The Northrop N-1M in its initial configuration. This proof-of-concept prototype featured adjustable dihedral of outer-wing panels from 6° to 12°, adjustable sweep back from 26°46’ to 41°46’, and adjustable wingtip dihedral from 0° to -30°.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Northrop N-1M - СШАUSA - 1940

Restored to flying condition by the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino, California. Don Lykins, flying the N9M-B, December 1994.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Northrop N-9M - СШАUSA - 1942

The Northrop N-9M1 was the first of four third-scale models of the XB-35 strategic bomber. As the N-1M, the N-9M1 retained a wooden structure which enabled easy modifications, and saved strategic metals. The N-9M1 was destroyed during a flight test killing pilot Max Constant.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Northrop N-9M - СШАUSA - 1942

The Northrop N9M-2 eventually served as a training instrument at Northrop Aeronautical Institute. It is seen here in company of the Northrop JB-1a, a piloted glider variant of the JB-1 (MX-543) ‘buzz bomb’.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Northrop JB-1 - СШАUSA - 1943Northrop N-9M - СШАUSA - 1942

John Myers in the cockpit of the N-9M1, circa January 1943. Early flights indicated that longitudinal and lateral stability were generally satisfactory, but some difficulty was encountered in obtaining adequate directional control.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Northrop N-9M - СШАUSA - 1942

Northrop N-9M.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Northrop N-9M - СШАUSA - 1942

Smooth lines of the Messerschmitt Me 163 V4. Note the jettisonable main wheels and the tailwheel handling dolly.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Messerschmitt Me.163 Komet - ГерманияGermany - 1941

Restored Me 163B.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Messerschmitt Me.163 Komet - ГерманияGermany - 1941

Lippisch researches culminated with the incredible Messerschmitt Me 163 ‘Komet’. This is how its dreaded silhouette would appear to USAAF bomber crews over Germany.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Messerschmitt Me.163 Komet - ГерманияGermany - 1941

DFS 194 during static testing.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: DFS DFS 194 - ГерманияGermany - 1940

Lippisch Delta I.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Lippisch Delta I - ГерманияGermany - 1930

The Dunne biplanes were the first successful flying wings. The wings featured sweep as well as wash-out. This type of aircraft showed such inherent stability that the pilot could easily fly hands off.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Dunne D.8 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1911

The Westland-Hill Pterodactyl IB featured all-movable wingtips, as well as the so-called ‘electroscopic rudders’ which, when open differentially acted as rudders, and opened together served as airbrakes. This machine was eventually modified as Pterodactyl IC when a tandem-wheel gear was installed.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Westland-Hill Pterodactyl - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1925

Westland-Hill Pterodactyl I.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Westland-Hill Pterodactyl - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1925

Kalinine K-12.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Калинин К-12 / ВС-2 - РоссияRussia - 1936

Wash-out on the wings is fully apparent on this view of an American-built Burgess-Dunne. Note the narrow landing gear and the wingtip skids.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Burgess-Dunne B.D.H - СШАUSA - 1914

Featuring a very high aspect ratio (21.8), the Horten H.IV was built in Gottingen and accomplished its maiden flight on April 28, 1943.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Horten Ho.IV / Ho.VI - ГерманияGermany - 1941

Horten H.IV (w/nr 25) is one of the few Horten survivors. It is preserved at the Planes of Fame Museum, at Chino, California. Note how the pilot had to fly in a semi-prone position.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Horten Ho.IV / Ho.VI - ГерманияGermany - 1941

The Horten H.IX V2 (w/nr 39) at Oranienburg in February 1945. This spectacular aircraft was engined with two Junkers Jumo 109-004B-1 turbojets

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Gotha Go.229 - ГерманияGermany - 1944

Gotha Go 229A.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Gotha Go.229 - ГерманияGermany - 1944

The Westland-Hill Pterodactyl IV was a three-seat cabin machine, powered by a 120hp de Havilland Gipsy III, and was fitted with a completely revised control surface system. During the tests, which spread over several years, the highest incidence reached was 24.5°, but the machine was found to be overweight.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Westland-Hill Pterodactyl IV - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1931

The Westland-Hill Pterodactyl, part of Britain’s flirtation with flying wing aircraft.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Westland-Hill Pterodactyl V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1934

