Planes on top of planes! With more planes hanging on the wings and hidden in the bomb bay...

Weve all heard of aircraft carriers, but not all of them operate on the surface of the water. In fact, some are actually airborne themselves and date back to the early pioneering days of flight.

(Russian "Zveno" aircraft carrier concepts, images via - more info)

These were huge birds... A B-36 Peacemaker bomber carrying an F-84 "parasite" fighter in its bomb bay. Click on this image to enlarge:

(image via)

Gargantuan Zeppelin-type Airships as Aircraft Carriers An airborne aircraft carrier, sometimes known as a carrier aircraft, is one that is capable of carrying other, smaller aircraft. Usually, these are massive planes, but in the early decades of the twentieth century, huge airships were used in attempts to perfect the concept of an airborne aircraft carrier. The gargantuan Zeppelin type sky-borne vessels were used to launch and then recover fighter planes during the 1920s and 1930s.

(Photo of a Zeppelin over Berlin, via)

The British R33 class of airships were first built during World War I, but not completed until the war was over. In the mid 1920s, the

airship was used for trials for launching planes, such as the Hummingbird and Gloster Grebe:

(right image: Robert Leigh - check out his Shuttleworth Collection - left image credit: James Baker)

(Gloster Grebe - image credit: Rockman of Zymurgy)

The USS Los Angeles was a prototype for the well-known US airships Akron and Macon. In 1930, the airship was used to test a trapeze system for launching and recovering planes:

(images via 1, 2, 3, 4)

Akron and Macon were only 20 feet shorter than the Hindenburg and at the time, the two American airships were among the largest flying objects in the world. USS Akron served as an airborne aircraft carrier, launching Sparrowhawk fighters and the airship apparently had room for three planes. The Akron was destroyed in April 1933, killing 73 of the 76 people on board. USS Macon was operated by the US Navy in the early 1930s and designed to carry five Sparrowhawks. The Macon was lost in a storm off California in 1935, but most members of the crew survived. Here we see Macon over New York (fabulous picture in itself):

(images via 1, 2)

The Sparrowhawks top wing had a hook mounted on it and this attached to the crossbar of the trapeze inside the airships hangar. The trapeze was then lowered clear of the airships hull with the engine running. The Sparrowhawks hook would then be unattached and the plane would fly off. Getting the plane back into the hangar of the moving airship was a little trickier, since the plane had to hook back onto the trapeze hanging down. It often took several attempts, especially in very windy conditions. Once firmly attached to the trapeze, the planes engine was turned off so that it could be lifted back into the hangar:

(images via 1, 2, 3)

This Sparrowhawk is hooking onto the trapeze landing gear of USS Akron in 1932:

(imagevi s Heres a Sparrowhawk on the Macon trapeze in 1933 (left) and a photo taken from Macon over Moffett Field in California in 193

(imagesa vi 1 , Some alternate ideas to the trapeze were proposed in the 1940s, but never put into operation. These included having a runway on top f the airship for take off and landing and an elevator to move the planes inside:

(image via)

Another type of flying aircraft carrier is the composite aircraft, comprising multiple planes. There is a single aircraft at take off, but the components can separate when fully airborne and fly independently. In World War II in the Pacific, the rocket-powered Ohka Kamikaze aircraft was carried within range of targets by the Mitsubishi G4M bomber:

(images via 1, 2)

The Zveno project was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1930s and was used in some theatres during World War II. The project used the Tupolev TB-1 or TB-3 heavy bomber to carry fighter planes. The fighters could either be launched while attached to the bomber or dock while airborne and then refuel from the mother ship:

(images via)

During the war, the German Daimler-Benz Project C called for massive carrier aircraft, carrying five or six small jet-powered kamikaze planes. This project never got off the ground, quite literally.

Germanys Huckepack Projekt or Piggyback Project was designed to be able to bomb the US mainland from Germany. It was proposed that a Heinkel He 177 bomber would carry a Dornier Do 217 as far as possible over the Atlantic before releasing it. The Dornier would fly on alone, before being abandoned off the East coast of the US, with the crew rescued by a German U-boat.

(image via)

The Mistel, meaning mistletoe in German, was first introduced in the later years of World War II. The crew compartment in the nose of the unmanned bomber was filled with explosives. A fighter aircraft was attached to the roof and the fighter pilot would fly both planes to the

target. The bomber was released and the fighter plane hopefully flew safely home:

mages via 1, 2)In the years immediately following World War II, early jet fighters had a limited range. Tests were carried out to have

ong-range bombers carry their escorts, so that the fighters could save fuel and still be able to protect the bomber

ver the target. The McDo nnell XF-85 Goblin program of the late 1940s was supposed to give the B-36 Peacemaker bomber a fighter ne that could fit into the bomb bay. The fighter had to be quite small and the wings were designed to fold up so that the plane could fit nside the bomber. The program was eventually cancelled. There were problems getting the plane back inside the bomber and its perfor ance during tests showed it to be a poor match for the enemy planes it would lik y be up against:

(images via)

