Originally Posted by
Icare9
Typically French in choosing unconventional - two main undercarriage members in tandem taking up what could have been load space in the fuselage and weeny balancing outriggers, mounted in the jet pods rather than wingtips. Maybe the undercarriage layout caused the Vautour to look rather plump. With the tail being so close to the runway take-offs would needed to be longer than otherwise necessary?
IIRC quite a few late 40's early 50's designs went for main undercarriage in the fuselage - both the B-47 and the U-2 depended on outriggers and a few of the Russians went the same way