The Vought V-173 “Flying Pancake” was an American experimental test aircraft built as part of the Vought XF5U “Flying Flapjack program” during World War II.
source/image(PrtSc): Found And Explained
Both the V-173 and the XF5U featured an unorthodox “all-wing” design consisting of flat, somewhat disk-shaped bodies (hence the name) serving as the lifting surface.Two piston engines buried in the body drove propellers located on the leading edge at the wingtips.
Its most eye-catching and unique feature was its circular wing, which was a relatively small 23.3 feet or 7.1 metres in diameter.This small wing area was meant to provide structural strength and allow the craft to have a high level of manoeuvrability.A huge three-bladed wooden propeller was mounted at the tip of each airfoil.
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These twin giant propellers would ensure that the entire aircraft was covered in constant slipstreams, thereby maximizing its aerodynamic performance in conjunction with the NACA airfoil. These prop-rotors were powered by a pair of air-cooled Continental A-80 radial engines capable of a very modest 80 horsepower. The two four-cylinder piston engines would be housed within the fuselage on either side of the cockpit and just above the landing struts.