Here is a great view of the Goblin:

(image credit: TZ Aviation)

In the 1950s, the US Air Force conducted the fighter conveyor or FICON project. Tests were carried out to see if the Peacemaker bomber

could successfully carry Thunderflash fighter planes inside the bomb bay. Other projects included Tip Tow and Tom-Tom, in which tests were carried out to connect fighter planes to the wingtips of bombers:

(images credit: Brian Lockett, Air-and-Space.com. Brian also published a book about the history of the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin)

These modified Boeing 747s were used to carry NASAs Space Shuttle:

(image credit: Riccardo Malpica Galassi)

In the Soviet Union, the Antonov An-255 cargo aircraft was used to transport the Buran orbiter, a Soviet version of the Space Shuttle:

(image via)

Still going strong in the movies... Dirigible aircraft carrier concepts from New Cap City, Battlestar Galactica

Airborne aircraft carriers in the 2004 movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow:

And finally, heres the SHIELD helicarrier from Marvel Comics and Cloudbase from Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons in the late sixties, wrapping up our look at airborne aircraft carriers here at Dark Roasted Blend.

(images via 1, 2)

A vertical takeoff, level flight and a tail landing - first VTOL concepts These flying wonders, so called "Tailsitter" airplanes, are truly remarkable pieces of aviation history: mainly designed in the late 1940s and early 1950s, they were essentially an early attempt to eliminate the necessity of runways.

(Photographs are courtesy U.S. Navy and U.S. Federal Government, via)

In the later stages of WWII the German company Focke Wulf came up with a spectacular design for a tailsitting fighter: the Triebflgeljger. The idea was to create an airplane that would take off and land vertically on its tail. With the Allied bombardment devastating the country's armaments industry it was crucial for the Germans to have interceptors that could take off and protect German factories on a short notice. The idea was to station fighters near industrial areas and to get them into the air without the use of increasingly bombarded runways. However, the design came too late in the war for it to reach a prototype or any production stage.

(imagevi s After the war the Americans (predictably) saw the potential in such design, and, with the danger of Western Europe falling under a Sovi t control, the certain possibility of invasion and the possible denial of airfields, project Hummingbi rd was born in 1947. The idea was o develop an interceptor that could take off from virtually anywhere; there were plans to station them in fields and on military and commerci l ships. There was even talk of a submarine based fighter!

(more info)

Both Convair and Lockheed were commissioned to make prototypes: the XFY-1 and XFV-1. These fighters featured turbo prop engines

with contra-rotating propellers. A jet-powered version was also produced, called the Ryan X-13 Vertijet. The XFY-1 was the first tailsitter which achieved a vertical takeoff, level flight and a tail landing during test flights. The XFY-1, nicknamed "Pogo":

(more info)

XFY-1 (left) and XFV-1 (right):

The XFY-1 was not as successful as the XFV-1. Landing gear had to be mounted in order to conduct test flights

1954 - XFV-1 Lockheed "Salmon":

(image via)

Continuing into the the 1960s, Bell VTOL X-22 looked promising (being perhaps the grandfather of the Bell- Boeing V-22 Osprey):

(image via)

"The Coloptre" was a French prototype, featuring so called "annular wing configuration" (designed in 1952, first flight in 1959):

(images via 1, 2)

The Coleoptere is perhaps the most strangely-shaped aircraft ever built, which provided inspiration for many popular science and science fiction illustrators at the time:

ottom right: rare image from the Sovie 1961 "Smena" magazine)

Ryan Company's X-13 "VertiJet" (1953):

The X-13 was a jet-powered prototype with a design that proved to be much more difficult to steer during takeoff and landing (compared to the prop driven ones). It did not have the benefit of airflow over the rudders produced by the props.

Here's the engine of X-13:

X-13 Vertijet during trials:

(imagevi s Here's the X-13 prototype performing a successful test flight in front of the Pentagon official

The Hummingbird project proved to be a difficult one. It turned out that tailsitter airplanes could not meet the performance requirements s t by the Navy and the Air Force. In the end such designs were abandoned, and the dream of an aircraft that could take off and land on i s own tail survived only in popular magazines and science fiction novels.

(many images via highly-recommended French site)

Modern concept vehicle designers keep the idea of VTOL alive and well in new projects:

(images credit: Jose Garcia)

Here is an old-style render concept from Jose Garcia: "This is a free interpretation of a concept design for a VTOL observation aircraft I

saw 15 years ago in a 1960's British aviation magazine. It is based on the use of a Rolls-Royce Pegasus vectored-thrust jet engine" (left image) -

(image via)

And we finish with a "what might have been" concept from Jose Garcia, a 1949-vintage Soviet VTOL combat aircraft with its erectortransporter:

(image via)

Extreme Dirigibles for the Modern Age "Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon... We could float among the stars together, you and I... The world's a nicer place in my beautiful balloon... We can sing a song and sail along the silver sky... For we can fly!"
("Up, Up and Away" by the Fifth Dimension)

Festo Air-Ray, Inspired by Nature Air_Ray flying structure (concept airship) mimics the movements of manta-ray (and also reminds us of war-bird machines in "Sky Captain: World of Tomorrow"). This is the ultimate expression of bionics: bringing the fluidity of movement and effortless dynamics, found in nature, to our technological (even if slightly futuristic) application.

