50 Unbelievable Military Aircraft Concepts

Before there can be an aircraft, there is the concept. The distance between what can be created conceptually and what is scientifically possible is usually a pretty big gap – but that’s how we drive the world forward right? Through innovation! The following 50 photos are the wildest, difficult-to-imagine, yet actual concepts that military personnel came up with in the search for the next greatest aircraft. The only way we can ever get better at making products and breaking new barriers is to imagine the impossible. After you dream up and draw the impossible then you get to work trying to figure out if there is any way to make it remotely possible. After that, you start to build something using the materials and technologies you have at the time. this is usually when we find out that it won’t work and we create new technology or new materials that will let the impossible become possible. Remember it all started with a dream or an idea of something better. Without further ado, please enjoy seeing and learning about these wild planes!

DARPA Falcon Project

The FALCON project is an ambitious, multi-phase program to develop a family of hypersonic, high-altitude military aircraft and intercontinental cruise missiles. A standardized aerial platform to launch hypersonic cruise missiles and low earth orbit satellites.

When fully operational, the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle 4 (HCV-4) could cover 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km) in just 2 hours, while carrying a payload of up to 12,000 pounds (5,500 kg). If used as a weapon, one HCV full of just 6 tons worth of rock and striking at 20 times the speed of sound would be more powerful than any conventional bomb in the Air Force’s arsenal.

Russian PAK TA Supersonic Transport

This is certainly one of the most ambitious and challenging aircraft design concepts, although many critics claim it’s little more than propaganda. Besides crafting the largest operational transport aircraft in the world, the PAK TA is supposed to reach supersonic cruise speeds in excess of 1,200 mph.

Or in perspective, more than double the C-5M Super Galaxy and just a bit behind the F-22 Raptor’s top afterburner-assisted speed of 1,500 mph. With 200+ tons of cargo capacity, the PAK TA could haul seven main battle tanks or a full infantry company with several days of combat supplies. If all 80 anticipated PAK TAs in the fleet were activated, they could lift all the heavy vehicles in an armored division over 4,000 miles away, in just one massive flight.

Hybrid Airship

Unlike many airships, energy-efficient blimp focuses on heavy hauling rather than endurance. The Lockheed Martin Hybrid Airship is really a hybrid airplane/airship, which could carry more than 200 tons. Such capacity would rival all but the heaviest fixed-wing transporters, with the added advantage of being able to land nearly anywhere in the world.

Thanks to the airship’s partial deflation system, even jagged terrain is no obstacle. Combining the aerodynamic lift of an aircraft with the extra lift provided by safe helium gives the Hybrid Airship a huge edge over legacy airships. The laminated fabric airframe also has traditional turbines on each side to give extra control at low speeds.

Deep Flight Challenger

This incredibly ambitious and probably far-off aircraft is still impressive enough to be included here. If successful, Graham Hawkes’s “Deep Flight Challenger” could make history by combining an aircraft and deep-dive submarine into one frame.

While these will likely be most common in the luxury civilian sporting market, even a few Challengers could open many new vistas for special forces. The current prototype submersible has a beam of 18 feet, a width of 13, and a height of 6 feet. It weighs only 4,730 pounds dry. For underwater operation, it has a life support capacity of twenty-four hours.

Privateer Amphibious Plane

First showcased in 2010, the Privateer amphibious plane is more than your run-of-the-mill charter plane. Developing completely in the private sector, this aircraft could fill many roles currently being serviced by expensive specialized military planes. The Privateer is made out of lightweight carbon fiber composites and has a unique floating layout for ease of operation in rough water.

With speed and payload performance similar to many unarmed patrol aircraft in service today, and fuel efficiency superior to most legacy craft, the Privateer would also cost only a fraction as much to operate. Just as importantly, it’s designed with a modular, plug-and-play interior to quickly adapt to a wide range of missions in any weather.

