climb extremely quickly and fly over long distances. Its configuration was unusual, being similar to the Bell P-39 with a mid-engine layout. The aircraft showed promise but prototype testing was disastrous: numerous faults were found and, by the time it was ready, other more conventional fighters like the P-51 Mustang had surpassed it. The program was canceled in 1944. 

9.  Caproni Campini N.1

The second jet-powered aircraft to fly (briefly thought to be the first).

First Flight: 1940

Purpose: J et-powered prototype

Brief:  You may know that the He-178 was the first ever jet aircraft to fly, but over in Italy the Italian Air Force had also been experimenting with jet propulsion. Before knowledge of the 178 got out of Germany, the N.1 was believed to be the first plane to fly using a jet turbine. The two prototypes built were tested until 1943 when the Allied invasion of Italy halted the operation. 

8.   Heinkel He 100

First Flight: January 1938

Purpose: High-performance fighter

Brief: Although the BF-109 became Germany's main fighter aircraft throughout the entirety of the war, there were other manufacturers who were vying to get the contract. Heinkel was one of these manufacturers. After failing to win with their He-112 design, they decided to go all out to produce the fastest fighter the world had yet seen. The result was this He-100. It could do a staggering 416 mph. Compare this to an early Spitfire that could do just 362mph. For multiple reasons, the Luftwaffe stuck with the BF-109 and the He-100 project was scrapped. 

7.  Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

First Flight: 1944

Purpose: High-speed bomber

Brief: This plane might have been the USAF's answer to the high-speed light bomber. It started as a private venture by Douglas to match the range of a B-29 with a much smaller aircraft. The prototypes could do 410 mph. A surviving example is currently undergoing restoration work and will eventually be displayed in US National Air and Space museum.   

6. Piaggio P.119

An Italian fighter with a mid-mounted radial engine.

First Flight: 1942

Purpose: Experimental fighter

Brief: The P.119 has a rather unique engine - or at least a unique positioning of the engine. Although planes like the XP-75 have been known to use mid-mounted inline engines behind the pilot's cockpit, this one had a radial mid-mounted engine. It was hoped this would allow more maneuverability, aerodynamic 'slipperiness' (for want of a better word), and more room for weaponry up front. The Italian Armistice of 1943 ended this project. 

5.   Blohm & Voss BV141

An asymmetrical German reconnaissance aircraft.

First Flight: 1938

Purpose: Tactical reconnaissance

Brief: Although the BV 141 performed very well (despite its irregular shape), the plane was never ordered into full production. If you want to find out more about how asymmetrical planes like this one work, check out this dedicated article.

4.   Flettner FL 282

First Flight: 1941

Brief: You don't really hear about helicopters being used in WW2, but that's for good reason: most were simply not ready for war at that time. However, this German helicopter was (just about). It's a bit of an exception on this list as it was ordered into production, yet the factory only produced 24 of the 1000 units ordered before being destroyed in a bombing raid. Some of these surviving helicopters were used successfully, though, as transports and observer craft.  

3.   Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1 

A Soviet rocket-powered plane on skis.

Purpose: Rocket-powered interceptor fighter

Brief: You've probably heard of the Me-163, but have you heard of the Russian version? The BI-1 was flown just 12 times under power and never made it into service and was retired in 1945.

2. Vultee XP-54

An unusual configuration airplane with a downward firing ejection seat. 

Purpose: Fighter

Brief: This strange looking, extremely slender fighter prototype which was built to test a twin boom pusher configuration. It had a pretty futuristic entry system where the electrically powered pilot's seat would lower through the bottom of the plane. 

1.   Antonov A-40 Flying Tank

What it says on the tin!

Purpose: Battlefield tank transport

Brief: The above image of this crazy contraption isn't photoshopped. This was a real proposed solution to the problem of deploying vehicles to the battlefield that was first tested in 1942.

Read the full article  

Article   by James Whomsley

Editor of   FliteTest.com

Contact:   [email protected]

YouTube Channel:   www.youtube.com/projectairaviation

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Gooney Birds – 12 Experimental Aircraft That Were Too Weird for Use in WW2

“A number of these experimental aircraft featured designs so innovative and outlandish they call out for recognition even now, more than 70 years later.”

MORE AIRPLANES  rolled off assembly lines during World War Two than in any other period in the history of aviation.

Between 1939 and 1945, Allied factories cranked out a staggering 633,000 aircraft. That’s 288 a day – or one every five minutes for six years straight. For their part, Germany, Italy and Japan manufactured more than a quarter million machines.

In all, at least 750 distinct models of aircraft were in production during the war years. And amazingly, more than 250 additional designs, from fighters and bombers to trainers and transports, were evaluated and rejected by the world’s air forces. Some of these also-rans were passed over for being too expensive, others were too slow, ungainly or not safe for combat. Yet despite their unsuitability, a number of these experimental aircraft featured designs so innovative and outlandish they call out for recognition even now, more than 70 years later. Let’s take a look at some.

Flying Sidesaddle

Despite its decidedly lopsided appearance, the German Blohm and Voss Bv-141 might have been a capable tactical reconnaissance aircraft for the Luftwaffe. The single-engine machine featured a three-man cockpit and observation pod positioned away from the fuselage on the starboard wing. With the exception of a blind spot created by the engine nacelle, the design did afford the observation crew and rear gunner a surprisingly wide field of view. Despite the fact that the plane had a rather high-profile champion in flying ace and Luftwaffe luminary Ernst Udet , Berlin passed on it in 1940 citing the feeble engine as the chief drawback. By the time the manufacturer upgraded the power plant, the German air force had already settled on the Focke-Wulf Fw-189 .

Airborne Anti-Aircraft Gun

The concept of placing aircrew away from the fuselage wasn’t just a German idea. The Bell Aircuda YFM-1 had similar wing mounted crew cabins –  two of them. Developed in the late 1930s as a sort of flying anti-aircraft battery for use against enemy bomber formations, the YFM-1 featured manned forward-facing gun turrets on both wings, each packing a 37mm cannon. To make room for the cabins, the plane’s engines faced aft. The U.S. Army ordered 13 of these curious “bomber destroyers” for evaluation purposes in 1940, but withdrew them from service within two years after the design’s many shortcomings became evident. With a top speed of only 275 mph (450 km/h) the YFM-1 was far too slow to catch most bombers of the day. Also, its “pusher” style engines made for unstable handling and risky bailouts. All models were eventually broken up for scrap.

Failure to Launch

Less of an airplane and more of a flying shotgun, the rocket-powered Bachem Ba-349 Natter interceptor was designed to overtake Allied bombers and pepper the enemy formations with salvos of up to 33 unguided explosive-tipped projectiles. Natters required no runways for take off; they could be launched vertically from just about any flat surface. The plane’s powerful rocket engine was designed to hurtle it 30,000 feet (9,000m) into the air in under a minute. Once at altitude, the pilot could easily overtake and destroy adversaries and then glide back to earth. Both the Luftwaffe and SS expected to add the Natter to their inventories. But by the time the Ba-349 was ready for service, Nazi Germany was mere days from defeat. Only 36 were ever built – none saw action.

Taking the Edge Off

Designers of the McDonnell XP-67 Moonbat hoped that by smoothing the edges of their twin-engine, long-range interceptor, they could create a futuristic fighter that could outfly anything in the air. And while the prototype, which first took the skies in early 1944, certainly looked fast and agile, performance was wanting. With a top speed of just 400 mph (640 km/h), the Moonbat was altogether too slow and its handling mediocre at best. But had the XP-67 entered production, its battery of six 37 mm cannons would have made it a fearsome ground attack machine. The only working model was lost in an accident after only nine months.

Flying Saucer

“Round” was also the watchword for the Vought V-173 Flying Pancake – a twin-engine demonstrator that looked more like a frisbee than an airplane. Despite its solid handling at low speeds (as confirmed by test pilot Charles Lindbergh ) and its ability to take off and land in extremely small spaces, the V-173 never advanced beyond the demonstration phase. Only one was ever manufactured.

Conjoined Twins

A number of wartime designers toyed with the concept of twin fuselage fighters and bombers. North American sought to increase the range of its workhorse escort fighter, the P-51 Mustang, by joining two of the plane’s air frames together. The results were promising. The P-82 Twin Mustang was as nimble as a conventional P-51 but could fly from Hawaii to Manhattan without refueling. [ 1 ] The war ended before the aircraft could be delivered in large numbers; it went into limited production in the late 1940s. Germany took a similar approach with its experimental Messerschmitt Bf-109Z , which included two conjoined fighters with the cockpit situated in the port fuselage.

