You might be surprised to find out that we have been navigating the airspace for commercial purposes for well over a century now. Yup, that’s correct – the first commercial flight was conducted by Tony Jannus on 1 January 1914 for the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, and we’ve come a long way in the past 100 years. Today, a plane lands somewhere in the world every 3 seconds, but the airplanes used through history are not always what you imagine them to be. Some of them, in fact, are so strange that you’d probably be scared to fly on. Or not? Check out the list I’ve compiled and decide for yourselves!

Maybe the plane has crashed

wer za pikchaz?

1. AIRBUS BELUGA



The Airbus Beluga is a transporter aircraft used primarily to help them transport various components of an aircraft during the design process, it is also used in transporting Trains & submarines. It was intially named the Super Transporter, however, because of it’s whale like appearance, the Beluga name caught on. There’s only 5 of these built and they’ve been in operation ever since 1994 and they’re expected to be replaced by 2020.

its Length is 184′, and its unit cost(cost of one Airbus beluga is approximately 284,000,000–284,000,000 US.

more photos..

2. EL/M-2075 Phalcon






This aircraft has a strange nose for a reason. The nose was designed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Elta Electronics Industries of Israel as a radar aircraft that would provide early airborne warning for enemy aircraft’s, ships, and vehicles. This system was designed primarily for the Boeing 707 and the complete assembly with the system and aircraft is referred to as the Phalcon.

The Federation of American Scientists stated that the Phalcon was the most advanced AEW&C system in their 1999 article. It was surpassed by newer versions—the EL/W-2085 and the EL/W-2090.

Two units of this jet cost about $850million

Country of origin: Israel.
it was eventually Introduced in May 1994.

more photos..

3. ATL-98 Carvair




Named in full as the Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair, it was a large cargo aircraft that was powered by four propeller engines. As the name suggests, this aircraft was primarily designed to carry cars (cars-via-air) and it had the capacity to carry up to 5 cars and 25 passengers.

Basic price for a newly converted Carvair in 1960 was £150,000.

4. Proteus



The Scaled Composite Proteus designed by Burt Rutan was flown for the first time in 1998. It is an astonishing tandem-wing High-Altitude Long Endurance aircraft which had the purpose to investigate the use of aircraft as high altitude telecommunications relays. This multi-mission vehicle can orbit a point at over 60,000 for more than 18 hours and carry various payloads on a ventral pylon.

It has a top speed of 313 mph & Length: 56′ Also it has an astonishing Wingspan length of 78′ 0″.
It flew its First flight on July 26, 1998. Only one of this jet was ever built till date.
NASA also finds this jet of high value which was later on adopted into NASA's key vehicle making it unable to purchase or sell by anyone.. Due to classified information concerning this jet according to NASA, it is believe to be the MOTHER OF ALL JETS because of its technology, no other jet of this type was ever built but a typical new PROTEUS JET is ongoing construction which is claimed to be a back up to the original proteus jet....I wonder what it will be called.

PRICE: not accertained.

5. B377PG




Also known as the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy, this is the first Guppy aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines. It was the successor to the Pregnant Guppy and was mainly used for pulling oversize cargo components. They built five of them in two variants referred to as “Supper Guppy” which are either in service or display today.
Some of its features:

Role : Outsize cargo freight aircraft
Manufacture: Aero Spacelines / Airbus
First flight: August 31, 1965
Status: Active, operated by NASA
Primary users:Aero Spacelines,NASA, Airbus,Aeromaritime
Number built: 1 SG, 4 SGT (5 units altogether )

more photos....

No body dey nairaland again?

Or them don run live naija?

Look at how this place is empty

6. Boeing X-32




Back in 1996, the US Government awarded Boeing and Lookheed Martin contracts to design concept demonstrator aircrafts in a project to replace many of their existing fighter planes. This was Boeing’s strange looking demonstration aircraft. Although this aircraft might not look that great, it was equipped with a cool short-take-off and vertical landing system. However, that wasn’t enough for them to win more contracts and in end, the US Government went with Lookheed Martin’s demonstration aircraft instead of Boeing’s.

Boeing x-32 specs
Top speed: 1,200 mph
Wingspan: 36′ 0″
Range: 978.7 mi
Weight: 22,490 lbs
First flight: September 18, 2000


it is said to cost around Unit cost: 65,000,000–70,000,000 USD.

7. Dornier Do 31




This project was developed as a result of the German Air Force’s concerns that its airfields were vulnerable to suffering air attacks from the Eastern Bloc forces. The Dornier DO 31 West German vertical takeoff and landing jet transport aircraft was designed in accorance with NATO’s specification for tactical support aircraft. However, the project was cancelled 3 years after its first flight due to technical problems, changing requirements and high costs.

The Do 31 was designed to meet a NATO specification for a tactical support aircraft.

Do 31 Specs:

Top speed: 730 km/h
Wingspan: 18 m
Length: 21 m
Engine type: Rolls-Royce Pegasus
First flight: February 10, 1967

8. Handley Page Victor





This strange looking aircraft is a retired strategic bomber developed by the British Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was produced last and third in a series of V-bomber aircraft’s including the Avro Vulcan and Vickers Valiant. The Victor had also been equipped with radars, cameras and other sensors to allow it to serve better in the role of gathering intelligence.
A unit is estimately cost at £300,000 - £400,000
Handley Page Victor specs:

Top speed: 1,046 km/h
Wingspan: 37 m
Engine type: Turbojet
Produced: 1952−1963
Primary user: Royal Air Force
Role: Strategic bomber or aerial refueling tanker aircraft
Number built: 86

So strange result but looks creative

whao really interesting FTC

lalasticlala, its been long.

9. Hyper III



The Nasa Hyper III with flat bottom and sides, and a simple straight wing with no control surfaces was a lifting body remotely pilot vehicle built at their research center in 1969 to help in the M2 lifting body program. Its first flight lasted three minutes after it was launched from a helicopter at 10,000 feet. Following the test flight, this aircraft was never flown again and NASA cancelled the program.

Hyper III specs:

Top speed: 172 mph
Wingspan: 15′ 0″
Length: 32′
First flight: December 12, 1969
Manufacturer: NASA

more photos...

10. Bartini Beriev VVA-14





The Bartini was a Soviet Union vertical take-off amphibious aircraft developed during the 1970s. Its main purpose was a design that would enable it to take off from water and fly long distances at very high speed. Apart from flying at high altitude, this aircraft aimed to use the aerodynamic ground effect to have the capability of flying just above the sea surface. The project was developed by the Italian designer Robert Bartini and was slowly abandoned after his death.

11.Ames-Dryden (AD)




This aircraft developed in the late 1970s was part of a flight test program conducted by NASA from 1979 until 1982. The small subsonic jet-powered research aircraft managed to successfully demonstrate an aircraft wing which could be pivoted obliquely from 0 to 60 degrees during the flight. Due to its success it was flown 79 times during the program and provided invaluable information about handling qualities and aerodynamics at different pivot speeds and degrees.
A unit cost $240,000

Ames-Dryden (AD) specs:

Top speed: 200 mph
Wingspan: 32′ 0″
Weight: 1,451 lbs
Length: 39′
Engine type: Microturbo TRS 18.

more photos...

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Hyper III and Ames-Dryden, are cool superb innovations.

Wow nice aero craft