Payen PA-22
Roland Nicolas Payen · France · first flew 1941 · fighter
The Payen PA-22 was a remarkable French experimental tailless delta-wing fighter prototype, conceived by designer Roland Payen and representing one of the earliest serious delta-wing combat aircraft attempts in the world. Its piston engine and delta layout prefigured postwar jet delta fighters by nearly a decade.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Tiny overall footprint with a very short fuselage blending into the delta wing |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailless delta-wing configuration — one of the earliest delta fighters ever built
- Single piston engine in the nose of a sharply triangular airframe
- Tiny overall footprint with a very short fuselage blending into the delta wing
The steeply swept delta planform with no horizontal tail and a blunt, short nose housing the engine make this design unmistakeable — it looks like a powered arrowhead.
Specifications
- The Payen PA-22 has a length of 7.48 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 4.8 m (16 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 360 km/h (224 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Payen began developing delta-wing designs in the 1930s and the PA-22 flew in 1941 during the German occupation of France. The programme continued with great difficulty under wartime conditions, and the aircraft was eventually destroyed before Allied liberation. Payen pursued further delta designs after the war with the PA-49.
Variants
The PA-49 Katy was Payen's postwar jet-powered delta continuation of this design philosophy, also a single-seat experimental type.
Where you'll see it
The PA-22 flew only as a prototype and never entered any form of service; its significance is entirely historical as a pioneering delta-wing aircraft.
Related aircraft
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.