4 Strange Allied Prototypes of WW2

While not as famous as the Spitfire, Mustang, or Hurricane, these 4 prototypes have nonetheless left their mark in military aviation history:

4. High Altitude Wellington

Vickers produced the Wellington Mach V, featuring a 12-foot wingspan powered by 14-cylinder 1400 hp Bristol Hercules 3 radial aero engines.

To accommodate the pressurized cabin, the nose gun was removed, and the forward section was redesigned into a whale-like shape.

Vickers built 63 Merlin-powered Mach 5s, but they never saw combat. Initially planned for reconnaissance and pathfinder roles, these plans were shelved with the introduction of the high-performance Mosquito.

3. Mid-Engined Fighters

The demand for faster and more powerful fighters during WWII led to unique designs like the Bell P-39 Airacobra.

Another example is the Bell XFL Airabonita, which differed from the P-39 by adopting a conventional tail wheel and tail hook instead of a tricycle undercarriage.

It had larger wings to decrease landing speed on carriers and was equipped with flotation devices and bomb-carrying capabilities.

2. Handley Page Manx

The Handley Page Manx served Britain as an experimental aircraft to research tailless design, conducting test flights in the early 1940s for potential bomber, fighter, and transport projects.

Its twin-engine, tailless pusher configuration was unconventional. Unfortunately, an accident killed the main flight crew, stalling the Manx program, which was eventually scrapped in 1952.

1. Proposal R-40C

In November 1939, the US Army Air Corps issued Proposal R-40C, calling for a new advanced fighter with high performance and heavy firepower. Three companies reached the prototype stage, all using a pusher configuration.

First to fly was the Vultee XP-54, with a twin boom configuration.

Next was the Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender, featuring swept wings and armed with two 20 mm cannons and two .50 caliber guns.

But the most radical design was Northrop’s XP-56, featuring a minimal fuselage to reduce drag, a full-size horizontal tail, and a small vertical stabilizer underneath.

Armed with two 20 mm cannons and four .50 caliber machine guns, the XP-56 had a top speed of 465 mph but suffered from stability issues.