The Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake" is an American experimental test aircraft built as part of the Vought XF5U program during World War II. Both the V-173 and the XF5U featured an unorthodox "all-wing" design consisting of a flat, somewhat disk-shaped body (like a pancake flying, hence the nickname) serving as the lifting surface. [ 1 ]

May 26, 2022 · Fortunately, the V-173 Flying Pancake prototype was not destroyed. Sixty years later, on loan from the Smithsonian, it was lovingly restored by a team of Vought retirees. Today, you can see this incredible airplane on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Enjoy!

In September, 1941 the Navy awarded Chance Vought Aircraft a contract to design and build two military versions of the V-173, which were later designated XF5U-1. In July, 1944 the V-173 contract was consolidated with the XF5U-1 contract.

Chance Vought built a development, quarter-scale aircraft designated V-173 with a loaded weight of 3,050 pounds, approximately one-fifth the weight of the full-size aircraft. The V-173 flew for the first time on 23 November 1942, following extensive wind-tunnel tests.

With massive 16.5-foot-diameter wooden propellers driven by two 80-horsepower Continental A-80 air-cooled engines, the V-173 first flew on November 23, 1942, as part of a Navy program to test...

The Vought XF5U "Flying Flapjack" was an experimental U.S. Navy fighter aircraft designed by Charles H. Zimmerman for Vought during World War II. This unorthodox design consisted of a flat, somewhat disc-shaped body (resembling a flying flapjack /pancake, hence its nickname) serving as the lifting surface. [ 1 ]

The Vought V-173 design features a circular airfoil with large-diameter propellers on the wing tips. Its designer, Charles Zimmerman, reasoned that the drag, which is created by disturbed airflow near the tip of conventional wings, would be minimized by placing the propeller at the wing tip.

Nov 9, 2024 · In today’s article, Friedrich Seiltgen describes America’s disc-shaped airplane: the Vought V-173 Flying Pancake. Looking like something out of a 1950s sci-fi movie, the V-173 originated in the 1930, with much development work being done in World War II.

Apr 2, 2023 · The U.S. Navy signed a contract with Vought, concerning the continuity of the development of V-173. During the early 40s, the aircraft was still being developed, and a human-controlled prototype (after a unmanned full-scale prototype) …

With a wing loading of only 5 lbs/sq ft, the V-173 could lift off in 200 feet in a calm, and with a zero run against a 25-knot headwind. However, with a power loading of 14-lbs/hp maximum, level flight speed was only 138 mph.