Strange But True

Speaking of envelope-pushing designs, consider Britain’s Miles M.39 Libellula , a swept-wing, twin-engine, medium bomber demonstrator that flew in 1943. The three-man attack aircraft was designed to deliver a 2,000 lb. payload more than 1,500 miles (2,400 km) at 400 mph (640 km/h). Despite the fact that the sole working prototype displayed impressive handling characteristics, the RAF passed on the unconventional aircraft.

The Ascender

At almost the same time, American engineers at Curtis Wright were also dabbling in swept-wing combat aircraft with the XP-55 Ascender . The pusher-style fighter interceptor was equipped with a rear-facing, three-blade propeller. Up front was a suite of 20 mm cannons and .50 caliber machine guns. The military balked at the design and its underwhelming flight characteristics.

Swoose Goose

Stranger still was the Vultee XP-54 a single-engine twin-boom fighter demonstrator that the military tested in 1943. The single-seat warplane featured a nose section that could be pivoted several degrees vertically, allowing the plane’s two 37 mm cannons to be easily trained towards the ground during level-flight strafing runs. This odd feature earned the XP-54 the nickname the “Swoose Goose” after a popular song of the time. With a top speed of only 380 mph (600 km/h), it’s no surprise that the War Department passed on this ugly ducking.

(Dis) Honourable Mentions

Resembling a giant paper airplane, Nazi Germany’s delta winged Lippisch P.13a rocket plane certainly looked futuristic; yet ironically it ran on a decidedly old fashioned power source: coal. Hitler’s engineers could never really get the idea off the ground in time to save the Third Reich however and none were built.

XP-56 Black Bullet was a stubby, delta-winged experimental American fighter plane first tested in 1943. With aluminum in short supply, developers built the two prototypes using magnesium. While the Black Bullet could reach speeds of up to 460 mph (740 km/h), the military rejected the space-aged design in favour of emerging jet aircraft.

And what list of outlandish experimental aircraft would be complete without mentioning the Hafner Rotabuggy ? A British-built “rotor kite” or autogyro, it was essentially a helicopter air frame built onto an ordinary Jeep. Designed to be dropped onto enemy territory during airborne operations, in tests the Rotabuggy managed to fly for several minutes at speeds of more than 60 mph (100 km/h) reaching an altitude of several hundred feet. Only one was manufactured in 1944. None were ordered.

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The Twin Mustang was a successful aircraft. One scored the first American air-to-air kill in the Korean War. The Twin was to have served as an escort fighter for the B-36.

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Top 10 Experimental Aircraft Of World War II

10. Blackburn B-20

The B-20 was an attempt to combine the best features of both the flying boat and the floatplane. While on the water, the B-20 was essentially a floatplane, using a large float under the fuselage for buoyancy, and two smaller floats near the wingtips for stability.

In flight, the main float retracted upwards towards the fuselage, fitting into a “notch” to become streamlined as a part of the fuselage. The wing floats folded outwards, somewhat like those on the American Consolidated PBY flying boat design, to become the wingtips. This configuration gave the correct wing incidence for takeoff and for flight and in the latter a much reduced drag compared to the deep hulls of flying boats.

9. Ryan FR Fireball

It was the Navy’s first aircraft with a jet engine. Design of the FR-1 began in 1943 to a proposal instigated by Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. for a mixed-powered fighter because early jet engines had sluggish acceleration that was considered unsafe and unsuitable for carrier operations. Ryan received a contract for three XFR-1 prototypes and one static test airframe on 11 February 1943 with the first two prototypes delivered in 14 months. Another contract was placed for 100 aircraft on 2 December 1943 and a later contract on 31 January 1945 increased the total of FR-1s on order to 700. Only 66 aircraft were built before Japan surrendered in August 1945. The FR-1 Fireball equipped a single squadron before the end of the war, but did not see combat. The aircraft ultimately proved to lack the structural strength required for operations aboard aircraft carriers and was withdrawn in mid-1947.

8. Blohm & Voss BV 238

Development of the BV 238 giant flying boat began in 1941, following the success of the smaller but still enormous BV 222 Wiking. The BV 238 was an extremely large flying boat of conventional aerodynamic design, but bearing the usual B&V structural hallmarks of all-metal construction with a tubular steel wing main spar which also acted as the armoured main fuel tank. Of the era, only the earlier Tupolev ANT-20 and the later Hughes H-4 had a bigger wing span. However it would be the heaviest yet flown, at 100 tonnes (220,000 lb) fully laden. It was the heaviest aircraft ever built when it first flew in 1944, and was the largest aircraft produced by any of the Axis powers during World War II.

7. Flettner Fl 282

Intended roles of Fl 282 included ferrying items between ships and reconnaissance. However, as the war progressed, the Luftwaffe began considering converting the Fl 282 for battlefield use. Until this time the craft had been flown by a single pilot, but by then a position for an observer was added at the very rear of the craft, resulting in the B-2 version. Later the B-2 proved a useful artillery spotting aircraft and an observation unit was established in 1945 comprising three Fl 282 and three Fa 223 helicopters. Good handling in bad weather led the German Air Ministry to issue a contract in 1944 to BMW to produce 1,000 units. However, the company’s Munich plant was destroyed by Allied bombing raids after producing just 24 machines.

6. Kyushu J7W

The Kyūshū J7W1 Shinden (“Magnificent Lightning”) fighter was a Japanese propeller-driven aircraft prototype with wings at the rear of the fuselage, a nose mounted canard, and pusher engine. Developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy as a short-range, land-based interceptor, the J7W was a response to Boeing B-29 Superfortress raids on the Japanese home islands. For interception missions, the J7W was to be armed with four forward-firing 30 mm cannons in the nose. The Shinden was expected to be a highly maneuverable interceptor, but only two prototypes were finished before the end of war. A jet engine–powered version was considered, but never even reached the drawing board.

5. Heinkel He 113

The Heinkel He 113 was a fictitious German fighter aircraft of World War II, invented as a propaganda and possibly disinformation exercise. In 1940, Joseph Goebbels publicised the fact that a new fighter was entering service with the Luftwaffe. The plan involved taking pictures of Heinkel He 100 D-1s at different air bases around Germany, each time sporting a new paint job for various fictional fighter groups. The pictures were then published in the press with the He 113 name. It is unclear even today exactly who this effort was intended to impress—foreign air forces or Germany’s public—but it seems to have been a successful deception. British intelligence featured the aircraft in AIR 40/237, a report on the Luftwaffe that was completed in 1940.

4. Fisher P-75 Eagle

In October 1942, the contract for two prototypes, designated “XP-75”, was signed with the Fisher Body Division of GM. The design concept was to use the outer wing panels from the North American P-51 Mustang, the tail assembly from the Douglas A-24 (SBD), and the undercarriage from the Vought F4U Corsair in a general layout much as in the Bell P-39 Airacobra with the engine located amidships with the contra-rotating propellers driven through extension shafts. The program was cancelled after only a small number of prototypes and production aircraft had been completed, as it was no longer required in its original role, could not be quickly deployed, and possessed no significant advantages over aircraft already in production.

3. Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1

In the late 1930s, Soviet officials wanted a fast, short-range defense fighter powered by a rocket. The need for such a plane became especially pronounced as German forces began to invade Russia. Engineers completed plans for the rocket plane by spring of 1941, but Stalin did not give authorization to build a prototype. However, when the German invasion began, Stalin told engineers Alexander Bereznyak and Aleksei Isayev to get the airplane ready as soon as possible. It took only 35 days to complete a working prototype. Getting just under the deadline, a bomber towed the BI-1 aloft, allowing it to glide to the ground for a first test.Rocket motor tests commenced in 1942, but powered flights quickly revealed that the BI-1 only had 15 minutes of flight time from the moment the pilot ignited the rocket on the ground. This proved a severe limitation.

2. Junkers Ju 390

The Junkers Ju 390 was a German long-range derivative of the Junkers Ju 290 aircraft, intended to be used as a heavy transport aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and long-range bomber. It was one of the aircraft designs submitted for the abortive Amerika Bomber project. Two prototypes were created by attaching an extra pair of inner-wing segments onto the wings of basic Junkers Ju 90 and Ju 290 airframes and adding new sections to lengthen the fuselages. The first prototype, V1, was modified from the Ju 90 V6 airframe. It made its maiden flight on 20 October 1943 and performed well, resulting in an order for 26 aircraft, to be named Ju 390 A-1. None of these had been built by the time that the project was cancelled in mid-1944. The second prototype, the V2, was longer than the V1 because it was constructed from a Ju 290 airframe.

