DC Wings - Strange Planes Series 1 (1990) Part 5 Vertical

Strange Planes have odd shapes, interesting tales. From the highly successful series “Wings” on The Discovery Channel comes the six-volume series “Strange Planes.” For aviation buffs, this collection is an insightful look at the history of aircraft, sometimes amusing, sometimes bizarre and at times astonishing, yet always interesting. The efforts of aircraft designers, whether resulting in failure and folly or remarkable achievement, are chronicled into one-hour episodes. The flights of fancy portrayed in the STRANGE PLANES collection represent both the triumphs and the follies of pioneers taking aviation to–and sometimes beyond–the edge of technical feasibility and human imagination. There are a few of the many strange and bizarre forms that aircraft design has taken on the road to the future. Some of these designs were revolutionary in their day but now are not so weird as they seemed. “Strange Planes” portray the fanciful or eccentric plus the blind alleys of aviation. There is a fascinating story behind every one of these radical designs, and each is an entertaining salute to man's ingenuity, and determination to reach for the sky. The “Strange Planes” series was produced in Australia and aired as part of The Discovery Channel's most highly rated series, “Wings,” during its initial airing.

Directed by Luke Swann; Executive Producer Phil Osborn; Network Projects Ltd Production

Part 5 Vertical

From the Bell XV3 and XV15 to the Hawker and Harrier, a recounting of the planes that leap into the sky without a runway and some that were supposed to but didn't. This episode tells the fascinating story of attempts to design airplanes that could be launched straight up into the air. The history of aviation tells some unbelievable tales. None are more far-fetched than the ideas behind Vertical Take-Off. Frustrated with the need for runway space and the often cramped conditions of war, aircraft designers got clever. Using tilting wings and engines, jet nozzles and the aircraft itself, vertical take-off was a favorite theory. In several cases, the planes did actually fly. The Osprey, with its tilting rotor, took flight in the 1980s. As did the French tail-sitter, back in 1959. Even more interesting are the plans that were made, but failed.

Full Version Available Upon Request
Episode Four Shown Here