1954 : A Convair XFY-1 Pogo aircraft makes a vertical takeoff and landing . It ’s a milepost in the check chronicle of VTOL aircraft .
Using design captured from the Germans , the Navy and the newly formed Air Force crafted two pattern study in 1947 for create a fixed - wing upright - pasquinade - and - landing , or VTOL , aircraft . The goal of the project was to build a champion that could protect convoy but not require a large landing area .
Lockheed and Convair both won contracts in May 1951 to build prototype of the aircraft , which resemble stumpy fighter planes standing on their tails . That gain the nickname ( or name ? ) “ Tail Sitter . ”
The prototypepoint - DoD interceptordidn’t need a runway , but that was about the only matter in its favour . It used immense counter - rotate propellors on its nose to lift off like a helicopter – a very heavy helicopter .
After liftoff , it simply turn its nozzle horizontal and flew like , well a clumsy prop plane with big propeller . landing place was a subject of reversing the process and shizzing back into its whirlybird mode to set down on its ample tail assemblage .
The Navy gave Convair the only locomotive engine rated for vertical takeoffs and landings , allowing its aircraft – the XFY-1 Pogo – to actually make several vertical ascents and multiple transition to horizontal escape . Did we say clumsy ? This bird was a bear to fly .
The Air Force ’s version , the Lockheed XFV-1 , used a less - knock-down engine and never made a vertical charade . it was finally gibe with formal landing gear and made 32 horizontal escape .
Despite a lot of media hoopla , the VTOL had a very short moment in the Dominicus . The Pentagon throw off its mint instead with firm horizontal jet and powerful whirlybird . Subsequent military experience withtilt - rotor aircrafthas been less than happy .
You wanna liftoff ? Go toCape Canaveral .
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