Space History Photo: Zimmerman V-173

The "Flying Pancake" pictured in the full scale wind tunnel. CREDIT: NASA. View full size image

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, a view of the Vought-Sikorsky V-173 airplane mounted in the Full Scale Wind Tunnel on Nov. 28, 1941. This image shows the prototype "Zimmer Skimmer" or "Flying Pancake" on which the XF5U was based.

The National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) was a precursor to NASA. NACA was created by Congress in 1915.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).