1. Northrop N-9M

The Northrop N-9M is an approximately one-third scale, 60-ft span all-wing aircraft used for the development of the full size, 172-ft wingspan Northrop XB-35 and YB-35 flying wing long-range, heavy bomber. First flown in 1942, the N-9M (M for Model) was the third in a lineage of all-wing Northrop aircraft designs that began in 1929 when Jack Northrop succeeded in early experiments with his single pusher propeller, twin-tailed, twin-boom, all stressed metal skin Northrop Flying Wing X-216H monoplane, and a decade later, the dual-propeller N-1M of 1939–1941. Northrop’s pioneering all-wing aircraft would lead Northrop Grumman many years later to eventually develop the advanced B-2 Spirit stealth bomber

Simple Flying

History: the dive bomber aircraft of the second world war.

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• Dive bombers revolutionized WWII but became obsolete with faster jets and better innovations.
• Sturdy-built dive bombers required skilled, fit pilots for precise dives at ground and air targets.
• Notable models like the Stuka, SBD Dauntless, and Aichi left significant marks in WWII history.

The dive bomber, known solely for its name, was a military aircraft that transformed the war scene during World War II (WWII) . According to Britannica, its concept dates back to experimental examples during the First World War, but the US Navy and Marines Corps developed it in the 1920s. Several versions of the aircraft type were subsequently manufactured, including the German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, the Japanese Aichi 99, and the reputable Petlyakov Pe-2.

Dive bombers were known to fly slower and were typically designed to accommodate a second pilot or crew member behind the main pilot who would control a rear-facing machine gun. With a self-explanatory name, the aircraft would dive directly at a target and release bombs once it reached a low altitude. It would then quickly pull up to continue flying elsewhere. Despite its unique strategy and purpose, the planes were virtually erased when faster fighter jets were introduced in the later years of WWII.

The principal years

According to alternative aviation magazine Hush-Kit , dive bombers were not the most visually appealing aircraft. However, that was due to their sturdy structural build, with some airframes “ among the strongest ever built.” While the dive attacks had better accuracy than the traditional approach, they were extremely dangerous as the planes were susceptible to faster enemy fighters targeted from the ground and the fast-approaching ground itself. The pilots also had to be “young and fit” to withstand the force and aggression of the abrupt dives.

As their principal years were during WWII, dive bombers brought the greatest upsets to both land and sea targets. Military Factory notes that several countries developed 49 versions of dive bombers between 1936 and 1945. The Henschel HS 123 was among the prototypes developed by Nazi Germany in 1936. During its “ limited service run,” it proved to be successful. However, later variants known as the HS 132 “were hastily assembled, with cheap plywood construction and short-lifespan turbojets,” according to Hush-Kit. Because of this, the airplane had trouble getting away from fighters, which was a main factor in the aircraft becoming obsolete.

The Stuka, SBD Dauntless, & Aichi

In 1937, Nazi Germany developed the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber. Its name comes from the word “Sturzkampfflugzeug,” which means drop-down-fight airplane. During the early years of WWII, the plane was seen as a “devastating weapon for the German Luftwaffe.” Several other variants would be produced, including the Ju 87D, the official dive bomber, and the ground attack model. In 1939, the aircraft was the first to achieve an air-to-air kill during WWII, as it shot down a Polish PZL P.11c, according to Hush-Kit.

Second World War Stalwart: The Story Of The Stuka Dive Bomber

Notorious for its screaming sirens and effectiveness against ships during the war.

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was manufactured by the US in 1938. It was the main dive bomber “in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War 2,” with an operational range of 1,115 miles and a max speed of 255 miles per hour. Its rate of climb was 1,700 feet per minute, with a service ceiling of around 25,500 feet. Operating on US aircraft carriers, the plane is most known for sinking three Japanese carriers during the Battle of Midway in just six minutes, with a fourth subsequently sinking, according to Hush-Kit. The Douglas SBD Dauntless also had the lowest crew loss rate of any US aircraft carrier despite playing a major role in the dangerous Midway battle.

Imperial Japan, however, did have its notable dive bomber. The Aichi D3A was first manufactured in 1940 and was believed to be obsolete during the beginning of WWII. However, it is known for its presence and contribution to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. There were eight variants of the plane. Its max speed was 267 mph, had an operational range of 840 miles, and a 1,640 feet per minute rate of climb. The Aichi D3A also worked with torpedo bombers to destroy aircraft carriers such as the USS Lexington, Hush-Kit notes.

The successful Pe-2

Lastly, the Petlyakov Pe-2, developed by the Soviet Union, is among the most successful dive bombers ever built and “ one of the best ground-attack platforms of the whole war.” With multiple variants, the aircraft served in Europe and against Japanese forces in Manchuria. Its max speed was 336 mph, with an operational range of 932 miles. It had a service ceiling of nearly 29,000 feet and an impressive 2,343 feet per minute rate of climb.

The Pe-2 was also the fastest and most powerful dive bomber. According to Military Factory, it had the most examples produced at 11,427 units. With a satisfactory reputation for its service during the war, the aircraft was compared to the de Havilland Mosquito for its capability of multiple roles.

Variants of the Pe-2 remained in service through the end of WWII in 1945, but newer plane concepts subsequently overshadowed them. The Ilyushin Il-2 “Shturmovik” ground attack airplane proved to be more popular despite the Pe-2’s reputation. New aircraft innovations were crucial as countries strived to find the best planes to complement their military operations. In 1944, the Pe-2 was already beginning to be replaced by another devastator: the Tupolev Tu-2 medium bomber.

After WWII, many units were transported to Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Yugoslavia. Several still flew until the mid-50s when the Pe-2 program was discontinued. According to Military Factory, only a few airframes have survived as museum showstoppers.

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Aviation History Book Review: British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II

British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II: Prototypes, Research Aircraft and Failed Production Designs

by Tony Buttler, Hikoki Publications, Manchester, UK, 2012, $56.95.

When Lord Beaverbrook became British minister of aircraft production in May 1940, World War II was going very badly for Britain. Consequently, one of his first acts was to restrict aircraft production, at least for the short term, to five critical types: the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane fighters, and the Bristol Blenheim, Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley and Vickers Wellington bombers. It was a Draconian measure, but it arguably helped to increase the supply of the most critically needed aircraft types at the conflict’s most desperate stage.

Beaverbrooks’s drastic measure materially hampered the development of many aircraft, but the advancement of new planes never came to a complete halt. In fact, during 1941 many useful new types entered production, including the Hawker Typhoon, Short Stirling and de Havilland Mosquito.

British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II is a lavish new compendium of the projects that were being pursued in Britain in the course of the war. It demonstrates that despite the harsh restrictions imposed during 1940, the British aviation industry still managed to produce projects every bit as advanced, as imaginative and sometimes as bizarre as those created in Germany and the United States.

Not all these aircraft failed because they weren’t good. Some of them, such as the turret-armed fighters and the “cheap-and-cheerful” war emergency home-defense fighters, went nowhere because of changes in operational requirements. Among the latter was the Miles M.20, the first fighter to include a blown, single-piece bubble canopy, which was way ahead of its time in 1940. Others, such as Short’s enormous Shetland flying boat, which was intended to replace the Sunderland, were simply too large to justify mass production. A few, such as the Supermarine Spiteful, the intended successor to the immortal Spitfire, and the equally spectacular Martin-Baker MB-5, simply came too late. Another fighter, the Hawker Tornado, failed solely due to a poor choice of power plant, but was subsequently mass-produced with a different engine under another name, Typhoon.

British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II is a must for anyone interested in aviation, particularly those with a taste for the rare and the strange. Its price tag derives from the fact that it is large-format and lavishly illustrated, almost a “coffeetable book.” But this treasure trove of the sublime and the bizarre is meticulously researched and packed with information that is probably available nowhere else in a single volume.

Originally published in the July 2013 issue of Aviation History . To subscribe, click here .

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AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

World war ii’s worst airplane.

The product of an ambitious designer and a doomed regime, the Bachem Ba 349 Natter was a radical idea that almost worked.

On March 1, 1945, a young test pilot became the first human to lie on his back and wait for a rocket engine to blast him toward the heavens. Like those who would dare ride the fire after him, he believed in his cause and was confident in the success of his mission. He was mistaken on both counts. The development of the aircraft he was “piloting” is one of the more bizarre stories of the last desperate days of the Third Reich, but it began long before the Nazi war machine had collapsed, with a proposal from Wernher von Braun.

