that's actually the first time I have ever seen a cockpit that's not in the front or the middle
If you're looking for strange cockpit location designs, German WW2 projects -especially from Blohm & Voss- is the place to look! The BV 141 had a cockpit in the left wing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blohm_%26_Voss_BV_141).
If you're looking for strange cockpit location designs, German WW2 projects -especially from Blohm & Voss- is the place to look! The BV 141 had a cockpit in the left wing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blohm_%26_Voss_BV_141).
Now that's interesting.
I guess I can sort of imagine the logic if it was something like a heavy gunship where you would want the gunners and all the weapons on one side for long range bombardments, but it seems like it would be incredibly clumsy for lightweight strategies or anything other than the most basic aircraft actions. Imagine if the plane went into a roll: I bet there would be some bad g-force on the pilot seat.
On that note, I would think having the pilot seat in the very back would have some unpleasant force buildup whenever the vehicle rises or descends as long as the axis of rotation is still closer to the front.
I guess I can sort of imagine the logic if it was something like a heavy gunship where you would want the gunners and all the weapons on one side for long range bombardments, but it seems like it would be incredibly clumsy for lightweight strategies or anything other than the most basic aircraft actions. Imagine if the plane went into a roll: I bet there would be some bad g-force on the pilot seat.
Its also smart for reconnaissance, where you don't want the fuselage in the way of observation. That's what the BV 141 was for.
Americans made some pretty weird things as well. Like the Twin Mustang
The Germans build a twin He 111 (and it hat a fifth motor too!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_111#/media/File:Me321%2BHe111Z.jpg. Really, there is not much that is stranger than German designs. Think of all the flying wing designs (Horten f.e.), Rammjäger, vertical launching single use rocket planes or the Focke-Wulf Triebflügel.
Americans made some pretty weird things as well. Like the Twin Mustang
One of the operational profiles for the Twin Mustang called for making long-range flights by having the two pilots trade off shifts, one in command while the other slept (they didn't have autopilots in those days). I can't remember which of my many aviation memoirs it's in (possibly Chuck Yeager's autobiography?), but I've read a story about an F-82 pilot waking up in the middle of a long flight to someplace and realizing to his dismay that both he and his copilot have been asleep for an unknown length of time; fortunately, the aircraft was well-trimmed and carried on without their input.
