Why Did this Plane Almost Change the Fate of Aviation?
The fate of modern combat aviation could have been very different, with wild Tandem-wing seaborne aircraft that resemble dragonflies taking the place of the sleek, streamlined, and low-wing monoplane configurations we are accustomed to.
Aircraft design almost steered in that direction when naval aeronautical engineers faced a seemingly insurmountable problem: how to make seaborne warplanes land safely and reliably on aircraft carriers when their downward view was almost entirely obstructed by the engines and the wings.
Even so, designer George Herbert Miles had a crazy idea that might just have worked. It consisted of pushing the main wings to the rear and mounting another set of smaller wings in the front, above the cockpit, clearing the view for pilots to land safely even on the narrowest flight decks.
This idea produced one of the most bizarre yet fascinating aircraft prototypes, the Miles Libellula, an incredible warplane that almost became the blueprint for carrier-based combat warplanes of the 20th century…
---
Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.
1 view
385
115
3 weeks ago 00:00:09 1
🐶🍽️Has someone ever told you, “Hey! Don’t eat like a dog“? What did you do? Fun
3 weeks ago 00:00:07 1
Hide Away but WW2 (Austrian Painter chasing Poland)
3 weeks ago 00:05:16 1
NENSI / Нэнси - Я Ухожу ( Топ Хит ★ Official Music Video ) 4K
3 weeks ago 00:03:09 1
Ekoh x Lø Spirit- GOOD THINGS
3 weeks ago 00:03:36 1
Enya - Only Time (Official 4K Music Video)
3 weeks ago 00:00:25 1
AURORA Dance cure for me in the street of Tokyo with Ginjiro
3 weeks ago 00:05:19 1
Slipknot - Nero Forte [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
3 weeks ago 00:00:47 1
JPNU: Carnival - [Prison · Riot · Revolt] PV
3 weeks ago 00:26:39 1
Are Classic ThinkPads Really Better Than New Ones?
3 weeks ago 01:07:13 1
Dell Called It “The Showstopper“
3 weeks ago 00:04:12 1
RC Filter - To Sold Out, Zoom LiveTrak L-12 Live Session, GoPro 11
3 weeks ago 00:00:31 1
speedy reverse knife line #shorts #gapblaster
3 weeks ago 00:17:14 1
Rotary Valves Make Normal Valves Look Silly - Why Aren’t We Using Them?
3 weeks ago 00:04:46 1
Slipknot - Unsainted [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
3 weeks ago 00:05:49 1
Five things you never knew about whiskers | BBC Ideas