The Cold War gave rise to a number of fighter designs on both sides of the Iron Curtain that attempted to overcome the probability of sealed runways being destroyed in First Strike missions. These designs incorporated VTOL technology. While engineers were working on developing fighters, someone came up with the idea to apply the technology to military transport aircraft which could quickly deliver armed troops and equipment to hot spots. German engineers developed the Dornier Do31 for this task, and as the Cold War tensions eased, looked to applying the technology to civilian transport. For more details about the Do 31 click here, or watch the video below. This video tells the story of the D031.