In 1937, von Braun developed a concept for a rocket-powered interceptor that would launch vertically, attack Allied bombers, and glide to a landing. Two years later, he submitted his proposal to the Luftwaffe’s Ministry of Aviation (RLM), and the ministry responded with a sincere nein thanks. In 1941, von Braun tried again—same proposal, same ministry, same answer: “We’ll call you.” The ministry’s reviewers had assessed the concept as “unnecessary and unworkable,” but the idea circulated around the German aircraft industry, reaching the company Gerhard Fieseler Werke (later known for the Fieseler Storch and the V-1 buzz bomb). Fieseler’s technical director—Erich Bachem—thought a vertically launched interceptor was a capital idea.

Three very long years later, Bachem had his own company, the Bachem-Werke GmbH, a supplier of spare parts for the manufacturers of combat airplanes. But Bachem never forgot the idea for a rocket-powered interceptor, and in the summer of 1944, he saw his opportunity to build one.

In February of that year, the Allies intensified the bombing of German cities and of the country’s aviation industry, forcing the Luftwaffe into the air to fight. The air campaign was costly to both sides, but the United States and Great Britain were able to replace the aircraft they lost; the Germans were not. With strategic supplies for the German war effort extremely tight, the RLM issued requirements that July for an inexpensive fighter to be made of non-essential materials that, with the least expenditure of effort, would bring down enemy bombers and defend important strategic targets.

In August, German industrialists Junkers, Heinkel, and Messerschmitt submitted plans. And so did Bachem. According to David Myhra, author of a series of books on Germany’s World War II experimental aircraft, the staff of the air ministry’s technical division reviewed Bachem’s uninvited submission, with its simple plans for a rocket interceptor made of wood pieces nailed together, and laughed him out of the room. But Bachem had connections—made perhaps through his work on the V-1 terror weapon—and through them, he presented his idea to Germany’s most sociopathic and least aeronautically discerning powerbroker: the head of the Nazi SS, Heinrich Himmler.

Bachem’s pitch included visions of missile-laden plywood rocketships built on the cheap by former furniture makers working in meagerly equipped shops. The aircraft, flown by minimally trained pilots who had only to guide the craft during the last few seconds of flight, would be launched en masse toward the hundreds of invading bombers that by that time were meeting little resistance from conventional Luftwaffe fighters. And the interceptors would be disposable! No gliding to an airbase—each pilot would bail out after flinging the two dozen high-explosive rockets carried in the airplane’s nose, then the airplane would crash. Himmler loved it. He ordered 150.

“The SS under Himmler’s leadership felt it was the true representative of national socialism,” says Michael Neufeld, a senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum and author of the biography Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War . “They believed they were really the organization that was going to save Germany from disaster and began funding a lot of strange projects.”

Himmler’s approval, in turn, forced the hand of the RLM, which didn’t like the idea of the powerful security forces horning in on their aviation turf. They reluctantly signed off on the concept they had been saying no to for half a decade and bought 50 more. Bachem got a contract, and his airplane got a name— Natter , German for viper.

With an order for 200 Natters in hand, Bachem returned to his factory in Waldsee (about 100 miles west of Munich). The SS showed up soon after, to keep an eye on the Natter’s 300 engineers and factory workers and to “recruit” support from the nearby population in the form of materials, food, fuel, and transportation.

In just a few months—by November 1944—Natter prototypes were ready for wind tunnel and flight testing. One reason for the program’s rapid progress—besides its highly motivated workforce—was that the vehicle was drop-dead simple to make. The Natter’s wings were rectangular slabs of timber with no slats, flaps, or ailerons. Its 18.7-foot-long fuselage was unremarkable other than the firing system for the 24 air-to-air missiles stuffed in its nose. The cockpit was cramped and carried minimal instrumentation. The closest thing to elegance in engineering appeared in the Natter’s cruciform tail, where the control surfaces on the four fins acted in concert to provide yaw, pitch, and roll control.

The HWK 109-509 liquid-fuel rocket engine—the same that powered the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet fighter—was designed by Hellmuth Walter, an engineer who invented submarine and torpedo engines and later worked for the British navy. The HWK engine generated about 3,700 pounds of thrust, not enough to launch a loaded Ba 349. Bachem’s team bolted four Schmidding solid-fuel rockets to the aft fuselage to provide more oomph for the first critical 10 seconds of flight.

Team Natter carried out the first flight test on November 3, 1944, when a prototype glider was carried aloft behind a Heinkel He 111. Several towed and free-flight glide tests followed over the next two months. Although there were several close calls, the Natter was judged to have excellent flying characteristics.

On December 18, the team attempted the first unpiloted vertical launch at a pad in Heuberg, about 40 miles west of Waldsee. The wooden interceptor, with wingtips and ventral fin sliding along guide rails, got stuck halfway up the 79-foot launch tower and burned like the kindling it was made of. More unmanned vertical launches were conducted over the next three months with Natters flying off course, blowing up, and generally behaving atrociously. Then, on February 25, 1945, a Natter bearing serial number M22 lifted off with a dummy pilot and performed the entire mission sequence. After leaving the tower, the aircraft climbed for 10 seconds then received autopilot steering guidance from a ground radio, and climbed another 30 seconds to the altitude at which it would encounter bombers—about 20,000 feet. In a real mission, the pilot would have then jettisoned the nose cone and fired the rockets. Fuel expended (after 80 seconds), the Natter would have entered a dive, and at 4,500 feet, the pilot would have fired explosive bolts to jettison the entire nose section. He would have also released a braking parachute from the rear fuselage. The sudden deceleration was designed to throw the pilot from the vehicle. He would then open his own parachute for landing.

After M22’s success, Himmler wanted piloted tests ASAP. Although Bachem felt he needed more time before strapping a human into a Natter cockpit, the next launch, M23, would be Lothar Sieber’s.

The young Dresden native once shook the hand of Luftwaffe commandant Hermann Göring at a rally in Dresden in 1936 and ever afterward wanted only to fly—which he did quite well until one evening in 1943, when he was busted for drinking on duty.

Demoted to corporal, Sieber began a two-year odyssey to regain his officer’s rank and his self-respect. He flew hazardous, secret missions, including one to penetrate deep behind enemy lines on the Eastern Front to evacuate a group of German officers who had been encircled by Soviet troops. The deed earned him an Iron Cross but no promotion.

Sieber was not the first choice to fly the Natter, but the primary pilot had hurt his back during parachute training. Soon the SS came calling with an offer for an Oberleutenant’s rank—if Sieber would climb into the cockpit of an experimental aircraft undergoing tests.

The evening of February 28, 1945, Sieber had dinner with some of his coworkers during which he professed a confidence in the coming day’s assignment. Then he wrote a last will and testament—leaving everything to his fiancée.

The next morning—as General Omar Bradley’s First Army launched a campaign to capture the west bank of the Rhine, and the Russians, drawn to within 37 miles of Berlin, prepared to advance on the city—Sieber stood in a clearing in Heuberg, getting a few final tips from Bachem and from Natter development chief Willy Fiedler. Then they waited for the weather to clear.

In a 1979 letter, Fiedler wrote, “Before Sieber climbed into the craft and was buckled up, I talked to him about the launch procedure/sequence. I said: ‘If the machine tries to turn upside down after liftoff, do a half-roll maneuver. Then you would be in a steep climb and would be better able to orient yourself.’ ”

Eventually the fog burned away—but low-hanging clouds remained. “There was a high, fog-like cloudiness above the Ochsenkopf,” remembered Karl Mielenhausen, a member of the Natter ground support crew, referring to a small mountain in the distance. After handshakes and good wishes, Sieber climbed the gantry, shoehorned himself into the rocket, and prepared to make history.

According to Brett Gooden’s Projekt Natter: Last of the Wonder Weapons , Sieber was not intimidated by the task before him. “In the course of this war I have already done riskier things,” he told Bachem. “Let me worry about this. I look upon the testing of this device as a self-imposed task that I would like to accomplish and I firmly believe in the successful outcome.”

At a little after 11 a.m., Sieber heard the turbine of the Walter’s electric start-up motor and watched its gauge climb to 9,000 rpm. Behind him, T-Stoff (a highly caustic solution of hydrogen peroxide and a stabilizing chemical) and C-Stoff (a hydrazine hydrate/methanol/water mixture), began to annihilate each other on contact in the Walter’s combustion chamber. The turbine wound up to 16,000 rpm. Just then, the four solid booster rockets fired.

