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Wednesday, December 23, 2020

CONTINUITY: A Plane without Wings: The Story of the C.450 Coléoptère

French military aircraft prototypes of the 1950 were often wacky, but this one really pushed the limits: tail-sitting vertical takeoff and landing, with the circular wing intended to double as the inlet for ramjet propulsion above Mach 2. Without fly-by-wire and stability augmentation, it proved too difficult for human pilots to fly.

Posted at December 23, 2020 13:10