Shot Down in Hostile Territory? Try Escaping in an Inflatable Plane

By JOSEPH TREVITHICK

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But Goodyear’s ‘Inflatoplane’ was a flight of fancy

Military fliers generally don’t have many options—and even fewer good ones—when they get shot down. In the late 1950s, the Goodyear Aircraft Corporation thought up an idea that would let stranded pilots do more than just hide and wait for a rescue party.

In 1952, Goodyear designed a small escape plane. To keep the overall size and weight down, the company built the simple aircraft out of large inflatable parts—like an air mattress.

“The need exists for a better means of escape for fliers down in enemy territory,” the company explained in a report sent to the U.S. Navy five years later. “Present methods are generally limited in range, involve considerable risk to a number of persons other than the downed flier and require perfect coordination between the rescuer and the rescued.”