Make sure to check out computer flight simulation video here. By adjusting the angle of wings the craft can fly forward, backwards and change direction fluidly and naturally.

Watch its undulating movements here, quite hypnotizing: url

Millennium Ship Millennium Airship company created the revolutionary SkyFreighter., which is designed to lift really heavy cargoes and transport machinery and equipment intact, without the need of re-assembly. It can haul 500 plus tons and has speeds averaging 100 mph for 6000 miles unrefueled:

(images credit: Millennium Airship)

Zeppelin Dream Persists Futuristic air wars gain a new dimension if they are fought with (supposedly) obsolete giant airships and military zeppelins. Seen in many a pulp during science fiction Gold Age of the 30s and "the age of wonder", the vision persisted into the 70s - witness Michael Moorcock's novel "The Warlord of the Air", where the Edwardian technology takes to the air in a sort of precursor to steampunk fiction.

or the movie "Zeppelin vs. Pterodactyls" (more info) -

More futuristic visions (some are rarely seen) -

Frank Tinsley drew this image for the 1957 book "Airships in the Atomic Age":

(image credit: Marc Brown)

here is the interior of this Atomic Airship:

(click to enlarge)

Russian Nuclear Airship (communists liked to dream large-scale)

See some close-ups (note the helicopter) -

(source: TM, Russia)

Check out "Balloon Cops Clear Traffic Jams" idea "There were giants in the air..." The now largely exinct airborn "islands" were all the rage during the dawn years of aviation, firing the imagination (and getting lots of financing) of general public and politicians of the time. See the "Zeppelins through the ages" catalog here - a wonderful site, full of info and trivia, collected by Daniel J. Grossman.

To properly appreciate the grand scale of these beasts, compare their size with puny humans: LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin

or with the mooring tower:

In the luxury vein of "Titanic" era, the interiors were as glamorous as any prestigious hotel:

(images credit: Airships)

In the early 30s airships "Graf Zeppelin" and "Hindenburg" flew regularly on transatlantic routes between Germany and America. As the

movie "Sky Captain" skillfully shown, they did intend to moor to the most prominent skyscrapers:

The observation tower at the top of the Empire State Building was originally intended to be a dock for mooring airships: (read here "how the engineers crowned world's tallest building")

(image credit: nytstore)

The idea has endured into some futuristic illustrations:

(image credit: Arthur Radebaugh)

Less wild, more practical, and may even become reality one day: Airship Skyport

(image credit: Airship Ventures)

or even Airport Docks (1931 idea, note the Zeppelin in the middle dock):

(image credit: Modern Mechanix)

There is something about "Zeppelins over Manhattan" images... As a symbol of bygone era, as a counterpoint to all these skyscrapers: the airborn giants made a perfect picture floating over Manhattan, and many photographers recognized it:

(image credit: U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph)

USS Macon over New York, in 1931.

(click to enlarge)

USS Los Angeles in 1932:

(image credit: fogonazos)

To browse through "scale progression" of airships (many of them hypothetical), head over to this site. It clearly illustrated how "bigger is better" applied to airship really made sense to designers: (note little airplanes underneath them)

US Navy actually built two zeppelin aircraft carriers (see our recent article): USS Macon (info) and USS Akron ZRS-4 (shown below: these tiny dots at the bottom are people)

Akron could carry four airplanes, Macon five, and the further models were designed to carry up to 22 airplanes! All culminating perhaps in this idea: (see full info at this page)

(image credit: modernmechanix)

Also check out this screwy-looking dirigible: Revolving spiral vanes on the gas container propel it firmly through the air.

(image credit: modernmechanix)

Grand Missionary Effort The idea of a giant ship that can carry "bridges, buildings, fleet of trucks; that eliminates the need for roads, railroads and harbors" was kept alive all throught the 30s and beyond: this book documents a history of the project, dubbed "The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed". Financed by private individuals (presbyterian missionaries), after 12 years and half a million dollars, the Aereon Corporation had a static ship model and plenty of wrecked ones. (read more here) Aereon 26 strange-looking plane actually took to the sky in 1971:

The company's research, however, opened many paths toward creating stealth airships for the military (some weirdly giving rise to more UFO mythos and spotting):

Moby Air - the Flying Luxury Hotel Presented in this issue of Popular Science, this brainchild of Worldwide Aeros Corporation has pretty good specs and will carry 288 passengers in ultimate luxury to the cruising altitude of 8000 ft.