NASA GL-10 Greased Lightning

That odd-looking aircraft above is just a 50% scale, all-electric test bed for NASA’s groundbreaking GL-10. The current design calls for two heavy engines on the stabilizers and six smaller ones along the wingtips.

image courtesy of NASA

All of which drastically improves pitch, roll, and yaw control during the critical transition phase from hover to forward flight, making the aircraft much safer. The current military UAV variant is able to perform several vertical take-offs and landings and maintain a loiter endurance of up to 24 hours in forward flight.

Bell XFL Airabonita

The Bell XFL Airabonita was an experimental shipboard interceptor aircraft made for the US Air Force. Due to engine difficulties and failing evaluations the plans were canceled. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable?

In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find. These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

X-57 Maxwell

The X-57 Maxwell might look mundane, but this interesting aircraft is one of NASA’s premier technology demonstrators. As the flagship for the Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR) project, the Maxwell will test some of the most farfetched aircraft designs out there.

image courtesy of NASA

Modified from an off-the-shelf Tecnam P2006T, the X-57 is an all-electric aircraft, with fourteen different EM motors driving propellers mounted on the wing leading edges. The X-57 should reduce the kilowatt energy required to power a light aircraft at 175 miles per hour (282 km/h) by five-fold.

Bell X-2

The Bell X-2 was an “X-Plane” research aircraft that was built to investigate flight characteristics in the Mach 2-3 range. This rocket-powered aircraft was jointly developed in 1945 by Bell Aircraft Corporation, the US Air Force, and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

The goal of this project was to research aerodynamic problems of supersonic flight, and it also looked more into expanding the speed and altitude that was reached in a previous X-1 plane.

The Double Bubble D8

MIT’s D8 Series design is not just a technology demonstrator, but rather represents a new common platform for a whole new family of transports, spy planes, and even high-endurance gunships.

image courtesy of NASA

The iconic “double bubble” frame uses a modified tube and wing, which allows for much a wider fuselage than traditional aircraft. The D8 series aircraft should enter service in the early 2030s and could cruise at Mach 0.74, all while carrying at least 200 passengers out to a range of 3,000 nautical miles.

Boeing X-36

The Boeing X-36 was a prototype jet designed to fly without the traditional tail assembly. The plane featured high maneuverability, suitability, and highly successful test, but there have been no signs of further development as of 2017.

Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable? In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find. These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

39. Sky Voyage

The first of several personal aircraft on this list, the Sky Voyage is defiantly one of the most ambitious and truly unique aircraft out there. As a combination airship and glider, the Sky Voyage family of aircraft could revolutionize military scouting and give special operations forces a whole new world of capabilities.

The ultra-light ship can take off vertically by inflating the gasbag in an upright position. Once aloft, the aircraft is maneuvered through the wind and thermals like a glider, but also includes a backup hydrogen fuel cell, powered by a turbine engine. Some planned variants could be completely autonomous as well and stay airborne potentially for days.

Boeing X-48

The Boeing X-48 was an experimental unmanned aerial vehicle that was built with the purpose of investigating the characteristics of blended-wing body aircraft. Boeing tested a version of this plane for NASA in 2007.

37. Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Vehicle Concept

This cutting-edge box wing design is vastly more efficient than even traditional swept-wing aircraft, but that’s only part of its advanced features. Besides new landing gear, avionics, and composite materials, the engines have been completely redesigned.

image courtesy of NASA

The new Rolls Royce Liberty Works Ultra Fan Engine achieves an unprecedented bypass ratio (flow of air around the engine compared to through the engine), which is nearly five times better than current engines, pushing the limits of turbofan technology to maximize efficiency.

Boeing MQ-25 Stingray

The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray was a unique project aircraft that was an unmanned carrier aviation air system. It was a planned unmanned combat aerial system that came from the result of the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program.

Helicopter/Fighter Jet

The conceptual aircraft you see here is completely idealistic, but my goodness how neat does it look! Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable?

Carrier-Based Fighter

This awesome concept looks like a F/A-18 on steroids! Obviously futuristic, this jet is so fun to dream about. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable?

