DC Wings - Strange Planes Series 1 (1990) Part 6 Strange Shapes

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 6 Strange Shapes

STRANGE SHAPES presents the most remarkable shapes ever sent into the air. From an early Flying Wing at Northrop in the 1920s that didn't work to one that does, the Stealth Bomber. Also includes other remarkable shapes such as the Flying Pancake and the Tailless Fighter. Aviation oddities featured include planes with backward wings, moving wings, small wings and even no wings at all; planes with backward engines that “pushed” instead of “pulled”, planes with engines that pushed and pulled, planes with huge tails and planes with no tails. Strange Shapes concentrates on the unusual forms that often grace the engineer's drawing board. Eliminating the fuselage on aircraft was an interesting idea that didn't come to fruition. However, the concept of a smaller, more aerodynamic plane did. Out of this idea, the Flying Wing was born. Seen in everything from the 1929 Halten Meteor, to the modern-day Stealth Bomber, this smooth design works. Aircraft seen include Flying Wings, Bell X5, XP 57 “Bat”, SR71 Blackbird, F7 Cutlass, “Lifting Bodies”, X24 and X29.

Full Version Available Upon Request
Episode Four Shown Here