Goodyear's Inflateable Airplane

[Jonfliesgoats]

When I was a kid, I remember learning about inflateable planes made by Goodyear.  Another thread had us discussing hybrid craft on Mars.  I thought some of you may enjoy learning about an interesting airplane project from the 50s.

http://slightlywarped.com/curiosities-the-inflatable-plane/

[Rath]

WHY!

[StrandedonEarth]

8 minutes ago, Rath said:

WHY!

Because it can fit in the back of a station wagon!

[Rath]

This must have been stolen from russia.  It's just too weird and ugly.

If it's flashy its american, if it's ugly it's brittish, if its weird it's french, if it's weird and ugly, its russian.  

 

This plane fits into the russia category to damn well.

[Jonfliesgoats]

Officially it was going to be used for search and rescue.  It was actually marketed for clandestine and special operations.   No need to get someone through a border checkpoint when they can inflate a plane and fly out.  It was air-droppable, easy to use and easy to fly.  It could also operate from water.

The practicality of this waned as helicopters became more capable.  Also the benefits of flying a weirdo out of E. Germany or China in an inflateable plane are offset by the difficulties of getting an inflateable airplane to them.

Still, I always wanted to fly one.  I wonder if it made a balloon-like "Poing" sound if you bounced a sparrow off of it?  The noise from the motor (which also had a top-up compressor) would have drowned out my desired "poing" though.

 

Edited January 7, 2017 by Jonfliesgoats

[Nibb31]

The main reason it wasn't adopted was that it wasn't very resistant to small arms fire.

[Jonfliesgoats]

True.  That was one of the reasons for the compressor on the engine, but it could only keep up with just a few small holes.

[GDJ]

It could be an alternative to a Ultralite airplane....but with better storage options. 

[Jonfliesgoats]

You know, as homebuilt airplanes go, revisiting an inflateable plane may be in order.  You can hangar it in your garage.  Patch it easily.  Corrosion isn't an issue.  For the person who wants to fly around at 70knots and and count cows, this idea could be great.

[kerbiloid]

The pure quintessence of Wild Blue Industries mods.
 

Like a

Spoiler

JetWing from Buffalo

as a part for Heisenberg

inflatable as all in Pathfinder