Very Cool Pics of Rare Aircraft

[Capt Jack]

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRoberts

Very cool. I'm not sure I'd want to be the pilot of the XP-63 "Manned Aerial Target"

Originally Posted by http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/08/28/a-coveted-billet-no-doubt/

The most unusual P-63 variations were the RP-63A and RP-63C “pinball” versions developed late in WWII. These manned target aircraft were fired at by aerial gunnery students using .30-cal. lead and plastic frangible machine gun bullets that disintegrated harmlessly against the target’s external skin of Duralumin armor plating. Special instruments sent impulses to red lights in the nose of the “pinball” aircraft, causing them to blink when bullets struck the plane.

sounds like FUN!!!

Originally Posted by scaeagles

The Pima Air and Space Museum (near Tucson) is a great place for stuff like this. One of my favorites there, and very odd looking as well, is the Super Guppy.

I got to see one on takeoff when I was a kid. freakish site to see that thing actually fly. like a blimp with wings only slower