The most ridiculous aircraft design

[oldironside]

Admiral Beez gave me the idea for this in my Greatest Aircraft Designer thread.

So, what was the most ridiculous design that ever flew? Paper projects are not allowed, so the hilariously stupid Junkers 187 with its rotating tail is barred.

However, the Natter actually flew (once and fatally) so is allowed.

I'll start the ball rolling by suggesting the Bell Airacuda. A bomber destroyer with pusher engines, cannon mounted in the nacelles and a top speed that wouldn't have worried a Whitley. Amazingly enough, it even achieved operational status.

So, can you suggest any bigger brain fart? The Bv141? Chance Vought Cutlass? Every time I post one of these threads I come across newer and weirder aircraft that I had never heard of before.

 

[RodentRevolution]

Surely our old friend the Supermarine Nighthawk deserves at least an honourable mention?

It goes up, tiddly up (albeit very slowly), it comes down, diddly down (hopefully in one piece).

 

[oldironside]

Surely our old friend the Supermarine Nighthawk deserves at least an honourable mention?

It goes up, tiddly up (albeit very slowly), it comes down, diddly down (hopefully in one piece).

Ah, yes. Catch the pigeon!

 

[wietze]

vought v173 flying pancake?

Bleriot III

 

[oldironside]

vought v173 flying pancake?

It's going to be very tough to beat that... that.

 

[Cryhavoc101]

Oh surely it has to be any of the tail sitters?

The SNECMA .450 Coléoptère come to mind

And the Convair Pogo

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Ah, yes. Catch the pigeon!

It goes up, tiddly up (albeit very slowly), it comes down, diddly down (hopefully in one piece) is from Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines.

But it does look like something Klunk would have built and I can picture Dick Dastardly in the crows nest thingy at the top.

 

[JudgeKing]

The Boeing Model 908-535

 

[Admiral Beez]

 

[Just Leo]

The Christmas Bullet. The wings were allowed to flap like a bird, but only once until they snapped off. Two flights, with nary a concern after the first crash and death about the cause.

 

[Aelita]

The Boeing Model 908-535

Why on earth?

 

[mudhead]

The Caproni Ca60 - would have been at home in the Armada.

 

[CECBC]

Junkers 187 looks dank. Why don't you like it? I'd fly it.

 

[sparky42]

The Caproni Ca60 - would have been at home in the Armada.

snip​

WTF is that?

 

[mudhead]

WTF is that?

Caproni, and his beast, feature in Miyazaki's animation The Wind Rises, a somewhat heavily sanitised bio-pic of Jiro Horikoshi.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

The Caproni Ca60 - would have been at home in the Armada.

It looks like 2 triplanes on a lighter or big houseboat with a spare set of wings at the back.

 

[Hood]

Why on earth?

What the hell is that supposed to land on?
The side of a building? A ship?

 

[Insider]

The Caproni Ca60 - would have been at home in the Armada.

amazed people: "its a Ship!", "no, its an House!"
Designer: "No its an Airplane! Goddamn it!"
"Then why it is made of bricks?"

The Boeing Model 908-535

"and this isn't its final form"

But just seriously, it supposed to land on clifs or trees?

 

[Captain Jack]

There is, quite simply, only one answer: The already mentioned Caproni Ca60. Frankly, the poor thing looks like someone tried to turn a galleon into an airplane. That said, imagine watching it fly! I can't help but think it would be a perversely glorious sight.

 

[JudgeKing]

amazed people: "its a Ship!", "no, its an House!"
Designer: "No its an Airplane! Goddamn it!"
"Then why it is made of bricks?"


"and this isn't its final form"

But just seriously, it supposed to land on clifs or trees?

Well, it's supposed to take off from this: