Source: flyingmachinesĪccording to all sources, the body was based on actual birds, and an unpowered prototype was developed and tested. The pilot and landing gear would be joined to the body through wires and a frame. Alexandre Goupil designed it in the 1880s, and Glenn Curtiss produced a duplicate in the late 1910s.Īccording to Goupils drawings, the steam engine would power a single tractor propeller at the front of the rotund body. The French-designed Duck is a one-of-a-kind prototype, created as a steam-powered aircraft. The Curtiss-Goupil Duck is unlike anything you’ve ever seen! Source: fjbruzr/reddit It wasnt the most beautiful airplane ever constructed, but it remains a favorite among many aircraft fans today. Desperate to have the plane operational as soon as possible, delays in engine supplies resulted in just a few being delivered before the end of the war. The distinctive shape of this aircraft reduced aerodynamic drag, and it was the fastest German piston-engined aircraft throughout the war. It also had an unusual ejector seat.Īccording to current sources, a Do 335 can fly at 474 mph (846 km/h) in level flight. The usage of front and rear propellers in a push-pull arrangement is by far its most noticeable characteristic. The Do 335, often known as the Pfeil (Arrow), was a Nazi heavy fighter constructed by the Dornier firm during WWII. The Dornier Do 335 is another unusual aircraft Source: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum The project, along with those of other parasite fighters, was terminated in 1949 in favor of developing mid-air refueling.Īlso Read: All you need to know about Ruyi Bridge 3. Because conventional fighters frequently struggled to match the range of bomber groups, the XF-85 was meant to assist in solving this by only being deployed and retrieved when necessary. The plan at the time was for a swarm of fighter-carrying aircraft to drop their fighter payloads whenever bomber units were attacked. Designed just after WWIIs end, the aircrafts small form and characteristics distinguish it as one of the strangest-looking aircraft of all time. The McDonnell XF-85, a parasite fighter, was meant to be released from the bomb bay of a bigger host Convair B-36 bomber. The McDonnell XF-85 “Goblin” lived true to its nickname Source: USAF/Wikimedia Commons The Optica is back in the hands of its creator after years of ownership changes, and he is looking for money to bring it to total production.

The aircraft, which was powered by a Lycoming IO-540 engine, went into limited production in the early 1980s.Ī little more than twenty were produced, but 10 of them were destroyed in an arson strike at the manufacturing site. John Edgley created it, and it first flew in the late 1970s. The Optica was designed to be a low-cost alternative to helicopters, with a loiter speed of 8 mph (130 km/h) and a stall speed of 67 mph (108 km/h). The Optica is a British aircraft developed especially for low-speed observation missions. The Edgley Optica was another unique aircraft. The Edgely Optica appears to be particularly unwieldy Source: Nigel Ish/Wikimedia Commons The Vought XF5U “Flying Pancake” looks amusing as wellġ. Another unique aircraft is the Plymouth A-A-2004 The Me P1109 is maybe the strangest airplane you’ve ever seen Meet one of the world’s rare jet-powered biplanes The VVA-14 Bartini Beriev was developed to hunt submarines Scaled Composites Model 281 Proteus is another extraordinary aircraft The Curtiss-Goupil Duck is unlike anything you’ve ever seen! The Dornier Do 335 is another unusual aircraft The McDonnell XF-85 “Goblin” lived true to its nickname The Edgely Optica appears to be particularly unwieldy

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