The glamorous successes get most of the talk, but what about the dogs?
Aircraft that failed, but had something about them that you just like?
Aircraft that "should" have been failures, but succeeded anyway?
Aircraft that failed, but "should" have succeeded?
Aircraft that only a mothercountry could love?
"It seemed like a good idea at the time".....
etc
In my case, I've always liked the He-177. Big points on "It seemed like a good idea at the time..." and "you want me to do WHAT with this aircraft!!??"
The He-177 was similar in wieght to the B-17, but unlike the B-17, the He-177 was designed to carry out Dive Bombing attacks. "You want me to do WHAT!!!??" And they actually made the thing so it could! (maybe not well, but even so....)
I'm well aware that the LW had largely come to its senses by the time the He-177 was operational, and that later makes fixed "some" of the structural issues (although the engines continued to be a very serious problem, although the He-277 "might" have fixed that....). Even so, just the thought of successfully making a B-17 sized dive bomber, however poorly thought out the requirement was....
The Swordfish is my favorate "THAT thing beat the hell out the enemy!!??" aircraft. You look at one, and first thought is "WW 1/1920s aircraft". You look at preformance characteristics, and nothing leaps out as superior, but it was an aircraft that "could", and in a big way. (The SBD and TBD also deserve honorable mention here, but not on the same scale as the Swordfish).
And I know I'm hardly alone on wondering about the Whirlwind and better engines..... The aircraft that "should" have been great....
French Bomber Command has got to take the cake on "aircraft only a mothercountry could love" for most of their 1930s designs. It would have helped a lot if they painted pictures of naked women on them.....
Aircraft with character 8)
Aircraft that failed, but had something about them that you just like?
Aircraft that "should" have been failures, but succeeded anyway?
Aircraft that failed, but "should" have succeeded?
Aircraft that only a mothercountry could love?
"It seemed like a good idea at the time".....
etc
In my case, I've always liked the He-177. Big points on "It seemed like a good idea at the time..." and "you want me to do WHAT with this aircraft!!??"
The He-177 was similar in wieght to the B-17, but unlike the B-17, the He-177 was designed to carry out Dive Bombing attacks. "You want me to do WHAT!!!??" And they actually made the thing so it could! (maybe not well, but even so....)
I'm well aware that the LW had largely come to its senses by the time the He-177 was operational, and that later makes fixed "some" of the structural issues (although the engines continued to be a very serious problem, although the He-277 "might" have fixed that....). Even so, just the thought of successfully making a B-17 sized dive bomber, however poorly thought out the requirement was....
The Swordfish is my favorate "THAT thing beat the hell out the enemy!!??" aircraft. You look at one, and first thought is "WW 1/1920s aircraft". You look at preformance characteristics, and nothing leaps out as superior, but it was an aircraft that "could", and in a big way. (The SBD and TBD also deserve honorable mention here, but not on the same scale as the Swordfish).
And I know I'm hardly alone on wondering about the Whirlwind and better engines..... The aircraft that "should" have been great....
French Bomber Command has got to take the cake on "aircraft only a mothercountry could love" for most of their 1930s designs. It would have helped a lot if they painted pictures of naked women on them.....
Aircraft with character 8)