The young pilot was pushed back in his seat by the force of 2.2 Gs. Sixteen years before Gagarin and Shepard took their rides, Lothar Sieber became the first person to ascend vertically on a rocket.

“From a strong cloud of smoke that wrapped the whole machine, the Natter slowly rises and departs perpendicularly from its mount. The booster rockets detach according to plan and fall reeling to the ground,” wrote Mielenhausen. “The machine tilts and begins to fly in a slightly upside-down position. But what is this? A dark object detaches from the machine and falls tumbling to the ground.”

M23 flew straight until it reached about 350 feet, where, the official post-flight report stated, it made a sharp curve into the inverted position. The Natter disappeared into the low cloud. What happened next, no one is certain. Did all four booster rockets fall away or did only three of them jettison? Did the Walter rocket continue to fire or did it cut out early? Fiedler says the rocket engine stopped about 15 seconds into the flight. Others, like Mielenhausen, say it was firing all along.

One thing is certain: During the flight, M23’s canopy ripped away. One theory is that Sieber opened the hood because of fumes in the cockpit (also reported by Me 163 pilots). Another is that he lost consciousness, and the aircraft’s roll forced him against the canopy causing it to break away.

Wrote Mielenhausen: “After a short time, we saw the Natter some kilometers in the distance going vertically downwards after coming out of the clouds again. And with the engine still running it hit the ground. The impact sound could be heard at the Ochsenkopf.” Bachem and his team waited, hoping the test pilot had parachuted to safety. After an hour they set out for the crash site, in a farmer’s field in nearby Nusplingen where they found a scorched crater 15 feet deep and a debris field that included parts of Sieber’s body.

M23 was the only piloted Natter launch. Despite the hazards, more pilots volunteered, but only a few unpiloted tests were conducted after March 1. Strategic materials were so scarce that something as trifling as a shortage of cement kept the remaining vehicles grounded. (Small cement blocks were to be used to provide the weight of the air-to-air missiles that couldn’t be risked for test flights.)

Of the contracted 200 Natters, only 36 were built. Eighteen were expended in unmanned tests. One was allowed to crash after a glide test, one was atomized in the Sieber flight, and six were destroyed by Bachem employees before Allied troops could get their hands on them. But in May 1945—after the remaining aircraft along with pilots and workers had been moved to St. Leonhard, Austria—American soldiers captured four complete Natters, along with construction documents, rockets, and spare parts. In 1949, the U.S. Air Force transferred one of the captured rocketplanes to the Smithsonian Institution, where it was displayed for many years. It is now in storage, awaiting restoration. The Deutsches Museum in Munich also owns a Natter. It was recently removed from view while a new exhibition about German aviation between 1919 and 1945 is being created. The exhibit is expected to open in 2021.

“We will hang it just above the floor in a 70-degree angle to create the impression of its steep, rocket-powered ascent,” says museum historian Andreas Hempfer. “The red booster rockets will too be hung as if they were just jettisoned. This much more dynamic presentation of the Natter will hopefully draw some interest even from a distance and make the people wonder what this strange machine was.”

However dramatic the presentation, the goal of the Deutsches Museum exhibit is less about a unique aeronautical achievement than the hubris of those who made it possible.

“The Natter will be part of the section ‘Far from Superior Weapons,’ ” says Hempfer. “I want the Natter to be a symbol for the irresponsible willingness of German engineers and elites in the last months of the war to build weapons that only seemed to be superior but were primitive in many respects and based on half-baked ideas. They were fighting a lost war for the national socialist regime. This is the message I want people to take home from the Natter.”

Lothar Sieber received his promotion. The first lieutenant was buried on March 3, 1945 at a cemetery in Nusplingen. His father and fiancée were in attendance. Two months and four days later, Germany surrendered.

