McDonnell Douglas X-36, tailless fighter
Monster of the Caspian Sea,“Caspian Monster” is an experimental ekranoplan that was developed by Rostislav Alekseev in 1966.
"Caspian Monster"
De Lackner HZ-1– A device that allows for reconnaissance operations.
De Lackner HZ-1
Stipa-Caproni- The fuselage of an experimental Italian aircraft is made in the form of a barrel (1932).
Stipa-Caproni
Blohm & Voss BV 141– The plane that was supposed to be used by German intelligence officers during World War II. Features an asymmetrical design.
Blohm & Voss BV 141
"Libellula"- Thanks to double wings and two engines, the pilot had good review, which made it possible to make successful landings on aircraft carriers. 1945
"Libellula"
North American XF-82– The escort aircraft consists of two connected P-51 Mustangs. 1946 
North American XF-82
Northrop XB-35- Military development The bomber was intended for the US Air Force.
Northrop XB-35
Martin XB-51– US attack aircraft equipped with 3 engines. It has an unconventional design: both engines are located under the nose of the aircraft, the third is in the tail. 
Martin XB-51
Lockheed XFV "The Salmon"— Experimental development, take-off “from the tail” is possible.
Lockheed XFV "The Salmon"
Avro Canada VZ-9 "Avrocar"- The plane is made in the shape of a disk and can take off vertically. US classified project.
Avro Canada VZ-9 "Avrocar"
HL-10– Construction was completed thanks to the Lifting Body Research Program led by NASA.
Douglas XB-42 "Mixmaster"-The bomber project was created in 1944. The plane is capable of flying at very high speeds.
Douglas XB-42 "Mixmaster"
Dornier Do 31– Experimental transporter, vertical take-off is possible.
Dornier Do 31
"Aerodyne" Alexandra Lippisha – The plane has two coaxial internal propellers. Wings are missing.
"Aerodyne"
McDonnell XF-85 "Goblin"- One of the prototypes of a military aircraft. According to the engineers' plan, the launch was to take place from the hatch of the Convair B-36.
McDonnell XF-85 "Goblin"
Vought V-173- A military aircraft intended for the American Navy. 
Vought V-173
Hyper III– Airplane with the ability remote control. Developed by NASA.
Hyper III
VVA-14- Amphibious aircraft.
Snecma C-450– Project of French engineers. Distinctive feature– the ability to take off and land vertically. 1958 
Snecma C-450
Ames-Dryden (AD)-1– Based on this aircraft, the principles of a variable wing were studied.
Ames-Dryden (AD)-1
B377PG- an aircraft for transporting goods.
X-29– A forward-swept wing is used.
Douglas X-3 "Stiletto"- Used to test a new design to overcome the speed of sound. 1953-1956.
Douglas X-3 "Stiletto"
Be-200– An aircraft with great functionality.
Proteus– There is a double wing and two engines. Designed in Scaled Composites.
Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano– Nine-winged flying boat. A prototype of an airliner that was supposed to fly across the Atlantic with 100 passengers on board. Equipped with 8 engines. Pontoons along the edges provided stability. The first flight ended unsuccessfully, the plane took off, but just 18 meters after that it crashed.
A300-600ST(“Beluga”) - An airliner characterized by a wide fuselage. Designed for transporting large loads.
With the development of the aviation industry, more and more aircraft designers began to present their projects that were unusual at first glance. Each of them has a different structural concept, some of them have completely changed the laws of aerodynamics and lift.
The most unusual cargo planes
The Super Guppy transport aircraft is designed for transporting large-sized cargo. The aircraft is developed by the American company Aero Spacelines. A total of five copies and two modifications of the aircraft were created.
The airplane, better known as the Model Ship or the Caspian Monster, is an experimental device capable of taking off from water, which is still the largest in the world today. The plane had a wing length of 37.6 meters, the length of the fuselage reached hundreds of meters. Tests were carried out monthly for fifteen years, but in 1980, due to a pilot error, the plane suffered a serious accident, as a result of which, fortunately, no one was injured.
An experimental circular aircraft called the Vought V-173 was built and first flown in 1947. The aircraft had an unusual design that surprised engineers with its shape and characteristics. The project provided for the possibility of vertical or short takeoff and landing with a short braking distance.
The most unusual experimental aircraft
Unusual large project American company Nasa, called “M2-F1”, received the unusual nickname “flight bathtub” from the first days of its existence. The main purpose of the aircraft was to use it as a capsule for soft landing of astronauts. The wingless plane first took to the skies in August 1963, and a few years later crashed, killing the pilot.
Between 1979 and 1983, a series of tests were conducted on two jet-powered HiMATs at one of NASA's satellite airfields. Each of the devices was half the size of the famous strategic bomber F‑16, however, it had greater speed, maneuverability and controllability. At a speed of 400 km per hour and an altitude of more than seven kilometers, the drone made a sharp combat turn of 180 degrees and withstood a maximum overload of +8g, which was quite a high figure in comparison with the F-16. Today, both devices are exhibits, unsuitable for flight, and are stored on the Nasa estate.
