Strange and Unusual Aircraft - 33
Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake"
The Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake" designed by Charles H. Zimmerman was an
American experimental test aircraft built as part of the Vought XF5U "Flying
Flapjack" World War II United States Navy fighter aircraft program. The first
flight of the V-173 was on 23 November 1942 with Vought Chief Test Pilot Boone
Guyton at the controls. The aircraft's most significant problem concerned its
complicated gearbox that routed power from the engines to its two long
propeller shafts. The gearbox produced unacceptable amounts of vibration in
ground testing, delaying the aircraft's first test flight for months. Flight
testing of the V-173 went on through 1942 and 1943 with 190 flights, resulting
in reports of UFOs from surprised Connecticut locals. Charles Lindbergh piloted
the V-173 during this time and found it surprisingly easy to handle and
exhibiting impressive low-speed capabilities.
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