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Before World War II, in 1939, jet engines primarily existed in labs. The end of the war, however, illustrated that jet engines, with their great power and compactness, were at the forefront of aviation development. A young German physicist, Hans von Ohain, worked for Ernst Heinkel, specializing in advanced engines, to develop the world's first jet plane, the experimental Heinkel He 178. It first flew on August 27, 1939. Building on this advancement, German engine designer Anselm Franz developed an engine suitable for use in a jet fighter. This airplane, the Me 262, was built by Messerschmitt. Though the only jet fighter to fly in combat during World War II, the Me 262 spent a significant amount of time on the ground due to its high consumption of fuel. It was often described as a “sitting duck for Allied attacks.” Meanwhile, in England, Frank Whittle invented a jet engine completely on his own. The British thus developed a successful engine for another early jet fighter—the Gloster Meteor. Britain used it for homeland defense but, due to lack of speed, it was not used to combat over Germany. The British shared Whittle's technology with the U.S., allowing General Electric (GE) to build jet engines for America's first jet fighter, the Bell XP-59. The British continued to develop new jet engines from Whittle's designs, with Rolls-Royce initiating work on the Nene engine during 1944. The company sold Nenes to the Soviets—a Soviet version of the engine, in fact, powered the MiG-15 jet fighter that later fought U.S. fighters and bombers during the Korean War. The 1945 surrender of Germany revealed substantial wartime discoveries and inventions. General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, another American engine-builder, added German lessons to those of Whittle and other British designers. Early jet engines, such as those of the Me 262, gulped fuel rapidly. Thus, an initial challenge was posed: to build an engine that could provide high thrust with less fuel consumption. Pratt & Whitney resolved this dilemma in 1948 by combining two engines into one. The engine included two compressors; each rotated independently, the inner one giving high compression for good performance. Each compressor drew power from its own turbine; hence there were two turbines, one behind the other. This approach led to the J-57 engine. Commercial airliners—the Boeing 707, the Douglas DC-8—flew with it. One of the prominent postwar engines, it entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1953. Hans von Ohain of Germany was the designer of the first operational jet engine, though credit for the invention of the jet engine went to Great Britain's Frank Whittle. Whittle, who registered a patent for the turbojet engine in 1930, received that recognition but did not perform a flight test until 1941. Ohain was born December 14, 1911, in Dessau, Germany. While pursuing doctorate work at the University of Gottingen, he forumulated his theory of jet propulsion in 1933. After receiving his degree in 1935, he became a junior assistant to Robert Wichard Pohl, director of the university's Physical Institute. Granted a patent for his turbojet engine in 1936, Ohain joined the Heinkel Company in Rostock, Germany. By 1937 he had built a factory-tested demonstration engine and, by 1939, a fully operational jet aircraft, the He 178. Soon after, Ohain directed the construction of the He S.3B, the first fully operational centrifugal-flow turbojet engine. This engine was installed in the He 178 airplane, which made the world's first jet-powered aircraft flight on August 27, 1939. Ohain developed an improved engine, the He S.8A, which was first flown on April 2, 1941. This engine design, however, was less efficient than one designed by Anselm Franz, which powered the Me 262, the first operational jet fighter aircraft. Ohain came to the United States in 1947 and became a research scientist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,the Aerospace Research Laboratories, Wright's Aero Propulsion Laboratory, and the University of Dayton Research Institute. During his 32 years of U.S. government service, Ohain published more than 30 technical papers and registered 19 U.S. patents. In 1991 Ohain was honored by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering with the Charles Stark Draper Prize as a pioneer of the jet age. Ohain died on March 13, 1998, at his home in Melbourne, Florida. Cover Letters Jobs I've Applied To Saved Searches Subscriptions Marine Corps Coast Guard Space Force Military Podcasts Benefits Home Military Pay and Money Veteran Health Care VA eBenefits Veteran Job Search Military Skills Translator Upload Your Resume Veteran Employment Project Vet Friendly Employers Career Advice Military Life Home Military Trivia Game Veterans Day Spouse & Family Military History Discounts Home Featured Discounts Veterans Day Restaurant Discounts Electronics Join the Military Home Contact a Recruiter Military Fitness WWII Experimental German Aircraft Bachem Natter Ba 349: The Natter (Adder) was a World War II era German experimental point-defense rocket-powered interceptor aircraft which was to be used in a very similar way as unmanned surface-to-air missiles. After vertical take-off which eliminated the need for airfields, the majority of the flight to the bombers was radio controlled from the ground. The primary mission of the (inexperienced) pilot was to aim the aircraft at its target bomber and fire its armament of rockets. The pilot and the main rocket engine should then land under separate parachutes, while the wooden fuselage was disposable. The only manned test flight, on 1 March 1945, ended with test-pilot Lothar Sieber being killed. Related Videos Military videos. Shock & Awe Military.com Originals Fitness Videos Military Life Most Popular Select Service National Guard Most Popular Videos A decommissioned World War II-era destroyer docked near downtown Buffalo in New York is taking on water and listing... The final trailer for "Top Gun: Maverick," the sequel to Tony Scott's 1986 blockbuster smash, "Top Gun," which cemented... Vast swaths of Ukraine have been transformed into potential crime scenes. Each day, the tragedies multiply, creating an insurmountable... Popular Video Categories Sniper Videos, Sniper Rifles, Sniper Kills: The Best of the Best Guns and Weapons Vietnam War Afghanistan Special Operations World War II Military.com Original Video Series Spread Your Wings at AirVenture About experimental / amateur-built aircraft. EAA Careers Community Outreach Amateur-built aircraft are built by individuals and licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as “Experimental.”  The Experimental designation has been in existence for more than five decades.  It defines aircraft that are used for non-commercial, recreational purposes such as education or personal use. Under FAA regulations, if an individual builds at least 51 percent of an aircraft, the aircraft is eligible to be registered in the amateur-built category.  They are available in kits (where some of the airplane is already fabricated), or plans (where the builder purchases or manufactures all the parts and assembles them).  These airplanes are also commonly known as “homebuilts,” for the obvious reason that many individuals construct these aircraft at home, often in their garages.  Currently, more than 33,000 amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft are licensed by FAA. They represent proven aircraft designs that have been flown safely for many years. Who constructs amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft? People from all walks of life, including astronauts, airline pilots, military jet pilots, machinists, welders, professional people and others. Why do they build them? A variety of reasons:  a personal challenge, education, performance, or to invest “sweat equity” into the cost of an airplane.  Costs range from under $10,000 to more than $100,000 based on desired performance characteristics and optional engine and avionics packages. By comparison, a new factory-built Cessna 172 costs more than $250,000.  Many amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft utilize composite materials that help create airplanes that are lighter, faster and more fuel efficient than similar production aircraft. How long does it take? An average amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft will take between 1,000 and 3,000 hours to complete.  Some individuals build their airplane in less than a year; others may take a decade or more. How are these aircraft regulated? All amateur-built/homebuilt airplanes must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These airplanes must be inspected by an FAA inspector or a designated inspector before an airworthiness certificate can be issued.  This is a fairly rigorous process. The builder(s) must provide logs of when, where and how construction took place, along with supporting documents and photographs. If the aircraft passes this inspection, a pilot must fly between 25-40 hours of test flights in specific non-populated areas to make sure all components are operating properly. Only after that test time is flown may passengers be flown in the aircraft. In addition, an amateur-built airplane is subject to condition inspections every 12 months, the same scrutiny required of small production aircraft. Does a person have to be a licensed pilot to fly these airplanes? Yes. Pilots of amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft must earn and maintain the same federal pilot training and ratings as those who fly factory-built aircraft such as Cessnas, Pipers, and Beechcrafts. They also must follow all appropriate federal regulations during each of their flights. What does the term “Experimental” mean regarding a homebuilt airplane? The term “Experimental” is actually a bit of a misnomer; it refers to the FAA category in which the airplane is registered, not the exclusivity or the use of the airplane.  While there are a handful of homebuilt aircraft that are original designs, the vast majority of homebuilt airplanes are built using standardized, tried- and-true kits or plans that have been successfully constructed thousands of times.  When the current homebuilt aircraft rules were first introduced in the early 1950s, there was difficulty finding a category where the finished aircraft could be registered. After all, the airplanes were not factory-built, such as Cessnas or Pipers, nor were they transport aircraft (airliners) or military aircraft. Federal officials saw the most practical category as Experimental, and created a new subcategory called “amateur-built.”  FAA’s Experimental category also includes nearly 10 other subcategories, including aircraft used for crew training, air racing, and historic aircraft (such as World War II military aircraft) flown to air shows and exhibitions. How safe are amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft? Studies by FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) show that amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft have an accident rate less than one percentage point higher than the general aviation fleet.  In fact, the accident rate for amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft is dropping.  The total number of registered homebuilt aircraft has doubled since 1994, and the total hours flown have increased by 123 percent, while the total number of accidents has stayed virtually the same.  Another good barometer of safety is insurance rates. Companies that insure both homebuilts and production aircraft charge about the same rates for owners of either type of airplane. That indicates a similar level of risk. Are these aircraft the same as ultralights? No. Ultralights are light, one-person flying machines that operate under a completely different set of federal regulations. All amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft are registered with the federal government in the same manner as production aircraft with corresponding “N-numbers” on the fuselage. What does EAA do to support the amateur-built/homebuilt program? EAA was founded in 1953 with a focus on amateur-built/homebuilt aircraft activities.  Since that time, the interests of EAA members have grown to include virtually all of aviation’s broad and dynamic spectrum.  The core of EAA activities continues to revolve around amateur-built/homebuilt activities.  For more than 60 years, EAA has been educating builders and pilots so they may enhance the safety of their aircraft and their individual flying abilities. For instance, EAA technical counselors, who are experienced airplane builders, restorers and mechanics, volunteer their time to visit builders and review their projects.  