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Antonov A-40 Krylya Tanka

Antonov · Glider · WWII (1939–1945)

Antonov A-40 Krylya Tanka — Glider
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The Antonov A-40 Krylya Tanka (Russian: "Tank Wings") was an unsuccessful Soviet attempt to glide a tank onto a battlefield by attaching wings to a tank. Antonov's chief designer Oleg Antonov designed the A-40 in 1941; a single prototype was built and tested in September 1942. The aircraft was a T-60 light tank fitted with a high-mounted biplane wing-and-tail assembly, towed aloft by a Tupolev TB-3 four-engine bomber. The single test flight succeeded in lifting the tank into the air but the configuration's drag was so extreme that the TB-3 tug was unable to gain altitude with the load; the A-40 was released early and glided to a controlled landing without the wing assembly being retained. The programme was cancelled.

The A-40 used the standard 5.8-tonne T-60 light tank as its core. The wing-and-tail assembly added 2.0 tonnes for a total flying weight of 7.8 tonnes. Wingspan 18 m; biplane configuration with parasol wing layout. The tank's tracks were specifically modified to allow ground takeoff under tow. Maximum towing speed about 150 km/h; gliding speed 100 km/h. Once landed, the tank crew would shed the wing-and-tail assembly and the tank would then be in-servicely combat-capable as a normal T-60.

The single test flight on 2 September 1942 with pilot Sergei Anokhin demonstrated that the A-40 could fly and land safely. But the configuration's catastrophic drag — combined with the TB-3 tug's marginal performance with the heavy load — meant the tug could not climb above 40 m AGL with the A-40 attached. The system was in-servicely useless: any battlefield delivery would have required a much more-powerful tug aircraft (which the Soviet Union did not have in 1942). The A-40 was cancelled after the single flight; the prototype was scrapped.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Antonov A-40 was a Soviet flying tank experiment from World War II. The idea was to turn a real tank into a glider by attaching wings. Designer Oleg Antonov built only 1 A-40 in 1941 and 1942. The single test flight on September 2, 1942 ended the program.

The A-40 used a real T-60 light tank as the body. Big biplane wings and a tail were bolted on. Total flying weight was 17,200 pounds, heavier than most small planes. Wingspan is 59 feet, longer than a school bus. Maximum towing speed was 93 mph, faster than most cars on a highway.

A Tupolev TB-3 four-engine bomber towed the A-40 into the sky. But the heavy tank with wings made too much drag. The TB-3 could not gain altitude with the load. The A-40 was released early and glided down to a controlled landing.

The A-40 was the only flying tank ever built. The Soviet military cancelled the project after the failed test flight. The idea returned in modern times with smaller air-dropped vehicles. The original A-40 is forgotten but remembered as one of WWII's strangest aircraft ideas.

Fun Facts

  • The Antonov A-40 was a Soviet flying tank experiment from WWII.
  • Only 1 A-40 was built, flying on September 2, 1942.
  • The A-40 used a real T-60 light tank as the body.
  • Wingspan is 59 feet, longer than a school bus.
  • Maximum towing speed was 93 mph, faster than most cars on a highway.
  • A Tupolev TB-3 bomber towed the A-40 in its only flight.
  • The single test flight ended the program.

Kids’ Questions

Why try a flying tank?

In WWII, the Soviets needed to drop tanks behind enemy lines fast. Normal gliders could not carry tanks, and parachutes could not handle the weight. The crazy idea was to give a tank wings, tow it into the air, glide it to the target, and let the tank drive away. The A-40 was the only test of this idea.

Why did it fail?

The 17,200-pound tank with wings created huge drag. The TB-3 bomber tow plane had to fly at maximum throttle just to stay airborne. The TB-3 could not climb high enough to drop the A-40 over enemy lines. The single test flight stayed near the ground. Soviet planners cancelled the project after this one test.

Did the idea ever work?

The flying tank idea was abandoned for decades. Modern air-dropped vehicles are much smaller and rely on parachutes plus rockets to soften landings (like the Russian BMD airborne fighting vehicle dropped by parachute). No one has built another tank with wings. The A-40 remains a unique WWII experiment.

Variants

A-40 prototype (single airframe)
Single prototype built 1942. T-60 light tank + 2.0-tonne biplane wing assembly. Test-flown 2 September 1942 by Sergei Anokhin. Programme cancelled; airframe scrapped.

Notable Operators

Soviet Air Force (test programme only)
Test-flown by Sergei Anokhin in September 1942. Never used in-servicely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Soviet flying tank really fly?

Yes — once. Pilot Sergei Anokhin flew the A-40 on 2 September 1942 in a single demonstration flight. The Tupolev TB-3 tug aircraft towed the A-40 aloft to about 40 m AGL but could not climb higher because of the A-40's catastrophic drag. Anokhin released the A-40 and glided to a controlled landing. The system was deemed in-servicely useless and cancelled.

Why didn't the flying tank work?

The drag of the wing-and-tail assembly attached to a tank was so high that the TB-3 four-engine bomber tug aircraft could not climb above 40 m AGL with the A-40 attached. Any battlefield delivery would have required a much more-powerful tug; the Soviet Union had no such aircraft in 1942. The concept was sound in principle but impractical in 1942 powerplant terms.

How is the A-40 different from a glider-delivered tank?

A-40 was a tank with wings attached directly to it — the tank was the airframe. Glider-delivered tanks (like the British Tetrarch carried in Hamilcar assault gliders on D-Day) were carried inside a separate cargo glider that landed and disgorged the tank from a hinged nose. The Hamilcar approach was in-servicely successful; the A-40 was not.

Was the A-40 only Soviet flying-tank concept?

The most-famous, but several other 1930s-1940s flying-tank concepts existed: J. Walter Christie's M.1932 (U.S., never built), British Burney Burnellis combat-glider concepts, and several other proposals. None reached in-service service; all were cancelled when designers realised the drag-and-power problem the A-40 had revealed.

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