Westland-Hill Pterodactyl V

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Westland-Hill Pterodactyl V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1934

A sketch of what is believed to be the Pterodactyl VI which turned the tables of the Mk V by putting the gunner in the nose.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Westland-Hill Pterodactyl V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1934

Tcheranovski ‘Parabola’ glider of 1934.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Черановский БИЧ-1 / БИЧ-2 Парабола - РоссияRussia - 1923

The AV.36 was the most successful of all the tail-less gliders designed by Charles Fauvel. First flight took place on New Year’s Day 1952, and 50 aircraft in kit form were eventually produced by Wassmer Aviation. Later, numerous sets of plans were sold to homebuilders. Illustrated is a Canadian-built A V.36.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Fauvel AV.36 / AV.45 - ФранцияFrance - 1951

The General Aircraft GAL.56/01 was fitted with the so-called ‘medium V’ wing, which featured a sweep of 28.4° at one quarter chord. On February 12, 1948, this weird-looking machine was totally wrecked in an accident, killing test pilot Robert Kronfeld.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: General Aircraft GAL.56 / GAL.61 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1944

Tcheranovski BITch-3.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Черановский БИЧ-3 - РоссияRussia - 1926

The Baynes Bat, a scale flying test-bed of a tank-carrying glider.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Baynes Bat - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1943

The first Horten H.IIL (w/nr 6, D-10-125) in flight. This splendid glider was built at Lippstadt, and was entered in the 1937 German national soaring championships - the ‘Wasserkuppe’. A cockpit bubble was added to overcome the ‘middle effect’ problem, but it didn’t.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Horten Ho.I Hangwind / Ho.II Habicht / Ho.III - ГерманияGermany - 1933

The Horten H.IIL landing on its single-track undercarriage. The pure lines of this 54ft span glider can be clearly seen, as well as the all-glazed leading edge cockpit canopy.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Horten Ho.I Hangwind / Ho.II Habicht / Ho.III - ГерманияGermany - 1933

A Horten flying wing was not that comfortable for its pilot. He had to fly in a bent-over position with his head above the wing contour. Note the complicated welded tube structure of the machine.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Horten Ho.I Hangwind / Ho.II Habicht / Ho.III - ГерманияGermany - 1933

Horten H.III

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Horten Ho.I Hangwind / Ho.II Habicht / Ho.III - ГерманияGermany - 1933

Most of the first flying apparatus imagined by men were more or less flying wings. Frenchman Resnier de Goue’s (1729-1811) design for a wing.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: de Goue, Resnier wings - ФранцияFrance - 1801

Etrich’s ‘Zanonia Gleiter’ of 1907 was inspired by ‘Zanonia Macrocarpa’ seeds. It featured one of the main characteristics of most successful flying wings, the wash-out.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Etrich glider - Австро-ВенгрияAustria-Hungary - 1906

Mouillard glider, 1897.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Mouillard glider - ФранцияFrance - 1896

One of the first Alexander Lippisch tail-less hang-gliders, the Lippisch-Espenlaub E2 of 1921. The machine was fitted with elevons (here in the upward position) as well as downward wingtips.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Lippisch-Espenlaub E2 - ГерманияGermany - 1921

The all-wing experimental Lippisch Delta V, or DFS-40, was test flown by Heini Dittmar at the DFS in Darmstadt in 1939. According to Alexander Lippisch, it demonstrated remarkable performance. This all-wing 39ft span aircraft was powered by a 100hp Argus pusher engine,

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Lippisch Delta V - ГерманияGermany - 1939

Lippisch 'Storch' VII

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Lippisch Storch - ГерманияGermany - 1927

Focke-Wulf design for the 1,000 x 1,000 x 1,000 requirement.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Focke-Wulf Fw 1000x1000x1000 Bomber - ГерманияGermany - 1944

Flight tests of the French 1913 ‘Stablavion’ designed by Rene Arnoux were reported to be disappointing. Note the straight rectangular wing and the vertical fin fitted downwards behind the wheels.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Arnoux No.2 - ФранцияFrance - 1912

Charpentier twin-engined transport flying wing, 1931.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Charpentier C-1 - ФранцияFrance - 1935

TsAGI-1 glider, 1934.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Сеньков А.А. БП-1 (ЦАГИ-1) - РоссияRussia - 1934