EAA flight advisors help pilots evaluate their flying skills so they are well suited to flying this particular type of aircraft. In some cases, the evaluation will point toward more flight training before a pilot flies a newly built or restored airplane.  EAA also offers a full range of instructional books and educational videotapes, as well as a full-time staff that provides information on specific aircraft so people can embark on a project suited to their individual needs and abilities. Site Navigation Desperate for victory, the nazis built an aircraft that was all wing. it didn’t work.. This overall view of the Horten Ho 229 highlights the heavily rusted intake fairing on the left. After examination of historical images, where this section was missing, it was discovered that the left intake fairings were added in a later restoration. (Photo by Ben Sullivan) Toward the end of World War II, the Nazis—clearly losing and in distress—proposed a host of seemingly bizarre projects in an effort to turn the tide in their favor. One of these so-called German “wonder weapons” was the Horten Ho 229. A pair of white swastikas adorns the pointed tail of the  Horten Ho 229 V3 , an unfinished Nazi prototype aircraft that’s now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s  Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center  in Chantilly, Virginia. It’s the only remaining example of the world’s first all-wing jet aircraft, constructed in extreme haste by brothers Reimar and Walter Horten in 1944. Soon after the war, the U.S. military recovered the Horten Ho 229 V3’s center section—two jet engines, cockpit, landing gear and other parts—inside a road maintenance building in Germany. Its wing panels were found at a different location. “They brought this aircraft and thousands of other pieces of equipment back from Germany and Japan after the war to study them,” says Russell Lee, chair of the Aeronautics Department at the National Air and Space Museum. “They wanted to find out secrets if it had any.” More than 70 years after it was built, the Horten Ho 229 V3 is still giving up secrets, most recently to Lee and a team of Smithsonian conservators and treatment specialists who restored the aircraft from 2015 to 2017. Their work was cut out for them. Stored outdoors for decades, extreme temperature and humidity exacted a heavy toll on the plane’s layered plywood skin, metal components and other parts. Conservators did a detailed study of the structure and conserved it where needed. They left it alone where there wasn’t any active corrosion, says Lee, who is the author of the book “ Only the Wing: Reimar Horten’s Epic Quest to Stabilize and Control the All-Wing Aircraft .” As a curator, Lee works in tandem with conservators and treatment specialists, collaborating to determine how to treat and restore and conserve every artifact. Their mantra, according to Lee: “Leave stuff alone. Conserve it, stabilize it, but unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t scrape off all that history and repaint it.” In 1942, the aircraft’s designers Reimar and Walter Horten began talking about a new all-wing fighter for Germany. Hermann Göring, chief of the German Air Force, gave his official permission to the brothers to build and test several prototypes the next year. The aircraft on display at the museum is the third iteration of the Horten Ho 229 series. The first was a piloted glider, which informed the design and builds of the jet-propelled versions to come. The second crashed during a test flight, killing the pilot. Fourth, fifth and sixth prototypes were being developed as the war ended. During their work, the museum’s conservation staff followed up on a story generated by Reimar Horten years after the war. He claimed the Horten Ho 229 was to be the world’s first stealth airplane, the result of a special exterior coating that contained charcoal, which would absorb radar waves. In a detailed examination of the Horten Ho 229’s layered plywood surface, Smithsonian conservators used an electron microscope and a variety of special devices, looking for any kind of coating. They didn’t find anything. “As the conservators started to take the aircraft apart and study every component and assess whether there was any deterioration, they took off the belly panels underneath the engines,” Lee says. They found a little cutout where maybe some duct would have been, charred on both sides and also beneath both engines. “About all we can conclude is that at some point, and this was previously unknown, U.S. Army Air Force personnel must have actually started the engines and run them,” Lee says. The Horten Ho 229 ultimately was a “dead end,” Lee points out, due to its limitations in lateral stability. It contributed nothing to the war. “You could argue that it took away resources from the Germans,” Lee says. “They didn’t need pie-in-the-sky, outlandish stuff. They needed many examples of things that already worked.” The Horten Ho 229 was one of the most unusual combat aircraft tested during World War II. It may not have been a “wonder weapon,” but it did mark the introduction by Reimar and Walter Horten of a noteworthy and longstanding concept: bell-shaped lift distribution. This concept is still being thoroughly studied and tested by aeronautics researchers. By working on the Horten Ho 299, the Hortens kept themselves away from the most dangerous aspect of the German war effort. They were under a strict deadline to get their new plane into the air, and working on it kept the Hortens and their employees off of the front lines, where thousands of their countrymen were dying. “Nazi politicians didn’t know aircraft or aerospace, but if it looked cool and weird and they had a piece of paper that said it will go a thousand miles an hour and defeat the Allied bombers, they were going to support it,” Lee says. “So some of these designers stayed off the Eastern front, and they kept their whole crews and crews’ families protected by doing this.” Lee found that some German scientists purposely sought to generate these new projects to stay off the front lines, a story he wouldn’t have known without working on the Horten Ho 229. “No matter how long these artifacts have been here, and how long we’ve been looking at them, we’re still finding out new things about them,” Lee says. “We find out new questions to ask. I like to say we entertain with the truth. We’re always seeking the truth about the artifacts, and the stories we tease out are so entertaining and so interesting. They say so much about where we’ve been and where we are and where we’re going.” - Art & Design - History & Culture - Science & Nature Open Access Mobile Apps Search forums Image search Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen. Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers. Non-fiction "British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II" by Tony Butler (1 Viewer) Thread starter vikingBerserker Start date Sep 26, 2012 Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules More options Sep 26, 2012 vikingBerserker Lieutenant general. VB, I recently got this book and it immediately became one of my favorites! A great book by any metric! Highly recommended and for a little over $30.00 bucks at Amazon, with free shipping, it's a win/win! Three words: GET IT NOW   Users who are viewing this thread Similar threads. List reactions zeamerseagerbeavers May 25, 2024 Mar 2, 2023 Jun 27, 2022 Nov 28, 2020 Oct 29, 2019 Sorry, there was a problem. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required . Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. Image Unavailable To view this video download Flash Player Follow the author Luftwaffe X-Planes: German Experimental Aircraft of World War II Paperback – December 14, 2021 Print length 80 pages Language English Publisher Frontline Books Publication date December 14, 2021 Dimensions 6.6 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches ISBN-10 1399018256 ISBN-13 978-1399018258 See all details Editorial Reviews About the author, product details. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frontline Books (December 14, 2021) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 80 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1399018256 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1399018258 Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.6 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches #4,062 in Military Aviation History (Books) #5,502 in German History (Books) #18,468 in World War II History (Books) About the author Manfred griehl. Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more Customer reviews 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 46% 32% 11% 5% 6% 46% 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 46% 32% 11% 5% 6% 32% 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 46% 32% 11% 5% 6% 11% 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 46% 32% 11% 5% 6% 5% 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 46% 32% 11% 5% 6% 6% Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews Top reviews from the United States There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later.. Top reviews from other countries About Amazon Investor Relations Amazon Devices Amazon Science Sell products on Amazon Sell on Amazon Business Sell apps on Amazon Become an Affiliate Advertise Your Products Self-Publish with Us Host an Amazon Hub › See More Make Money with Us Amazon Business Card Shop with Points Reload Your Balance Amazon Currency Converter Amazon and COVID-19 Your Account Your Orders Shipping Rates & Policies Returns & Replacements Manage Your Content and Devices Conditions of Use Privacy Notice Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure Your Ads Privacy Choices Yak-41: The Mystery Russian Fighter Some Say Helped Make the F-35B Share on Facebook F Share on Twitter L Share on LinkedIn I Subscribe to RSS R The Yak-41 (Yak-141) was a Soviet attempt at creating a supersonic VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, developed in the 1980s but ultimately shelved after the Soviet Union collapsed. Despite rumors, there is little evidence to suggest that the Yak-41 directly influenced the development of the F-35B, the VTOL variant of the U.S. military's Joint Strike Fighter. Summary and Key Points: The Yak-41 (Yak-141) was a Soviet attempt at creating a supersonic VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, developed in the 1980s but ultimately shelved after the Soviet Union collapsed. Despite rumors, there is little evidence to suggest that the Yak-41 directly influenced the development of the F-35B, the VTOL variant of the U.S. military's Joint Strike Fighter. -While Lockheed Martin did partner with Yakovlev in the early 1990s, the connection is more likely coincidental than foundational. -The Yak-41 remains a footnote in aviation history, while the F-35B is a significant leap in modern military aviation. Did the F-35B Benefit From the Soviet Yak-141? Some rumors/conspiracy theories die hard – Walt Disney isn't preserved at his theme park, and NASA didn't fake the moon landing (nor is the earth flat) , but try convincing those who believe such wild stories. This is also true in the world of military hardware . It is a KNOWN FACT that Chinese hackers stole U.S. military technology, including details about Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters, and Beijing likely used the knowledge in the development of its Chengdu J-20 "Mighty Dragon" multirole fighter. However, there remains just a rumor – and not a believable one at that – of how a largely forgotten Soviet aircraft contributed to the development of the F-35B – the vertical/short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. This would be the Yak-41 (aka Yak-141), an aircraft that is really little more than a footnote today, and for good reason. It never really moved past the early prototype stage. The Yak-38 is the Starting Point To understand anything about the Yak-41/Yak-141 requires a bit of explanation about the YAK-38, the Soviet's attempt to develop a fixed-wing aircraft that could take off and land vertically. Since the Second World War, military planners have considered the advantages of VSTOL aircraft, which could take off and land vertically or on short runways, and the British military led the effort with the development of the AV-8B Harrier from lessons learned in the Korean War. By the late 1960s, it emerged as the only truly successful VSTOL design of the Cold War era. The Soviets weren't deterred and moved forward with its own aircraft. The A.S. Yakovlev Design Bureau JSC was