SKY Compact Transport Jet

Designed to be small enough to evade all radar detection, the jet you see here is just a fun concept to gawk over. Is it as wild as the next one on the list? Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable?

Bell X-14

The Bell X-14 was an experimental VTOL plane developed for the US Air Force and NASA. This plane’s main purpose was to help research vectored thrust horizontal and vertical takeoff, hovering, transitioning to forward flight, and vertical landing.

Only one plane was built and it was retired in 1981. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable? In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find. These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

Bell X-5

The Bell X-5 was one of the first aircraft capable of changing the sweep of its wings in flight. The plane was inspired by the P.1101 design by the German Messerschmitt.

The difference from the inspired plane was that Bell put a system of electric motors to adjust the sweep in flight. Currently, this aircraft is retired and on display in the National Museum of the US Air Force at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base close to Dayton, Ohio.

Bell X-1

The Bell X-1 was a rocket engine aircraft that was a supersonic research project for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics of the US Army Air Forces. Upon completion of it being built, the X-1 reached speeds of nearly 1,000 miles per hour.

7 planes were built before it was retired. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable? In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find. These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

Bell ARH-70 Arapaho

The Bell ARH-70 Arapaho was a four-bladed light military helicopter designed for the US Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program. The helicopter was supposed to replace the Army’s older OH-58D Kiowa Warrior.

Delays and growing costs for the program caused its cancellation in 2008. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable? In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find. These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

Beechcraft XA-38

The Beechcraft XA-38 was a ground attack aircraft developed around World War 2. Beechcraft developed this aircraft by fitting it with a 75mm cannon. Its first flight took place in May of 1944, and from this test flight, it was established the aircraft would not be ready for the projected Invasion of Japan.

Bell 533

The Bell 533 was a research helicopter built under a contract with the US Army throughout the 60s. Its purpose was to explore the limits and conditions shown by helicopter rotors at high speeds. After a couple of test flights, the aircraft was retired and is now currently on display at the US Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate in Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Bell P-59 Airacomet

The Bell P-59 Airacomet was a fighter aircraft produced by Bell Aircraft during World War 2. The US Air Force wasn’t impressed by its performance leading to the contract of this aircraft getting canceled.

Bell V-280 Valor

The Bell V-280 Valor was a tiltrotor aircraft co-developed by Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin for the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift program. This aircraft was presented at the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America’s Annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Fort Worth, Texas. It made its first flight in 2017.

Currently, the aircraft is under development. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable? In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find. These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

Bell D-188A

The Bell D-188A, also known as the XF-109/XF3L, was a proposed eight-engine Mach 2 VTOL tilt jet fighter. The idea for this aircraft came from a request by the US Air Force and the US Navy asking for a VTOL/STVOL supersonic, all-weather fighter-bomber, and defense interceptor.

As the developments continued the Navy and the Air Force lost interest canceling the development before an example was built. Even though the Navy and Air Force lost interest, we all know they kept thinking of what else they could create or maybe they kept building it in hopes to change their minds.

Bell XFM Airacuda

The Bell XFM Airacuda was a heavy fighter aircraft, developed during the 1930s. The special thing about this plane was that this was the Bell Aircraft Corporation’s first military aircraft. This plane had one prototype and 12 production models with one fully operational squadron.

Bell XP-83

The Bell XP-83 was a US prototype escort fighter developed during World War 2. Due to a lack of power and more advanced planes emerging, this aircraft was retired.

Boeing Bird of Prey

The Boeing Bird of Prey was a black project with the purpose of using stealth technology. With only a $67 Million budget, it was one of the more low-cost programs compared to others. No plans were made for further development, so it was retired in 1999.

Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche

The Boeing – Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche was an advanced five-blade reconnaissance helicopter designed for the US Army. Due to budget cuts, the contract for this plane was despite decent to good test results.

Boeing Skyfox

The Boeing Skyfox was a twin-engine jet that was an upgraded Lockheed T-33. This aircraft was created to compete with and replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet. Boeing acquired this project in 1986. Due to a lack of customers, the project was canceled.