In conclusion, we have to say that if the longevity of the name "Zeppelin" is any indication (just witness the undying fortune of the "Led Zeppelin" rock group), we are going to see some embodiment of this dream in a few years; after all skyships make good economical sense (all safety factors notwithstanding) - and the sight of airships flying over the Golden Bridge will be quite commonplace:

(image credit: Airship Ventures)

It was a warfare of intimidation and a game of fear: and so it bred monstrous planes, pregnant with the load of ominous bombs For all who lived through Cold War, or have heard the stories and seen the movies, the most recognizable and frightening symbol of this harrowing period in human history were heavy bombers - Strategic Air Command long-range planes capable of delivering inconceivable destruction around the globe.

(1948 Boeing B-50 strategic bomber; art by Academy Model Co. via)

We are going to highlight some of the most impressive flying machines of this sort, in a series of articles inside our Airplanes category. Let's start with a bomber that made its name during World War Two - the 1942 Douglas A-20 'Havoc'. "The Bombsight That Crushed Nazi Germany" The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was an outstanding "light bomber" and night fighter aircraft of World War II, also known as "Boston" among British pilots - more info.

(image via)

You will notive that this bomber's nose is covered by a yellow life raft - to conceal a secret bombsight device. This was Norden Bombsight, a groundbreaking piece of World War II technology, and "one of the most precious objects of its era" according to Malcolm Gladwell (watch his TED talk video here)

(image via)

Norden said that "with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet." Such precision was unheard of at the time, and much needed beacuse it allowed to bomb only the targets you absolutely need to bomb and spare civilian lives - more info. Half as much money was spent on its development and implementation than was spent on the Manhattan Project itself! "This is the bombsight that crushed Nazi Germany. The Norden bombsight was the most sophisticated device of its kind during WWII. The standing orders were that if the plane crash-landed you were to destroy the sight at ALL costs."

(image credit: Norden Bombsight)

True to the inventor's original claims, it delivered great precision in bombing, but alas, only under perfect conditions. War circumstances

are, of course, almost always far from perfect, so in many bomb raids, only 10% of bombs would reach their intended targets, even with the help of Norden Bombsight. Ironically, the infamous Enola Gay bomber dropped a nuclear payload on Hiroshima using the bombsight (and still ended up missing the aiming point, the Aioi Bridge, by approximately 800 feet) - where they probably did not really need bombsight for accuracy at all. A Sleek, Beautiful Shape with the Deadly Payload The B-47 Stratojet (originally XB-47) looked significantly different from any other bomber at the time, described by some observers as having a "sleek, beautiful outline that was highly advanced". It was truly a magnificent, graceful jet, designed primarily with one sinister purpose - to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union:

(images via)

Its engine-under-wing configuration will later be used for most large military planes and civilian airliners - and the swept wing would allow this six-engined bomber to fly at at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes:

(image credit: National Museum of the US Air Force)

Here is Boeing XB-47 with the nose pointing down (from Model Airplane News, 1948, left image), and with nose pointed up! -

(images via 1, 2)

Boeing B-47E during a test of the rocket-assisted take-off system:

(image via)

This huge plane also sported so-called "Bicycle Landing Gear" (due to the very thin profiles of its wings) which consisted of "a pair of large wheels fore and aft of the bomb bay, with small outrigger wheels carried on the inboard twin-jet pods". Here is the very first Boeing XB-47 ever built, before its first flight on Dec. 1, 1947:

(image credit: National Museum of the US Air Force)

You can tell that the shape really made an impact, judging by the interest of observers:

(image via)

You want drama? Here is a foreboding illustration of Boeing B-47 in bad weather:

(image via)

The Russians are certain to attack us, so we are going to attack first Major Kong's B-52 heads over the Arctic toward its Russia target. From 1964 "Dr. Strangelove" movie:

(image via)

"Kubrick sent a special film crew to Greenland where they spent weeks filming the Arctic landscape from an old B-17 bomber." Pilots are visibly tense inside a similar strategic bomber... (seen in the 1958 "Steve Canyon" TV series):

(image via)

This is the XB-52 Stratofortress taking off in 1952:

(image via)

This illustration is not entirely correct: apparently these huge beasts remained level at all times during lift-off and ascent... see the video here. In the meantime, the likes of a heart-stopping 1953 illustration (shown below), intentionally or not, propagated paranoia about Russian sneaky nuclear attack:

(image via)

With Americans retaliating by unleashing... the nuclear-powered XB-70 Valkyrie prototype strategic bomber! -

(image via)

The Low-flying Aircraft Watch this B-52 doing a high-speed, low altitude pass over a nameless beach... ready to fly right into your nightmares, resembling lowflying sinister aircraft from J. G. Ballard post-apocalyptic stories:

(image via) Article by Avi Abrams, Dark Roasted Blend.

Flying on Gigantic Wings For a few thousand years the biggest things in the skies were only in our imaginations, flying figments of myth and fable: the Roc from Sinbads tales, the Garuda bird from the Mahabharata, the Thunderbird from North America, the Brazilian Blue Crow, and other high-flying nightmares or soaring benevolent gods and spirits.

(art by Harry Grant Dart, All-Story ca. 1900)

But then a few very clever, and rather persistent, folks got tired of only dreaming. With great inventiveness, they wanted to see what was actually above the clouds. They sought to create something as wondrously big, or nightmarishly immense, as those birds of myth and legend.

(image credit: retro-futurismus)

Talking about big planes is very much like talking about who should get the credit for mans first flight - it all depends on who you talk to. As the brilliant James Burke has pointed out, inventors rarely create something from nothing - their successes are often the result of combining the partial successes, or learning from the downright failures, of other inventors. In some cases, it's just pure dumb luck. Sputtering, Creaking, Terrifying Monsters The Wright Brothers are often given most of the recognition for the first powered flight but Gustave Whitehead, Alexander Feodorovich Mozhaiski, Clement Ader, and many others should get a share of the fame, too. Whoever is responsible, it wasnt long before the skies

were full of sputtering, creaking, and for the most part very unreliable aeronautical devices.

(futuristic art by Harry Grant Dart)

It took the first world war to change aircraft from a killing and maiming hobby for the rich to a killing and maiming war machine. War helped advance the science of flight and necessitated bigger planes. One monster plane of that time was Igor Sikorsky's Ilya Murometz, a huge improvement over his legendary Russky Vitaz, the first four engine aircraft. But the Ilya Murometz didn't begin as a beast of the skies. Originally designed as a luxurious passenger liner featuring electric lighting, heat, a bathroom, and even a glass floor, the bomber must have been amusing as well as terrifying to its wealthy passengers.

(images credit: histarmar.com.ar)

Another iteration of such approach was Tupolev ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky":

And a really huge Russian monster plane from the early 1930s: Ka-7 (more info), named after engineer Kalinin, not the famous political figure.

(images via Modelist-Konstruktor, 1989)

A lot more images of highly souped-up imaginary version of this monster can be seen here, and it's definitely worth a click... Art and Elegance Between Wars In the years between wars, airplanes kept getting bigger. Outrageous concepts like Norman Bel Geddes Airliner Number 4 appeared, featuring 9 decks of luxury hotel accommodation, bars and engine rooms:

It would sleep 606 passenger in comfort, easily bringing them across Atlantic. More images and info about Bel Geddes fantastic dream planes are here. It seems to be a logical development of 1910s British Airliner of the Future:

(image via)

Don't miss also this "Freak of the Month" concept from Modern Mechanics, 1931:

(image credit: modernmechanix)

But let us get back from aviation dreams to reality. Take the elegant Handley Page HP42, for instance: a four-engined beauty with an impressive track record of no crashes while being used as an airliner -- which gives you an idea of how safe it was to fly back then.

(images via)

One of the larger and more beautiful aircraft in the next few decades was the awesome 1936 Boeing Stratoliner. Unfairly called a whale because of its chubbiness, the plane was not only huge but also state of the art; today we enjoy flying in pressurized comfort because of technology premiered in the silver flying fish of the Stratoliner.

Another aircraft both immense and legendary - The H-4 Hercules. Arguably the standard by which huge aircraft are measured - as well as how "completely screwed up" is defined. Its one and only flight was in 1947, where it flew for around a mile, reaching altitude of 70 feet. Originally planned as the ultimate military transport, it is more commonly known as its hated -- at least by its creator Howard Hughes -moniker, the Spruce Goose.

(image credit: Bettman/CORBIS)

The aircraft had originally been ordered by the US government during World War II as a giant cargo plane for the armed troops and tanks. Howard Hughes's creation was the world's largest plane at the time and is still the largest flying boat ever built. It also holds records for the largest wingspan at 97.5 meters, tallest airplane at 24.2 meters, and the largest aircraft ever made from wood.

Nazi's Ugly Brute Art and elegance may have been one of the early fatalities in the second world war, but striving to have the biggest (anything) certainly wasnt.

To call the Messerschmitt Me 321 big is like calling 1939 to 1945 unpleasant. Created originally as a glider, the Gigant could haul an insanely large amount of cargo. And an insane bunch of soldiers: 130 plus hardware ... 23 tons of hardware.

(images via)

Because the Gigant was so huge, getting the damned thing into the air was, at best, problematic. First it was towed up with a pair of Heinkel 111 bombers, which was alternatively unsuccessful or disastrous. Then they tried fusing two 111s together to make a Frankensteins monster of a machine - almost as bestial as the Gigant itself. Finally the Luftwaffe stuck engines on the Me321, which made an ugly brute even uglier but at least it got off the ground.

Heavy Bombers of the (Potential) Doomsday On the other side of the war was an eagle, a silvery steel bird of prey: the huge and beautiful B-29 Superfortress. Although getting the immense B-29 up to its ceiling of 40,000 feet was a struggle, once it got up there nothing could reach it or, at 350 mph, catch it. Even if

something managed to come close to it, its formidable defenses could cut any threat to shreds. Featuring many impressive advancements, and some frustrating problems, the plane was kept on active duty long into the Korean war.

(image via)

With the advent of jet power, aircraft designers began to think really big. Think of your average doomsday film and you immediately picture the roaring ascent of smoke-blasting, eight-engined, B-52 bombers. But before B-52 there was another huge American bomber: Convair B-36 "Peacemaker":

(images via)

Like the B-29, the B-52 "Stratofortress" was an aeronautical powerhouse, a heavy-lifting behemoth. And like the B-52, it was kept in service until well, they are still being used today.

(image source: US Air Force)

Heavy bombers transforming into LEGO pieces in the minds of dazed Cold War engineers: Arthur Kimes writes to us: "Soviets also proposed to stick together a bunch of big airplanes to make a REALLY huge one. Kind of like a Lego dream come true: In the early-mid 1950s the USAF had a plan to link 3 B-36s (wingtip to wingtip) to have a extended range delivery system. When this behemoth got close enough to the Soviet Union each would drop off a parasite fighter-bomber (probably the F-92 which also was never built) and the released FBs would make a high-speed dash and drop a bomb on their targets. The B-36s would split up and return, the F-92s would have to try and find a friendly airfield in Turkey or something like that."

(image source: TM, 1975)

"When you consider the B-36 is still the largest bomber ever built, the idea of 3 of them flying joined at the wingtips is astounding." The Ugliest Airplane Ever Built? The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy looks more like a prop from a Japanese monster movie than a real airplane. The Guppy is also high on the irony meter as it was mostly used to haul nearly-completed components -- of other airplanes.

(images credit: Mischa Oordjik, Alastair T. Garoiner)

The Airbus A300-600ST (Super Transporter) or Beluga:

(images via)

Here is a Russian carrier VM-T "Atlant" used in a Buran and Energia space programs, which is perhaps the only airplane capable of carrying on its "shoulders" a load larger and heavier than itself:

(images via)

Transporting a fuel tank for the second stage of Energia rocket:

(image source: "Cosmonautics - A Colorful History" ed. by Dr. Wayne R. Matson)

Nuclear-Powered Lockheed Mothership Nothing comes close in size to this unbelievable concept developed by Lockheed in the 1970s:

Note small "children" airplanes, attached to its wings... Its hard to imagine anything bigger flying in the skies, still retaining the shape of a common airliner. An aircraft of this size would have to land on water as a titanic "flying boat". The Biggest Planes Flying Today Unlike the B-29 and the B-52, which dont show their size easily, the C-5 Galaxy would look insanely monstrous even on a postage stamp. To give you an idea of the Galaxys size, its wingspan is not just longer than the Wright Brothers first flight but the beast can also haul 180,000 pounds (which is about 90 tons). The C-5 was the world's largest plane when it was introduced in the late 1960s.

(image credit: Pervez Iqbal)

Arguably the biggest plane flying today, or ever, is Antonov An-225, a 6-engine beast thats not only longer than the first flight in history but could probably carry one, two, or three whole aircraft museums. Numbers dont mean much but here is an impressive one: the 225 can carry 550,000 pounds, which is 275 tons. Yes, you can say WOW.

(image credit: Dmitry Pichugin)

(image credit: Radek Oneksiak)

(image credit: airliners.net)

(images via)

This is a good dimension-comparison chart:

(image credit: Clem Tillier, via)

When it comes to passenger aviation, Airbus A-380 is the current leader in size: this image shows its comparative size among other planes in the airport -

We used to have the Roc, the Garuda bird, the Thunderbird, Blue Crow, and other soaring myths. Now we have machines; airplanes so big theyre even greater than those ancient, and magnificent, dreams. Of course, there is another advantage to premium size - you can always claim your piece of the sky, and outright own the airstrip:

(image credit: Sven De Bevere)

The Bigger the Better" seemed to work for airplanes, just like it worked for dinosaurs - for a while Of course you can fly the latest Airbus today, but vintage giant planes still evoke a certain fascination and a sadness of their demise. Their stupendous size seemed to fuel dreams of daring-do and glamour... like smoking a cigar on board of a giant flying boat bound for some nameless Central American lake, discussing the odds of finding an ancient treasure with a sultry brunette lady - seemingly a fellow adventurer but, very possibly, a rival spy.

The closest aviation history came to realizing this ludicrous pulp-fiction dream was Dornier Do X flying super-boat:

Dornier Do X, by Lufthansa The largest, heaviest, and most powerful flying boat in the world - made by Germany in 1929, nicknamed The Flugschiff. It was "The Flying Ship", indeed, or rather a small airborne island with a crew of 14 and capacity for more than a hundred passengers.