charged with developing a Soviet VSTOL, yet whereas the Harrier had begun essentially as a clean slate, the Yak-38 was developed from the land-based experimental demonstrator Yakovlev Yak-36. In the end, the two shared little in common – yet, it is evident that the Soviets were forced to make numerous compromises. The redesigned Yak-38 was outfitted with a pair of R-27 turbojets with intakes squashed together in an open nose, with the rear nozzles capable of rotating to provide vectored thrust. Compressed air thrusters on the tail, on the tips of its undersized wings, and at the end of its unicorn-like nose boom provided directional maneuvering. In total, it took five years of testing to get the Yak-38 to the point where it could transition between vertical liftoff and horizontal flight. The two dedicated lift jets behind the cockpit in addition to a single RD-27 vector thrust engine resulted in higher fuel consumption, limiting range to around two hundred miles at best, and less if it performed a vertical takeoff. Though some 230 were produced, its service history was underwhelming – and it was considered a difficult aircraft to control. The Yak-41 Was Born Despite the lack of success with the Yak-38, the Soviets pressed on with the Yak-41 (NATO reporting name "Freestyle"), which was developed in the 1980s. According to Army Recognition , the Yak-41 was "the pinnacle of the Yakovlev Design Bureau's VTOL aircraft development" becoming "the world's first supersonic VTOL aircraft, achieving speeds up to Mach 1.7," and was developed for use on the "Soviet Navy's Kiev-class carriers." It was designed around a tri-engine configuration that included its main RD-41 after-burning turbofan engine, with a pair of RD-38 lift engines that provided the transition between vertical and horizontal flight. In addition to its advanced engine, the Yak-41 was outfitted with multi-tracking radar that could engage multiple targets, while its armament was to have consisted of a variety of ordnance including air-to-air missiles, guided bombs, and an internal cannon. The aircraft took its maiden flight on March 9, 1987, and it soon set around a dozen world records. It was arguably leaps and bounds more advanced than the Yak-38, and may have even been comparable in capabilities to the Harrier. It might have been just the aircraft the Soviet Navy needed for its aircraft cruisers. That is until one of the two prototypes was lost in an accident while landing on the aircraft cruiser Admiral Groshev in September 1991. That put the program on hold. Then the Soviet Union broke up just months later, and in the years that followed Russia was in no position to move forward with the aircraft. The F-35 Connection So was the F-35B actually based on Soviet technology? That probably depends on who you ask and what you want to believe. With the end of the Cold War, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Yakovlev entered into a partnership with that little American firm known as Lockheed Martin. As a Task & Purpose report from April 2018 outlined , "The two companies allegedly signed an agreement in 1991 (but not revealed until 1995) that outlined funding for additional Yak-141 prototypes, including a plan to fly the remaining operational prototype the Farnborough Airshow in September 1992." Perhaps Lockheed Martin garnered some insight from the Yak-41, but the Soviet-designed aircraft was hardly a success at that point. Yet, the rumors continue to circulate to the contrary. Some of it may be Russian propaganda efforts – not that Russians would ever engage in such activities. But some of it may just be from aviation buffs who can't see that similar aircraft can be developed independently. Finally, interest was renewed in the largely forgotten Yak-41/Yak-141 until last year, when it was announced the Soviet aircraft would be introduced in the popular online multiplayer game War Thunder – the same title that has earned notoriety for its fans constantly leaking classified secrets on gaming forums . That has only further served to reignite the rumor that the F-35 was based on Soviet tech. Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs . You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu . You can email the author: [email protected] . Could the 6th Generation NGAD Become a 'Light Fighter'? 426 IMAGES Amazing Experimental Aircraft From World War II (Part 2) [Photo] Experimental A-17A aircraft at the National Advisory Committee 5 Experimental Aircraft from WWII Amazing Experimental Aircraft From World War II (Part 2) Amazing Experimental Aircraft From World War II (Part 2) Amazing Experimental Aircraft From World War II (Part 2) COMMENTS 10 Fascinating Experimental Aircraft Of World War II It should come as no surprise that during World War II, airplane designers around the world built some fascinating experimental airplanes. From early helicopters to bombers meant to attack the United States, these are some of the most interesting airplanes to ever fly. 10 of the Rarest Experimental Aircraft of WWII When we think of World War II aircraft, common models like the Spitfire or the B-52 Bomber often come to mind. However, there was much more taking off from airfields and design tables worldwide. This is a dive into ten unusual and rare experimental planes which did not make it into mass production y Top 10 Rare Experimental Aircraft of WW2 An experimental mid-war fighter design. First Flight: 1943 Purpose: Long-range fighter Brief: This experimental aircraft was designed to meet the USAF requirements for a plane that could climb extremely quickly and fly over long distances. Its configuration was unusual, being similar to the Bell P-39 with a mid-engine layout. Gooney Birds "A number of these experimental aircraft featured designs so innovative and outlandish they call out for recognition even now, more than 70 years later." MORE AIRPLANES rolled off assembly lines during World War Two than in any... List of German aircraft projects, 1939-1945 The aircraft in this list include prototype versions of aircraft used by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and unfinished wartime experimental programmes. In the former, development can stretch back to the 1920s and in the latter the project must have started between 1939-1945. The WW2 flying wing decades ahead of its time In the last months of World War Two, Nazi Germany tested an experimental fighter more spaceship than aircraft. Only now are we realising how inspired it was, writes Stephen Dowling. Kyushu J7W Shinden Imperial Japanese Navy. Number built. 2. The Kyūshū J7W Shinden (震電, "Magnificent Lightning") is a World War II Japanese propeller-driven prototype fighter plane with wings at the rear of the fuselage, a nose-mounted canard, and a pusher engine. Developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as a short-range, land-based interceptor, the ... Top 10 Experimental Aircraft Of World War II Top 10 Experimental Aircraft Of World War II. 10. Blackburn B-20. The B-20 was an attempt to combine the best features of both the flying boat and the floatplane. While on the water, the B-20 was essentially a floatplane, using a large float under the fuselage for buoyancy, and two smaller floats near the wingtips for stability. Category : World War II experimental aircraft of Germany Pages in category "World War II experimental aircraft of Germany" The following 10 pages are in this category, out of 10 total. This list may not reflect recent changes . History: The Dive Bomber Aircraft Of The Second World War The dive bomber, known solely for its name, was a military aircraft that transformed the war scene during World War II (WWII). According to Britannica, its concept dates back to experimental examples during the First World War, but the US Navy and Marines Corps developed it in the 1920s. Several versions of the aircraft type were subsequently manufactured, including the German Junkers Ju 87 ... Aviation History Book Review: British Experimental Combat Aircraft of British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II is a must for anyone interested in aviation, particularly those with a taste for the rare and the strange. Its price tag derives from the fact that it is large-format and lavishly illustrated, almost a "coffeetable book.". But this treasure trove of the sublime and the bizarre is ... World War II's Worst Airplane According to David Myhra, author of a series of books on Germany's World War II experimental aircraft, the staff of the air ministry's technical division reviewed Bachem's uninvited ... Jet Planes and World War II A young German physicist, Hans von Ohain, worked for Ernst Heinkel, specializing in advanced engines, to develop the world's first jet plane, the experimental Heinkel He 178. It first flew on August 27, 1939. Building on this advancement, German engine designer Anselm Franz developed an engine suitable for use in a jet fighter. WWII Experimental German Aircraft Bachem Natter Ba 349: The Natter (Adder) was a World War II era German experimental point-defense rocket-powered interceptor aircraft which was to be used in a very similar way as unmanned surface ... British Experimental Combat Aircraft Of WWII: Prototypes, Research British Experimental Combat Aircraft Of WWII: Prototypes, Research Aircraft and Failed Production Designs Hardcover - June 30, 2012 by Tony Buttler (Author) 4.9 31 ratings See all formats and editions This new book by Tony Buttler, a first of its kind, describes the British fighter, bomber, and research aircraft produced in the run up to and during World War II. Category:World War II experimental aircraft World War II Italian experimental aircraft ‎ (2 P) Categories: Experimental aircraft. World War II military aircraft. Hidden categories: Experimental Aircraft Information FAA's Experimental category also includes nearly 10 other subcategories, including aircraft used for crew training, air racing, and historic aircraft (such as World War II military aircraft) flown to air shows and exhibitions. Desperate for victory, the Nazis built an aircraft that was all wing The aircraft on display at the museum is the third iteration of the Horten Ho 229 series. The first was a piloted glider, which informed the design and builds of the jet-propelled versions to come. The second crashed during a test flight, killing the pilot. Fourth, fifth and sixth prototypes were being developed as the war ended. "British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II" by Tony Butler "British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II - Prototypes, Research Aircraft and Failed Production Designs" By Tony Buttler Hikoki Publications - 2012 ISBN 9 781902 109244 I've always loved the various prototypes produced, especially during times of war. Some data is fairly... Luftwaffe X-Planes: German Experimental Aircraft of World War II Despite the Allied authorities ban on research, countless aircraft were designed and tested by the Luftwaffe and German manufacturers before World War II. The research took place at secret evaluation sites in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the USSR. After the outbreak of the war this work continued. EAA brings authentic World War II aircraft to Madison, offers rides to MADISON, Wis. -- The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is bringing pieces of World War II history to Dane County Regional Airport this weekend, offering tours and rides in authentic wartime List of aircraft of the United States during World War II List of aircraft of the United States during World War II A list of USAAF, USN, USCG, and USMC aircraft from World War II . Yak-41: The Mystery Russian Fighter Some Say Helped Make the F-35B The aircraft took its maiden flight on March 9, 1987, and it soon set around a dozen world records. It was arguably leaps and bounds more advanced than the Yak-38, and may have even been ... List of aircraft of World War II List of aircraft of World War II The list of aircraft of World War II includes all the aircraft used by those countries which were at war during World War from the period between their joining the conflict and the conflict ending for them. Aircraft developed but not used operationally in the war are in the prototypes section at the end. List of World War II military aircraft of Germany This list covers aircraft of the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945. Numerical designations are largely within the RLM designation system.. The Luftwaffe officially existed from 1933-1945 but training had started in the 1920s, before the Nazi seizure of power, and many aircraft made in the inter-war years were used during World War II. essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis