They Tried to Make a Flying Tank

Picture a hulking steel beast sprouting wings like some mechanical griffin from a dieselpunk fantasy. You might think this image belongs in a video game or sci-fi movie, but in the 1930s and '40s, military engineers were dead serious about creating flying tanks. From the Soviet Union to Japan, nations poured resources into these hybrid war machines, convinced they'd revolutionize warfare. What drove these ambitious projects, and how close did they actually come to getting tanks off the ground?

The Dream of Armored Flight

During the 1930s, military engineers pursued an ambitious vision of combining tanks and aircraft into a single versatile weapon. The most notable effort came from American engineer J. Walter Christie, who designed a lightly armored tank with detachable wings and a propeller powered by the tank's engine.

The concept of flying vehicles that could deliver armored warfare capabilities directly to the battlefield captivated military minds worldwide. In Japan, ambitious plans led to the development of the Special No. 3 flying tank in 1943.

The Soviet Union emerged as the leading innovator, with their Grokhovskiy Special Design Bureau testing "air buses" for troop deployment. While the Soviets made progress with conventional methods like using bombers to transport T-27 tankettes and T-37 light tanks, the dream of true flying tanks proved elusive. The most promising Soviet attempt was the A-40 glider prototype, which successfully completed a test flight in 1942 carrying a modified T-60 tank.

Technical limitations and skepticism from military officials ultimately prevented these ambitious designs from becoming operational reality.

Soviet A-40: Wings on a T-60

The Soviet A-40 represented the most ambitious attempt to create a flying tank, combining a T-60 light tank with massive biplane wings and a twin tail assembly.

In a remarkable display of Soviet innovation, designer Oleg Antonov envisioned a tank that could be towed behind a TB-3 bomber and glide onto the battlefield to support airborne warfare operations. The concept was inspired by earlier Soviet experiments of dropping T-27 tankettes from TB-3 bombers. The project utilized a GAZ-202 engine that provided 70 horsepower for ground movement.

You wouldn't believe the sheer scale: an 18-meter wingspan attached to a combat vehicle.

Test pilot Sergey Anokhin managed one flight in September 1942, but the concept proved impractical.

The tank's weight forced engineers to strip its turret and most fuel, while the resulting drag overwhelmed the towing aircraft's capabilities.

Japan's High-Flying Ambitions

Similar to their Soviet counterparts, Japanese military engineers initiated their own flying tank venture, developing the Special number 3 light tank Ku-Ro in 1939. This World War innovation aimed to solve the challenge of transporting armored vehicles across vast distances.

The tank's limited speed of 27 mph made protecting the vehicle during landing crucial. The 1st Glider Tank Troop was established in fall 1943 to operate these specialized vehicles. Japanese engineering ingenuity shone through in the project's design. They modified a Type 98 Ke-Ni light tank, slashing its weight by more than half and pairing it with a custom-designed Maeda Ku-6 glider.

The setup included detachable skis to protect the tank's tracks during takeoff and landing, while a Mitsubishi Ki-21 bomber would tow the unusual combination.

Despite these clever solutions, the project couldn't overcome its technical hurdles. By 1945, Japan's loss of air supremacy and dwindling resources forced them to abandon their high-flying ambitions.

The British Bat Takes Shape

In response to Britain's growing need for airborne tank transport, brilliant aircraft designer L.E. Baynes proposed a revolutionary tailless glider in 1941. His radical design aimed to overcome the design challenges of carrying light tanks like the Tetrarch through the air. The concept featured swept wings and unique vertical stabilizers unlike other designs of the era. The innovative glider was designed to transport 8 to 8.5 tons of payload.

Slingsby Sailplanes built a one-third scale wooden prototype in 1943, and Flight Lieutenant Robert Kronfeld put it through extensive aerodynamic testing at RAF Snaith. The 32-foot wingspan craft proved the concept's viability, becoming a valuable research platform at the Royal Aircraft Establishment where engineers studied its unique tailless behavior.

Despite successful tests, you'll find it interesting that the full-scale version never materialized. The project was ultimately abandoned in favor of the Hamilcar glider when suitable tanks weren't available.

The prototype was last spotted at Croydon Airport in 1958.

Why Flying Tanks Never Took Off

Despite the promising early tests of designs like Baynes' Bat, flying tanks ultimately failed to materialize as a viable military concept due to overwhelming technical and operational hurdles.

The design limitations were stark – you couldn't add enough armor without making the tank too heavy to fly, and any tank light enough to take off wouldn't survive real combat. The Soviets discovered this with their Il-2 Shturmovik aircraft, which required compromises between armor protection and flight capabilities. Even with 7mm armor plating, these aircraft struggled to balance protection and flight performance.

The aerodynamics needed for flight directly conflicted with effective tank design principles, while underpowered engines struggled to get these hybrid vehicles airborne.

Operational feasibility proved equally challenging. You'd need specialized pilot-tank crews, extensive maintenance support, and perfect conditions for deployment.

The vehicles were sitting ducks for anti-aircraft fire during their slow approach, and once landed, they were nearly impossible to recover and reuse.

Conventional methods like cargo planes and landing craft simply made more sense.

Modern Solutions for Airborne Armor

While flying tanks proved impractical, modern military forces have developed smarter solutions for delivering armor by air.

The U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division is testing a 30-ton Mobile Protected Firepower vehicle, enhancing their airborne capabilities with a potent 105mm direct-fire system. The division recently received new body armor with enhanced mobility features and lighter plates.

Today's armored innovation focuses on lightweight, versatile platforms like the LAV-25A2, which weighs just 16 tons and fits perfectly in C-130 transport aircraft. The retirement of the M551 Sheridan tank created an urgent need for new airborne armor solutions.

Russia's BTR-MDM Rakushka showcases modern features like drone countermeasures and enhanced night vision, while remaining fully air-droppable.

Looking ahead, the Army plans to field the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle to the 82nd Airborne in 2025, while exploring new concepts like loitering munitions and guided artillery.