The Strange Fighter Jets Which Could Have Filled Hangars

As aircraft can often have varying needs, kit-build aircraft hangar buildings must also be versatile and prepared enough to store an aircraft and the tooling needed to maintain it safely, securely and cleanly.

Whilst the biggest issue that hangars need to solve is typically one of scale and wingspan, using alternative roof support systems to get around the need for columns, aircraft with jet engines, such as modern airliners or fighter craft, also need extensive staff and equipment to keep them flying.

Because of this, space is at a premium and typically needs to be shaped around particular models that are known to be reliable, high-performance and trustworthy.

Here are some examples of unusual fighter jets which did not meet any of those criteria and no longer fill hangars.

Was The De Havilland Sea Vixen The Worst British Fighter Jet Ever?

A perfect example of a unique and unfortunate fighter is the striking De Havilland Sea Vixen, the first two-seater combat aircraft to break the sound barrier, even if it had to slightly dive to do so.

Its unusual twin-boom tail design, swept-wing arrangement and asymmetrical twin-cockpit were seen as ahead of its time, but this strange design and the unusual flight mechanics made it a daunting aircraft to fly, and its instability led to 55 of the 145 production Sea Vixens crashing or breaking apart.

This included the very first one, which broke apart above the Farnborough Air Show, trying to break the sound barrier and causing the deaths of 29 spectators and both members of the flight crew.

As well as this, it had limited air-to-air weaponry, could not reach supersonic speeds in level flight and was often far slower than the planes it would be pitted against.

Whilst it took part in several military operations, it was never part of any true wars, hurting its legacy as an aircraft.

Why Did The Heinkel He 162 Fail?

The end of the Second World War was the dawn of the use of fighter jets in combat. The most famous of these, the Messerschmitt Me 262 and the Gloster Meteor, were relatively rare and typically seen more as symbols of technological progress rather than a harbinger of the future.

In 1944, with the German army struggling with both resource and skilled labour shortages needed to produce the Me 262, the decision was made to design an alternative that could be built quickly, easily and with limited resources.

The result was the Heinkel He 162, the so-called People’s Fighter (Volksjager), a steel and wood jet fighter with a giant jet engine fitted onto the top.