Vought V-173 Flying Pancake
Vought · United States · first flew 1942 · fighter
The Vought V-173 'Flying Pancake' was one of the most visually striking experimental aircraft ever built, featuring an almost circular all-lifting wing that formed the entire airframe. It was designed to achieve very low landing speeds while maintaining high top speeds.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Nearly circular flat wing forming the entire fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Nearly circular flat wing forming the entire fuselage
- Twin engines embedded in leading edge driving pusher propellers at wingtips
- Extraordinarily unusual disc-wing planform
Absolutely unmistakable: the aircraft is essentially a large, flat disc with small vertical tail surfaces and two contra-rotating propellers at the front corners of the disc — unlike any other aircraft ever built.
Specifications
- The Vought V-173 Flying Pancake has a length of 8.13 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.1 m (23 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 222 km/h (138 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in November 1942, the V-173 was a proof-of-concept for Charles Zimmerman's all-wing circular lifting body concept. It flew 131 times with test pilot Charles Lindbergh among those who flew it, demonstrating stable flight characteristics despite its radical appearance. The concept was developed into the more powerful XF5U-1, but that aircraft never flew before the programme was cancelled in favour of jet aircraft.
Variants
The V-173 was the sub-scale proof-of-concept; the full-scale combat version was designated XF5U-1 but never flew.
Where you'll see it
Purely experimental; used for aerodynamic research by Vought and the US Navy. The single V-173 is preserved at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center.
Related aircraft
- Vought F4U-1A/D Corsair (Late)
- Vought XTBU-1 Sea Wolf
- F4U Corsair
- Vought F4U-1 Corsair (Birdcage)
- Aichi E16A Zuiun
- Bell P-59 Airacomet
- Bell P-63 Kingcobra
- Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.