The Vought V-173 was built for the US Navy. It was conceived in 1942 so it's a bit early for this 1950s aviation roundup but we liked the nickname given to this semi-circular all-wing design: the flying pancake. The low-aspect ratio wing design offered better drag resistance at the wing tips compared to conventional aircraft with propeller engines mounted mid-wing. The compact design made the V-172 structurally strong, offered high manoeuvrability and could fly at very slow speeds. Despite nearly 190 test flights, the V-173 project ended in 1947.