VFW VAK 191B
Experimental strike fighter aircraft by VFW / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about VFW VAK 191B?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The VFW VAK 191B was an experimental German vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) strike fighter of the early 1970s. VAK was the abbreviation for Vertikalstartendes Aufklärungs- und Kampfflugzeug (Vertical Take-off Reconnaissance and Strike Aircraft). Designed and built by the Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW), it was developed with the purpose of eventually serving as a replacement for the Italian Fiat G.91 then in service with the German Air Force. Operationally, it was intended to have been armed with nuclear weapons as a deterrent against aggression from the Soviet Union and, in the event of a major war breaking out, to survive the first wave of attacks by deploying to dispersed locations, rather than conventional airfields, and to retaliate against targets behind enemy lines.
VAK 191B | |
---|---|
VAK 191B displayed next to a Dornier Do 31 transport | |
Role | VTOL strike fighter |
Manufacturer | Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke |
First flight | 10 September 1971[1] |
Status | Retired |
Number built | 3 |
The VAK 191B suffered from a protracted development cycle, spanning ten years between inception and flight, in part due to changing requirements, changing partnerships and the difficulties inherent in the development of VTOL-capable aircraft. Ultimately, during the late 1960s, VFW decided to demote the development programme from targeting the type's production and instead only to test-fly a limited number of prototypes, using the VAK 191B effectively as a technology demonstrator and experimental aircraft to support the company's other activities and future programmes. On 10 September 1971, the first prototype conducted the type's maiden flight. A total of 91 flights were performed prior to the retirement of all three prototypes in 1975. These aircraft have been preserved and two are now on public display in museums.