The development of an unmanned aircraft, named McDonell Douglas X-36, was created in order to test the flight and aerodynamic capabilities of tailless aircraft. The device first took to the skies at the end of the last century, and made a number of successful flights and tests.
The Ames AD-1 aircraft is the first and only aircraft in the world today equipped with an oblique wing, which is located with a slight deviation to the right along the central axis of the aircraft. For the first time, the device left the ground in 1979, and over the next three years it participated in numerous tests. During the research period, the AD-1 was tested and evaluated by more than 15 pilots. Today, this unusual oblique airplane is located on the museum site of the American city of San Carlos.
The device, bearing the name VZ-9-AV Avrocar, is like a flying saucer, capable of vertical take-off, flight and landing. The miracle of technology was developed by a popular aircraft manufacturing company. The device first took to the skies in the late sixties, but just two years later unusual project frozen due to low power and flight characteristics.
The fighter, which is built in the shape of a flying wing, was built and first flown in 1945 by the American organization Northrop. It was planned to use the aircraft as a strategic bomber, but it crashed on its first flight.
The Boeing X-48 is a test drone that was created jointly by two of the largest American aviation industrial companies: Boeing, which produces aircraft, and Nasa, which produces and launches aircraft and missiles. The first liftoff of the aircraft took place in mid-2007. During the test flight, it rose to a height of more than two kilometers and successfully landed at the designated location half an hour after departure.
The NASA Hyper III aircraft is another project of the American organization Nasa, created at the end of 1970. The aircraft uses a combined fin and stabilizer system, which, as a result of the combination, represent two control surfaces located at an angle of 45 degrees from the fuselage.
The HL-10 is one of many NASA aircraft that were used and designed to study the flight performance of single-fin wingless airplanes upon their return from near space.
The development of the Russian combat aviation Su-47 modernization of the "Berkut" is an unusual development of the Russian single-deck combat fighter, which was created in the Sukhoi Bureau. The plane has an unusual wing, the sweep of which has a negative coefficient. Used on an airplane a large number of composite materials, which allows reducing the weight of the aircraft by one quarter. The first aircraft was manufactured and first flown at the end of the last century, and is still used as an experimental model.
The Grumman X-29 is a prototype aircraft with a forward-swept main wing with all control surfaces (roll and pitch). In total, two such copies have survived.
The sharp-nosed aircraft called the Douglas X-3 Stiletto is an American experimental airplane. main task which involved conducting a series of tests to overcome maximum speed and maneuverability.
The descent passenger compartment, which was built in 1963 and was part of the American Apollo project, the main goal of which was landing on the Moon. The device is equipped with one liquid fuel jet engine.
The most unusual helicopters
The Boeing Vertol VZ-2 is the world's first and only such rotary-wing helicopter that uses the latest rotary wing concept. The device first flew and hovered in the air in mid-1957. After a series of experiments, the device was transferred for further use to NASA.
The S-72 is an experimental helicopter-plane, the first flight of which was made in October 1976. After three flights, funding for the project was stopped.
At the end of the last century, due to constant needs Soviet Union In terms of transporting wheat and grain, the development and further creation of a huge and heavy-duty helicopter began. In August 1969, a world record for the carrying capacity of such devices was achieved on a super-heavy helicopter of the MI V-12 type. The helicopter lifted a cargo weighing 40 tons on board to a height of more than two kilometers. In total, about eight records were achieved with this twin-rotor helicopter.
From the very day when man first took to the air, he never stopped for a day in his search for new and increasingly perfect forms and designs. Every year, engineers from all over the planet created new aircraft. Sometimes they came up with something that seemed impossible to fly.
1. M2-F1
It's strange, but it flies. |Photo: blogspot.com. In 1963, the USA conducted tests of the M2-F1 aircraft, which they wanted to use to return astronauts to Earth. The engineers jokingly nicknamed their creation the “Flying Bathtub.” The dimensions of the device were 6.1x2.89 meters, and the weight reached 454 kg. The “Flying Bathtub” was controlled by one single pilot. The tests took 3 years, after which the project was closed. Now M2-F1 is a museum exhibit at Edwards Air Force Base.2. Stipa-Caproni
Looks like something from another planet. |Photo: soulblog.ru. This aircraft was created by Italian engineer Luigi Stipa in 1932. The master called his creation “intubated propeller”. Despite a number of bold ideas and good aerodynamic performance, the “flying barrel” was never able to surpass the parameters of existing aircraft. Moreover, the car was extremely inconvenient to drive.
