Prone I.

This is coolbert:

Place this one in the curiosity and oddity category!

"wonky: adjective - (1) US | preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field"

Never heard of this before. Experimentation the military jet in the aftermath of WW2. The goal to reduce G-strain on pilots. This all prior to the advent of the G-suit.

See this article describing the phenomenon of G-force and how it pertains to military combat aviators.

"This plane required pilots to lay down in the cockpit to fight"

From https://www.wearethemighty.com | article by Logan Nye |  Jul 17, 2023.

The Gloster Meteor: "the only Allied jet fighter of World War II. Because Britain couldn't risk the jets falling into enemy hands, they served only on the home front and mostly defended against flying bombs. But the British worked to get ahead of the rest of the world in the jet age, so they experimented with designs."

"One wonky design, aimed at reducing G forces on pilots and friction on the plane, called for pilots to fight from their bellies in fast-moving jets."

Experimental warplane two cockpits!

"The Allies experimented after the war, and the Royal Air Force made their elongated Meteor in 1954. The WK935 had two cockpits. Basically, it was a normal Meteor with an additional cockpit and controls welded onto the front. So a prone pilot laid in the nose, and another pilot sat in the normal cockpit to back him up in case there were issues."

One pilot in the rear cockpit sitting erect as is the common accepted method. Pilot in the front prone. G-forces much reduced.

Entire problem of G-forced eliminated with the development and widespread adoption of the G-suit.

coolbert.