After World War Two, Aerospace technology made great strides, the sound barrier was broken, and soon humans would be setting foot on the moon.  But this time was also a period of trail and error...lots of errors.  San Diego based Convair had a track record of successful aircraft, and wanted to continue that legacy during the Cold War, which they did with some aircraft such as the F-102 and Convair Liner series.  And then there was the Sea Dart, which was designed to be a supersonic jet that could take off and land on water.  By the time all of the kinks were worked out of the Sea Dart, aircraft carrier based supersonic planes had made the X2Y-1 redundant. 

The Sea Dart, taking off in perfect coniditions (becasue they had to be).

The Soviet Union was also interested in seaborn jet aircraft...the strangest of which was the Bartini Beriev VVA-14 which was designed to be a submarine hunter.  It flew as well as you would image an airplane like this would. 

The VVA-14 on the prowl.

Here is a plane sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!  The Edgley Optica was built as an alternative to a helicopter and used a very quiet ducted fan powerplant.  Sadly, 10 Opticas were destroyed in a fire set by an arsonist, who must have really thought this was an ugly airplane! 

The Optica was sometime referred to as the "Bugeye" and we think you know why. 

The NASA AD-1 was designed to test the idea that an oblique wing would the most efficient airfoil type for an aircraft and could greatly reduce fuel consumption.  Was it successful?  Next time you are flying Southwest, look at your wing....it isn't oblique....

The AD-1s wing could rotate several degrees while in flight. 

NASA really liked to test strange wings....why...we guess because they could.  And what could be stranger than putting wings on backwards.  Take a look at the Grumman X-29, whose forward facing wings made the plane so unstable three computers had to assist the pilot it flying it. 

The X-29 coming at you, not away! 

The Aero Spacelines series of Guppy aircraft need no introduction.  Designed to carry oversized cargo for NASA, the Guppies could swallow entire airplanes or rockets. 

A Super Guppy with a DC-10 fuselage in its belly.