The Goodyear Inflatoplane, developed by the Goodyear Aircraft Company (later Goodyear Aerospace Corporation), was an experimental LandPlane designed as a packable, rapidly deployable utility aircraft. The project aimed to create a machine that could be airdropped via parachute or transported by vehicle in a hardened container of approximately 44 cubic feet, intended for the evacuation of downed pilots or agents behind enemy lines. The aircraft's most distinctive feature was its 'Airmat' structure—a sandwich of neoprene-coated nylon fabric reinforced by thousands of internal nylon threads that formed an I-beam structure, providing high rigidity at low pressure.
Production occurred between 1955 and 1962, primarily at the Wingfoot Lake Airship Base near Akron, Ohio. A total of 12 experimental prototypes were constructed, including the GA-33 proof-of-concept, the GA-447 landing gear testbed, the two-seat GA-466 (XAO-2-GI), and five single-seat GA-468 (XAO-3-GI) military versions. The first prototype, the GA-33, flew on February 13, 1956, having been designed and built in just over 12 weeks. While no single lead designer is credited, the engineering team drew inspiration from Taylor McDaniel's 1930s inflatable glider experiments. Engineer J. Thomas Blair later demonstrated the concept on the CBS program I've Got a Secret in 1956.
Technically, the GA-468 variant was powered by a 42 hp Nelson H-63A two-cylinder, air-cooled, horizontally-opposed 2-stroke piston engine mounted in a tractor configuration. To maintain structural integrity, an engine-driven Pesco compressor circulated air at approximately 7 psi (with some versions reaching 25 psi) at a rate of 27 cubic feet per minute. The GA-468 achieved a maximum speed of 72 mph, a cruise speed of 60 mph, and a range of 390 miles. The two-seat GA-466 utilized a more powerful 60 hp McCulloch 4318 engine, reaching speeds of 70 mph with a range of 275 miles.
Operational testing was conducted for the United States Army and the US Navy's Office of Naval Research. The program suffered a tragedy when Army aviator Lt. Malcolm "Pug" Wallace was killed during a test flight; a detached control cable caused a wing to fold, leading to a loss of inflation and a fatal impact. Despite demonstrating resilience to .30-caliber bullet punctures, the project was cancelled in 1973. Today, several examples are preserved in museums, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Stonehenge Air Museum, and the US Army Aviation Museum.