I always thought the P-40Q looked kind of odd too..

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...2/27/P-40Q.jpg

The fastest of the P-40s but not put into production because it would take too much time to retool the production line. Apparently.

A uniquely Canadian UFO :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_VZ-9_Avrocar

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/URG/xp62.html

Thats ugly!

Dear lord, that IS ugly :D

One of my favorite obscure aircraft
 

The Douglas Mixmaster...

...with DJ Jam Master Jay at the controls.


http://www.planeaday.com/images/2010...-1234S-006.jpg

The "slant" of the hangar is caused by the camera panning while tracking the aircraft fly-by during the exposure.



http://www.diseno-art.com/news_conte...ixmaster-1.jpg

This was an experimental medium bomber. It's performance was excellent and, after refining the design, would have likely been put into production had the war continued, and for the advent of jet powered aircraft...

SSSOOOOOO ... the B-42 Mixmaster lead to the B-43 Jetmaster ...

AND ... the Air Force bought B-45 Tornados.



PS. Both the -42 and -43 are in the Smithsonian. They are VERY imposing aircraft on the ground.

I've always wondered that myself.

Although, except for that pesky N-G ban, I've always thought that the Fireball would make an excellent "Pacific 1946" plane to fly against planes like the J7W Shiden or A7M Reppu.

The structurally much improved F2R Dark Shark probably would have made it into service before the Fireball with all the problems the Fireball had. Though VF-66 was scheduled to be out to sea in Sept. 45 Fireballs had so many incidents/accidents in their next cruise in March '46 that operations were halted for modifications and limitations were subsequently imposed when wing cracks were discovered. The aircraft was finally withdrawn from reduced operations in 1947 after several structural failures leading to total losses, some fatal. It's unlikely the Fireball would have been combat operational for long if even at all.

Only a proto but luckily it stayed that way :)