Anyone with even a passing interest in naval aviation is familiar with the airplanes that achieved success in their service lives, fighting machines like the F6F Hellcat or F-4 Phantom II appearing in the pages of books or in numerous documentaries that appear on television. Less well known are those planes that for various reasons did not make it past the prototype stage. One of the more unusual planes in this category evaluated by the Navy was the V-173, its appearance clearly indicating why it was called the “Flying Pancake” or “Flying Flapjack.” Originally conceived by Charles F. Zimmerman while he worked at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in the late 1930s, the unconventional design went with him when he went to work as an engineer for the Chance Vought Division of United Aircraft Corporation. It was a company known for its propensity for unconventional designs (the gull-winged F4U Corsair was one) and on November 23, 1942, the first prototype of the airplane, the V-173 pictured here, made its maiden flight. Interestingly, among the pilots who would fly it during its testing stage was none other than Charles Lindbergh. Based on the V-173, Chance Vought produced two prototypes (designated XF5Us) for the Navy, which was intrigued by the planes ability to land and take off in very short distances. However, wartime demands and issues with the propellers delayed production, prompting the Navy to cancel further work on the aircraft in 1948, the two XF5Us ordered destroyed.