SW - Airspeed AS-31

The British specification 35/35 from the 1936 was for an experimental high-speed aircraft with the option of turning it in to a fighter, as the Hurricane & Spitfire. There were four firms who replied to this specification - Bristol (B-151), General Aircraft (GAL.28), Hawker (variant of Hurricane) and the most un-conventional one, the machine designed by Airspeed. This plane was a tractor monoplane in which the tailplane, on twin metal booms, carried the pilot in an eggshaped nacelle to give him as much visibility all around as possible. No rudder or fin surface was indicated on the general arrangement drawing. Apparently a wing tunnel scale model was made, which, after tested, it showed that this unusual arrangement generated an intolerable amount of G-forces during high speed turns and the design was completely abandoned.
Karel Kuttelwascher was a Czech fighter pilot and a flying ace of the UK's Royal Air Force in the Second World War. He was in combat service from 1940 to 1942 and with his Hurricane Mk.IIc nicknamed 'Night reaper' destroyed or damaged about twenty enemy airplanes. Well, could he to be as succesful as he was, if he fought with this bizzare thing instead of Hurry? :-)