Air forces of the world go through the motion of endless pursuit of innovation and thereby beget some of the most advanced, even formidable aircraft in the world. Not every design is met with fame and success right after an offloading from that drawing board. Herein, we look at five unusual-looking military aircraft ever to have graced the skies some of which might have eluded the public eye.
North American F-82 Twin Mustang The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is an obvious offspring of the P-51 Mustang by having twin fuselages. This twin-fuselage, piston-engined fighter was an offshoot of the P-51 and had been designed late in the war against the Axis as a long-range escort for Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers in the Pacific but in actuality had never been used in that capacity over Japan. Unfortunately, the latter hit the actual combat in WWII, but it went on to play a very important part in the Korean War, whose accolades include some of the first engagements and having successfully shot down North Korean aircraft.
SHORT SC.7 SKYVAN The Short SC.7 Skyvan, also lovingly referred to as the “Flying Shoebox” because of its square-like appearance, is a design of its own making and is dedicated to cargo transport and serves as a skydiving platform. Today, it is still in military service with the armed forces of Guyana and Oman. Only 149 specimens of this Short Brothers make, produced from 1963 to 1986, are in the air.
Dornier Do 28 The program originally began life as a 13-seat airliner. Originally designed by Dornier, it was supported strongly by the German government as part of its diversification in the production of aircraft. While series production stopped in the 1970s, many remain in use, mostly for the servicing of the remote Nigerian Air Force and the Zambian Air Force.
Convair F2Y Sea Dart The Convair F2Y Sea Dart remains to be the only jet fighter seaplane to have ever been made and attained supersonic airspeeds; taking off and landing were performed using hydro-skis. No more than five examples were built for the US Navy, making it a rather singular creation. Nevertheless, it represents a great achievement in design innovation.
Britten-Norman Defender The Royal Air Force militarized the Britten-Norman Islander civil transport to produce the Britten-Norman Defender. In a variety of roles with the RAF, the Defender saw duty in the Second Iraq conflict. In addition to supporting police, such as providing surveillance for the 2012 London Olympics, the Defender has also seen service with other nations’ armed forces. The Philippine Navy and the Royal Cambodian Air Force are among them.
These aircraft are proof that military aviation is truly comprehensive and, by all means, an unconventional design with all its oddities and potentials. Not all strictly get to be known by names, but they did contribute to an evolution in air combat and found a place in history with design.