FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Breda Ba.88 on the top of the list
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Wow, this could be a long list. Let's start with:
Me210
Fairey Albacore
Ba.88 - a perennial favourite in these lists and clearly the exception to the "if it looks right it flies right" rule
He188
Vultee P-66 - another great-looking aircraft which really lacked any oomph in the performance department
CW-21B - same-same as for P-66
Avro Manchester
AW Albermarle
Blackburn Botha
The Yak-15 was a Soviet aircraft.+1 on that.
Interestingly enough, no Soviet, neither Japanese planes proposed so far?
Well, not quite. Research into the Komet's rocket motor formed the basis of Britain's post-war rocketry programme; HTP was the fuel of choice for a number of British rocket motors of differing applications. Helmuth Walther's rocket research yielded lots of useful material for the Allies post-war.
Really? What did the Brits produce with the HTP rocket technology? Obviously the V-2 had plenty of influence in later military and civilian use, but the 163?
The Yak-15 was a Soviet aircraft.
Well, not quite. Research into the Komet's rocket motor formed the basis of Britain's post-war rocketry programme; HTP was the fuel of choice for a number of British rocket motors of differing applications. Helmuth Walther's rocket research yielded lots of useful material for the Allies post-war.
Really? What did the Brits produce with the HTP rocket technology? Obviously the V-2 had plenty of influence in later military and civilian use, but the 163?
The Me163 had TOO MUCH influence on the UK and possibly even the US development programs. In both countries the idea of tailless aircraft attracted a lot of effort and led to such disasters as the DH108 and Chance Vought Cutlass (this is quite apparent if you read some of Eric Brown's later books such as the "Wings of the Weird and Wonderful"). Curiously, the original ME163 is reported to have had good handling qualities, something these later types did not have.
The British did develop rocket engines for JATO and other applications that used HTP. There was also an experimental submarine that used it.
The Me163 had TOO MUCH influence on the UK and possibly even the US development programs. In both countries the idea of tailless aircraft attracted a lot of effort and led to such disasters as the DH108 and Chance Vought Cutlass (this is quite apparent if you read some of Eric Brown's later books such as the "Wings of the Weird and Wonderful"). Curiously, the original ME163 is reported to have had good handling qualities, something these later types did not have.
The British did develop rocket engines for JATO and other applications that used HTP. There was also an experimental submarine that used it.
Maybe I should have specified that the 163 had little or no USEFUL influence. The Brit use of HTO JATO rockets is news to me, but I believe the great majority of JATO engines have been solid fuel, and as the output of jet engines has increased the use of JATO has become restricted to specific circumstances anyway, so I think it would be fair to say that the British use of HTO in this role was a footnote.
In terms of resources committed to a flawed concept, for little return in either combat or future applications, the 163 would have to be a strong contender for our clunker title, though I'm sure others out there could suggest alternatives that meet the same criteria.
The Albacore was delayed due to engine production problems, but it then went on to do very good work as a strike aircraft, and unlike the other aircraft in your list, there was nothing inherently wrong with it's design.
Could very well be. It obviously operated in a target rich environment compared to its allied counterparts like the Mosquito.
In any case,definitely not a clunker. It had its limitations,which were revealed in 1940, but then every design has limitations.
I'll nominate the Handley Page Hampden as a clunker. Any design which loses almost half its total production doing the very thing it was designed to do leaves a lot to be desired!
Cheers
Steve
Maybe not but you have to admit that any aircraft that is replaced by the type it was supposed to replace is hardly up there with the stellar performers.
Maybe not but you have to admit that any aircraft that is replaced by the type it was supposed to replace is hardly up there with the stellar performers.