3.Vought V-173
The first aircraft with vertical take-off. |Photo: mansden.ru. Due to its distinctive design, this aircraft was jokingly nicknamed the “Flying Pancake.” The Vought V-173 was created in 1943 American engineer Charles Zimmerman and became the first vertical take-off aircraft. The wingspan of the device was 7.1 meters, and maximum speed could reach 222 km/h. The aircraft was conceived as a carrier-based bomber. It can now be seen at the Smithsonian University. 4. XF-85 Goblin
Watchdog for a bomber. |Photo: livejournal.com. The smallest jet fighter in history, called the XF-85 Goblin, was created in 1948 by McDonnell. It was assumed that the egg-shaped device would be placed in the compartment of a bomber. Only pilots who had passed the most stringent selection could drive the car - height no higher than 172 cm and weight no more than 90 kg (already in equipment). The project was closed in 1949.
5. Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
It still flies. |Photo: vistapointe.net. One of the most unusual aircraft in the world, largely due to the shape of its fuselage. The car was created in 1962. The plane looked so strange that every skeptic doubted that the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy would even be able to take off. However, the “Flying Whale” was able not only to rise into the sky, but also took 24,500 kg of cargo with it.
6. K-7
They decided to close the project for a number of reasons. |Photo: mirtesen.ru. The multi-role Soviet aircraft K-7 was a real “Flying Monster”. They wanted to use it and how war machine, and as a civilian. The length of this giant was 28 meters, and its wingspan was 53 meters. The mass of the device is 21 thousand kg. The aircraft could carry 112 paratroopers or 8.5 tons of bombs. In the military modification, 12 firing points were also installed on it. After 7 successful test flights, a disaster occurred during a new test, killing 15 crew members. Over time, they decided to close the project.
7. Inflatoplane
Rubber plane. |Photo: popmech.ru. A project of the American company Goodyear from 1956 specifically for the Pentagon. The aircraft is a hybrid of an airship and hot air balloon. Most of the body was made of rubberized nylon. The “rubber plane” was powered by an engine with a power of only 60 hp. 
And it's not a joke. ¦Photo: popmech.ru. When not in use, the device was placed in a small box, which made it possible to carry it even in the trunk of a small car.
It would seem that, modern aviation has reached a dead end in engineering and cannot offer anything more interesting than ordinary airplanes and ordinary helicopters. But that's not true. Let's take a look at the most amazing flying machines.
Convair V2 Sea Dart
The world's only supersonic amphibious aircraft was built in 1951. In essence, the Convair C2 Sea Dart was an ordinary jet fighter, but its fuselage easily tolerated prolonged contact with water, and the hull design included hydrofoils to move along the water surface. Despite all the promise, the project was frozen after a fatal testing accident, and since then there have been no further attempts to build a supersonic waterfowl.
Goodyear Inflatoplane
Really unique idea offered to the US military by tire manufacturers Goodyear in 1959. Goodyear Inflatoplane. The entire aircraft (with the exception of the engine and some controls) was made entirely of rubber. When folded, the Inflatoplane fit into a one-cubic-meter box and required only fifteen minutes and a simple bicycle pump to inflate. The plane had excellent flight characteristics, but the military refused to accept the project for an understandable reason - just one hit from any small arms was enough to bring down the Inflatoplane.
NASA Ames AD-1
In 1979, NASA's Ames Research Center and aircraft designer Burt Root built the world's first oblique rotating wing aircraft. The wing of such an aircraft could be brought into a position parallel to the cockpit. This allowed aircraft handle air currents gracefully. Compared to a conventionally designed aircraft, the Ames AD-1 had up to 20% less drag, up to 26% less wave drag, and weighed 14% less than straight-wing aircraft. During testing, the AD-1 showed excellent results; 17 pilots mastered it over the entire period, but the project was suspended, and one single copy of the aircraft was placed in the San Carlos Museum. But the technology is not dead, and today work is underway to create drones with oblique rotating wings.
Vought V-173
The Americans began development of a vertical take-off aircraft long before World War II. However, the first such truly effective aircraft appeared only in 1942. Due to its bizarre shape (the fuselage was an almost perfect circle), the Vought V-173 received the nickname “flying pancake.” The plane was propelled by two huge propellers, each with one 80-horsepower engine. It was assumed that the Vought V-173 would be used to intercept enemy aircraft from aircraft carriers. The crew consisted of two pilots; the designers planned to place weapons below the hull and a high-precision radar on the nose. But none of this happened, due to low engine power and a series of unsuccessful tests, the V-173 gave way to more advanced fighters with vertical take-off, but forever remained in the memory of aircraft designers around the world as a “flying pancake.”
Bell P-39 Airacobra
The seemingly ordinary American fighter of the Second World War was distinguished by a very unusual design element: its engine was located behind the cockpit. A sort of Porsche among airplanes. This engineering solution gave the Airacobra a number of advantages: better maneuverability, aerodynamics, better visibility, the ability to accommodate heavier weapons, etc. The Bell P-39 was so good that most of of all produced aircraft (more than 4,500 copies) were delivered to the USSR under lend-lease.
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