Check out this dieselpunk-infused photo of a German engineer operating the twelve engines:

(image Deutsches Bundesarchiv, via)

The highlight of this video? Total worship of technology, the "bigger, the better" attitude. Tarrant Tabor: super-weird and equally disastrous This "flying furniture" wing set-up did not survive past the first attempt at flying. It was big, yes, but the real problem was the placement of the engines: too high over the wings, forcing the nose down on the lift-off (more info)

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Tarrant Tabor, though, looks like a game-designer dream come true:

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Giant "flying wing" and "engines within wing" concepts from the early 1940s:

1000 Passenger Giant Transport Project from 1950's Saunders-Roe was building large flying boats after the war (see "The Princess" and "The Duchess" below):

But the plans for the tentatively-named "The Saro Queen" were simply out of this world. This flying monster boat (slated for the LondonSydney run) was to have FIVE decks, enough to carry a thousand passengers in comfort, plus include bars, dining rooms and elite lounges! The mammoth aircraft was to be powered by twenty-four engines (mounted within wings). "The wings were deep enough for the engineers to be able to carry out maintenance standing up while the aircraft was in flight." (more info)

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Brabazon! Bigger than Boeing 747

Bristol Type 167 Brabazon was a full-size flying machine worth remembering. "This huge prop airliner, around the same size as a 747, was only built to carry about 100 passengers and was deemed economically unfeasible." (more info)

(images via 1, 2)

The largest piston-engine land-based transport aircraft ever built Convair XC-99 was basically a military transport, but a passenger version was also proposed (Convair Model 37, good for 204 passengers):

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It had an elevator to load and move cargo between decks. It was so heavy that it was restricted as to where it could land as on occasion it crushed runways. XC-99 was developed from B-36 bomber, itself pretty huge:

This hefty plane, comparable to Bristol Brabazon, had a few successful flights, but US Air Force simply decided that it did not need such large, long-range transport at the time... Wondrous Supersonic Aviation Why wondrous? Well, for one thing, it would be a sheer wonder if you did spot any non-military supersonic airliner flying over the US simply because they are forbidden to do so, due to the fear of sonic booms devastating peaceful suburbia (read our article about supersonic aviation development in the US. Tongue-in-cheek comments aside, any supersonic plane is quite a beauty to behold with its swept wings and a space-bound attitude. Here is a comparative size chart of supersonic airliners from Russia, England, and the US (the proposed SST):

(image credit: TIME Magazine, October I969)

We do not have the luxury of crossing the Atlantic on the Concorde due to the well-known tragic incident... but take a look at the Concorde cockpit: quite intense, isn't it? (Click to enlarge)

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Military supersonic airplanes are another (success) story: it is hard not to mention Blackbird SR-71, one of the oldest Decepticons, capable of sustained speed 10% faster than a 30-06 bullet at the gun muzzle. Still the fastest plane ever - think Mach 3.5...

What is this behind the double cockpit? A space for the R2-D2 droid? -

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Well, this opening seems to be the in-flight refueling door. This plane truly has a formidable presence... "After the Soviets shot down Gary Powers' U-2 in 1960, Lockheed began to develop an

aircraft that would fly three miles higher and five times faster than the spy plane - and still be capable of photographing your license plate." One pilot remembers: "... The Mach continues to increase. The ride is incredibly smooth. There seems to be a confirmed trust now, between me and the jet; she will not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need, and I can count on no problems with the inlets. The cooler outside temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago, when men dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. We are a bullet now - except faster. Screaming past Tripoli, our phenomenal speed continues to rise, and the screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time, laying down a parting sonic boom. In seconds, we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the Mediterranean. I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner."

SR-71 also holds the record of highest sustained flight for a man-powered aircraft (25,929 m) and the speed record still holds since 1976!. The aircraft was retired twice because of high operational costs, and a letter was written to US Senate, signed by astronaut John Glenn:

"Mr. President, the termination of the SR-71 was a grave mistake and could place our nation at a serious disadvantage in the event of a future crisis." If you get an opportunity to fly this noble plane (who knows, you may be the next Sam Witwicky), here is the SR-71 Flight Manual. Rare assembly pictures of Blackbird SR-71 ("Watch for G.O.D."? - er, sorry no, it's F.O.D. - Foreign Objects Damage)

(images credit: Lockheed, via)

Here are some interesting plane concepts, related to the development of Blackbird unique engine. Convair NX-2, for example, for one of the weirdest - at one time even slated to become America's first Atomic Plane (more info):

("Convair NX-2", images via 1, 2)

Check out this huge atomic engine on the left:

(images via Modern Mechanix)

The Russians also came up with a few radical supersonic concepts - this is the RAK-DA project, or Sukhoi T-4MS, a strategic heavy bomber from the 1960s (more info)

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Smaller T-60S was an intermediate range bomber:

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Some dreams require a custom Boeing 747 to get them off the ground Coming back to our day and age, we have exclusive pictures of Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter Dreamlifter (more info), sent in by John P. A. Cooney (photos taken at the 2008 Experimental Aircraft Association Airshow):

(photos credit: John P. A. Cooney)

It's perhaps the most exciting to watch such a heavy bird rise gracefully into the sky:

(image credit: Royal S. King)

Finally, as a sort of a riddle for our dear readers, here are some planes that need identifying:

UPDATE: Good fun with answers: left plane is the experimental unmanned aerial vehicle Boeing X-48. The plane on the right is the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
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Speaking about paint accents, here is a bright green nose of the Soviet jet fight from the same era - Sukhoi Su-20 "Fitter-C", seen at the Luftwaffenmuseum in Gatow, Berlin:

(image credit: Jens Lilienthal)

More of the happy Soviet Cold War bomber and jet fighter pilots, in these rare photographs:

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Vintage Commercial Aviation Promotions: Flight Attendants There was something in the air in the early years of commercial aviation. Perhaps more excitement, perhaps more glamorous stewardesses... in any case, it's worth savoring once again.

