Q Branch - ONR-CIA Pneumatic (Rubber) Airplane

A single-place aircraft was designed and test-flown in about 1959 at ONR-CIA behest, with the objective of "allowing special personnel to be infiltrated and exfiltrated by air". The pneumatic aircraft was intended to be parachutable into a location and cached until needed. It packed down to the size of a small upholstered lounge chair.

The aircraft consisted of a one-piece wing, tail assembly and cockpit made of two walls of rubberized fabric connected by nylon thread. Inflation was by means of an accompanying pressure bottle and could be achieved by one man in under six minutes.

Said to be simple to assemble and fly, it could operate on land, or on water using a hydro-ski undercarriage. It was powered by a 40 hp 2-cycle engine driving a forward-facing two-bladed airscrew.

Apparently the aircraft was not accepted into service, if the release of something designed for clandestine operations onto the general market is any indication. Goodyear also attempted to market the design as a recreational aircraft, with a closed cockpit option.