18. Lockheed Martin’s HALE-D Airship

Lockheed Martin’s latest airship concept, the HALE-D, is one of their most ambitious yet. By cruising along jet streams and thermals while using its engines mostly to maintain position, the HALE-D is designed to stay airborne for months. Once on station, the HALE-D could scan a radius of 600 miles with even more powerful sensors than surveillance satellites could carry.

Many programs are active to convert the blimp into a weaponized drone “mothership.” Such a system could hover for vast periods of time over a conflict zone, collecting detailed intelligence the whole time, and then strike targets with unparalleled precision and accuracy.

The Lockheed Martin Cormorant

Perhaps the most exotic of all the aircraft on this list, the Cormorant is also one of the most exciting. These small but powerful jet-powered drones will be launched and recovered from Trident ICBM missile tubes. In essence, converting the Navy’s Cold War-era ballistic missile submarines into underwater aircraft carriers.

Compressed gas would fire each drone to the surface, where the shell would break off and reusable rockets boost the aircraft to launch speed. While the exact range of these aircraft is yet to be released, it will more than likely be similar to that of a Tomahawk cruise missile.

The SR-72

The SR-72 will be essentially a more cost-efficient spy satellite that’s able to launch on demand. The Skunk Works-designed SR-72 should is also rumored to hit the top speeds of Mach 6; This includes an ultra-efficient turbine engine for low speeds.

Also ramjet for accelerating to high hypersonic speeds, and a scramjet to maintain Mach 6 cruise. The SR-71’s uniquely designed engines converted to low-speed ramjets by redirecting the airflow around the core and into the afterburner for speeds greater than Mach 2.5.

15. B-21 Long-Range Strike Bomber

With the bulk of America’s strategic bombers older than the crews flying them, building a new-generation heavy bomber is a top priority for the US Air Force. While the Pentagon is aiming for a radically improved aircraft over the B-2 Spirit, the project is also being pursued in a much more cost-conscious manner than previous procurement programs.

image courtesy of USAF

Unlike most modern aircraft though, the designers are striving for high speed, likely even hypersonic cruising, to penetrate enemy air defenses rather than relying solely on stealth. The USAF expects each to cost $1 billion, with development costs factored in, and aims for a per-aircraft flyaway cost of $550 million.

14. REL Skylon Space Plane

Blurring the line between spaceship and aircraft, the REL Skylon is one of the most versatile future aircraft on this list. Powered by SABRE ramjet engines and made out of 100% smart composites, the Skylon can reach low-altitude orbit at speeds greater than Mach 5.

Eliminating the need for additional rocket assistance once the air is too thin for jet engines, the SABRE system is a closed-cycle combo ramjet/rocket propulsion system. Reaction Engines has partnered with the EU’s LAPCAT — Long-term Advanced Propulsion Concepts and Technologies project.

Airbus Future Liner Concept

Airbus’s partial blended wing future liner design may be privately funded, but it will have a massive impact on future military aircraft – especially European aircraft.

image courtesy of Airbus

Just as important, advanced manufacturing methods will significantly reduce the cost of future airframes, despite their complex design. In particular, the aircraft’s tail section is U-shaped, which serves as a shield to significantly cut down on noise “pollution.” Just as remarkable, this concept plane does not use a vertical tail, as seen with most aircraft today.

Boeing X-45a

The Boeing X-45 was an unmanned combat aircraft that was the next generation of completely autonomous military aircraft. There were 2 of these planes were built. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable?

Renault Hydroplane

While originally intended as an extreme sport and luxury ride, the Renault Hydroplane concept has incredible military potential. A joint project between the Italian Florent Mennechet college, 3E-oil Studio, and Renault Design.

The Hydroplane is being financed completely by the private sector. In combination with the “boat mode,” the futuristic hydroplane could serve as an exceptional search & rescue platform or high-speed assault vehicle for special forces.

Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet

The Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet was an aircraft that carried air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Who doesn’t like to see the unimaginable? In this list, we put together the most unbelievable military concept aircraft we could find.