"Aeronaves Dominicanas" airline serving all the cities in the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean:

"South West Airlines" in the 1960s were a wonder to behold:

Air Jamaica stewardesses demonstrate the Lockheed in 1969:

(image via Scott)

French fashion statements:

Vespas, girls and planes go well together:

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Braniff Airlines trippy flight attendant attire, designed by Emilio Pucci:

(image credit: Barry Hoggart)

1968 was the year of the space helmet to protect the flight attendant's hairdo:

MODERN TIMES: For the modern version of "stewardess's flight dance" see this series of ... anime alternative:

Have a good flight!

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Courtesy: Sabenien. See more his site

This kind of activity was called "Air-Strip" in Braniff International ads:

Pilots were happy, too :)

(originally Transcontinental & Western Air)

PanAmerican:

(image credit: Cheelah)

(image credit: Cheelah)

(image credit: Cheelah)

High Style of Flying by British Airways British Airways Museum displays a great collection of vintage airliners and interior shots, including a glimpse of BOAC stewardesses' attire in 60s and 70s. (thanks for the tip by Patti Evans, who herself was an airline stewardess from 1970 - 1988 for BOAC/British airways) Click to enlarge images.

(images credit: British Airways Museum)

Meal on TWA, 1950:

(image credit: Plan 59)

More TWA in the 70s:

(image credit: Luciens)

Emilio Pucci's Gemini 4 collection for Braniff Airlines, 1965:

(image credit: stylecouncil1)

Here is a picture from the Russian "Aeroflot" airline from the same era:

(image credit: clashmaker)

and in modern days:

In the beginning...

Rare shots from the start of commercial aviation in the late 30s and 40s:

Possibly the secret of their charm?

(images credit: durga666)

Extrapolating same beauty into space If you think airline travel was glamorous in these days, think about how space travel was imagined at the time... With the same groovydressed stewardesses, no less. "2001: A Space Odyssey" offers us a glimpse of the uniform of a Pan Am stewardess on a moonliner:

(images credit: bittercinema)

Serving Meals on the "Aries" Spacecraft:

(image credit: bittercinema)

Enjoying the "Playboy" magazine:

(image credit: bittercinema)

Russian Space Stewardesses from the 50s:

sss Additions to PSA and Southwest files This picture shows PSA uniforms in 1967 (too bad for the dotted pattern, the photo was printed on the back of a ticket)

(image credit: southerncalifornian)

Just Passing by... (Southwest Airlines)

(image courtesy Ultraswank)

Fast-forward to the modern times:

Looking forward to see some beautiful faces on your favorite airline? Here are some modern ads that seem a bit unrealistic: Click to enlarge.

(image credit: Fethi Karaduman)

Another helping of good old times to brighten up your weekend "There was something in the air in the early years of commercial aviation. Perhaps more excitement, perhaps more glamorous stewardesses... in any case, it's worth savoring once again."... And once again! This is Part 4 of our extremely popular collection (start with Part 1 here); send us more stories and photos of the wonderful

flight experiences you had - this time around we also feature a few modern examples of attractive flight attendants. Let's keep the skies full of smiles and beauty!

Somewhat creepy, no? -

(image credit: Modern Mechanix)

Delta Air Lines flight attendant uniforms in 1970:

(image courtesy Delta Air Lines)

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(image credit: Modern Mechanix)

on the right: Braniff's stewardess uniforms, designed by Emilio Pucci. (image via)

Pacific Southwest Airlines are going to give you "a lift" -

(image via CreativePro)

Not really stewardesses, but a good show, nonetheless The following images are taken either from the advertisements, promotions, films, or exhibition events. The girls shown here are not stewardesses in real life... but the image they convey is worth experiencing:

Click to enlarge! - (original unknown)

Click to enlarge!

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Certificate of a great experience! Airline Passenger Certificates: read a detailed article about unique collector's item: Certificates for crossing the ocean in an airplane issued by early airline companies:

"TWA 1953 certificate awarded for crossing the great Atlantic Ocean on behalf of King Neptune himself" -

Sometimes a stewardess' pretty face was hidden... like in this "survival bag" demonstration:

(image via Modern Mechanix)

Vintage "Aeroflot" Section Russian hostesses from the 1960s right through to the 1980s (and some modern shots) -

(images via John Coulthard, Dmitry)

AeroSvit company, Ukraine -

Bel Avia company, Belorus -

Most images are courtesy Dmitry

Air hostesses in Kursk, Russia - and a photo from the recent air show in Moscow:

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Interesting hats of Qatar Airways (top), El Al airlines in Israel... and Korean Air crew just landed:

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KLM hostess crew is having a picnic (sort-of) on a wing in Amsterdam - good times!

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Finally, the image that's going to stay with you - remember it every time you fly... Who's going to tuck you in at night? Why, a pilot, of course! -

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