During World War II, the Soviet Union made efforts to develop flying tanks to transport them quickly to their destinations, but tests showed poor effectiveness.
Throughout history’s conflicts, humans have invented many unusual ways to attack, from Greek Fire during the Eastern Roman Empire to catapults that launched plague victims towards enemies in the 14th century. One such invention was the flying tank, conceived by the Soviet Union during World War II, but it existed only briefly.
Antonov A-40 Krylya Tanka Flying Tank. (Photo: Tempshill/Wikimedia Commons)
Tanks, even small ones, are still heavy and bulky. Consequently, transporting them to the battlefield became a significant challenge. Driving tanks all the way would make them vulnerable to enemy attacks. Thus, the Soviet Union began experimenting with air transport methods.
They once tested suspending the ultra-light T-27 tanks under bombers and transporting them to airfields for release. However, the destructive power of the tanks was not sufficient to justify the risks of using expensive aircraft. Other methods involved dropping tanks into water or releasing them from very low altitudes. Soldiers would parachute down and climb into the tanks in hopes that the enemy would not arrive in time.
Then, during World War II, the Soviet Union came up with another idea: attaching tanks to gliders to dive into battle. This led to the creation of the Antonov A-40 Krylya Tanka, or “winged tank”.
In 1940, designer Oleg Antonov attempted to create a flying tank, essentially attaching the wings of a biplane and a long tail to a small, lightweight tank. The idea was that the flying tank would be towed by a larger aircraft and then released. Afterward, it would simply glide down to the battlefield before shedding its wings and tail.
It took several years for the flying tank prototype to be developed and tested. “During the flight tests, they had to remove ammunition and most of the fuel to save weight. The concept was that when the tank’s turret rotated, the driver would manipulate control sticks on the wings. They would just need to move the gun left or right,” explained Jim Winchester, author of The History of Aviation: A Century of Powered Flight Day by Day.
In 1942, test pilot Sergei Anokhin sat in the tank as it was towed into the air by a Tupolev TB-3 bomber. However, it quickly became apparent that this was not a good idea due to the excessive drag of the flying tank on the bomber. The tank was released early, but Anokhin still managed to control it, gliding down and landing safely in a field, then driving back to base.
Although both Japan and Britain attempted to create their own versions of flying tanks, they too could not transform them into effective aerodynamic vehicles. Thus, like the Soviet Union, they quickly abandoned the idea.