These are some of the coolest aircraft you will ever see. Scroll through all of the slides to see which one is your favorite.

Boeing X-51 Waverider

The unmanned Boeing X-51 WaveRider is currently the most advanced scramjet aircraft available. One X-51 even breached Mach 5 for 210 seconds on 1 May 2013 and survived, setting another world record for the longest-powered hypersonic flight.

The ambitious X-51 program, a joint effort by the United States Air Force, DARPA, NASA, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, was canceled in 2013. However, the U.S. Air Force plans to build from the X-51 technology and merge the program with the High-Speed Strike Weapon (HSSW), a long-range missile with a similar mission as the X-51.

Boeing X-32 JSF

The Boeing X-32 JSF was a concept aircraft that was in the Joint Strike Fighter contest. In the long run, this aircraft lost to the Lockheed Martin X-35.

NASA’s Low-Boom Supersonic Test Case

Of all the supersonic dream craft, NASA’s low-boom promises to be the most efficient yet. Drawing upon decades of lessons gleaned from dozens of X-craft, NASA’s Langley Research Center will launch this new technology demonstrator in the next few years.

image courtesy of NASA

Incorporating ultra-efficient turbofans, a tail blister, and a flight frame optimized for hypersonic flight, this system should open the door for a whole new generation of supersonic aircraft. While the technology is being developed primarily for commercial applications, particularly for airliners, such super-efficient designs would be a game-changer for military aircraft designs. See more images of Nasa experimental aircraft.

Boeing X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing

The Boeing X-53 AAW was a development program completed jointly by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing Phantom Works, and NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center.

Falx Air Coaxial Helicopter UAV

Following in the same vein as the VTHL transport, Falx Air will soon introduce a mass-produced, lightweight, and fuel-efficient military helicopter UAV. This incredibly adaptable helicopter is perfect for reconnaissance, spotting for artillery, direct attack with small missiles, and low-level but high-priority cargo delivery.

With its compact size and low weight, multiple helicopter drones could be transported on a single supply truck straight to the front line and put directly under the control of troops in contact.

Falx Air VLHT

This Very Light Hybrid Transport (VLHT) is one of the most interesting designs among many ultra-light tilt-rotor aircraft under development. The whole aircraft is made out of composite materials, measures 34.5 feet long x 11.5 feet high, and has a wingspan of only 33.8 feet.

Specifications (released to date) put its range at around 1430 miles (2300 km +40 min Res) with a top speed of just under 300mph (480 kph) and a cruise speed of 251 mph (405 kph) dropping to 68 mph (110 kph) before it stalls.

Drone “Arsenal” Motherships

While spotting B-52s or B-1s loitering above the battlefield for hours and dropping precision-guided ordinances on demand is a common feature of counterinsurgency warfare today, DARPA plans to take this strategy to the next level.

image courtesy of Popular Mechanics

The ultimate goal calls for using a high-endurance legacy aircraft, such as a strategic bomber or transport plane, to deploy vast swarms of disposable, networked combat UAVs that blur the line between smart missiles and drones.

NASA’s N3-X

This hybrid or blended wing body might be a subtle design improvement, but it’s also one of NASA’s most revolutionary near-term X craft. Contrary to the unstable flying wing concept like the B-2, this design makes the aircraft vastly more aerodynamic, stealthier, quieter, and above all, more fuel-efficient.

image courtesy of NASA

This particular NASA X craft also employs several superconducting electric motors to propel distributed turbofans to further reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and noise.

Sixth Generation Fighter

When the next generation of fighter aircraft begins replacing F-22s and F-35s in the 2030s, we’ll see the most radical transformation of air power since the jet engine. A critical Air Force requirement for manufacturers is to add variable control engines that would allow the aircraft to seamlessly transition from sub-sonic patrol speeds to sustained hypersonic flight at the high edge of the stratosphere.

Besides this incredible increase in range and response time, such a mission profile would allow 6th Gen fighters to evade any unforeseen future threats simply because there’s so little time for the enemy to spot and engage them.