Some worked, some failed.

Blriot III
The Blriot III was an early French airplane built by Louis Blriot and Gabriel Voisin.
It had two large elliptical wings. It did not fly successfully.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B008WV8L2I

Givaudan
If elliptical wings didnt work, why not circular wings? The front wing was movable for control. The rear wing was fixed in place. Probably never flew successfully.
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Bleriot V
Maybe if we make it look like a bird.
Nope. Crashed on the second attempt to fly.
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Caproni Ca.60 Noviplano

An Italian nine-wing flying boat prototype of a Trans-Atlantic airliner. Big Dreams.

On the first test flight it crashed.

The wrecked airplane was salvaged.but burned later in a fire. Talk about bad luck.
http://www.amazon.com/ dp/B008WV8L2I

Bothezat Flying Octopus

Jerome-de

A U.S. Army quadrotor helicopter.

Six-bladed rotors allowed the craft to fly but it was very complex and difficult to control. Imagine that. The Army canceled the program in 1924.
http://www.amazon.com/ dp/B008WV8L2I

Miles Libellula
Named after the dragonfly, the Miles M.35 and M.39 Libellula were designed for aircraft carriers without the need for folding wings. The M.35 was a fighter and the M.39 a bomber. They used a canard wing for additional lift. Prototypes were built but neither plane went into production.
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Hafner Rotabuggy

Never seen a flying jeep?

The Hafner Rotabuggy was a British design; combine a Willys Jeep and a rotor kite. The Rotabuggy achieved a flight speed of 70 mph but was cancelled in favor of gliders that could carry a vehicle.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B008WV8L2I

Bachem Ba 349 Natter (Viper)

A Pilots Dream.
Rocket powered disposable fighter. Bolt on solid fuel rockets for a vertical takeoff. Wooden wings - no flaps. 1. Fire unguided rockets at enemy bombers. 2. Set the autopilot to crash into an enemy bomber. 3. Bail out; get a new plane for next mission.

Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender

The U.S. Army Air Corps asked for unconventional designs and got the XP-55 prototype.

1943

Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender

The U.S. Army Air Corps asked for unconventional and got the XP-55. Advanced features included a canard wing, rear mounted engine and swept back wings. The performance was inferior to conventional fighter aircraft. Looked great on the drawing board.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B008WV8L2I

Lockheed XFV
An experimental vertical takeoff fighter for protecting naval convoys. 32 test flights proved it to be slow and hard to fly.

Cancelled in 1955.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B008WV8L2I

The Wright Brothers to the F-22

139 pages. 200 pictures. More odd planes.

Aviation history in pictures.

http://www.amazon.com/ dp/B008WV8L2I