During the '50s and '60s NATO contemplated VTOL aircraft as replacements for battlefield attack aircraft that could use improvised bases to t/o and land. The Fw-1262 was the VFW proposal for such a replacement for the Fiat G.91 that both Italy and W Germany shared. That proposal then became the VAK-191B designation and three prototypes were eventually built along with an early test rig. The project began in 1965, but Italy backed out in 1968 leaving VFW to move ahead alone. VFW became VFW-Fokker in 1969 and then the first VAK-191B flew in September 1971 followed by the second prototype a month later. The third prototype was left as a ground test unit. Despite being an equal to the British P.1127 (which would lead to the Harrier) the W Germans could not fund the program alone and instead cancelled the VAK-191B in 1972 in favor of the MRCA which was destined to become the Panavia Tornado. The VAK-191B was a VTOL aircraft designed to carry a 2000 lb weapons load basically 300 miles at subsonic speed. It would have the ability to hover like a helo and also fly like a normal jet at very low-level with a MTU/Rolls-Royce RB.193-12 thrust-vectoring main engine plus 2 more Rolls-Royce/MTU RB.162-81 lift engines. Although W Germany had both VTOL transport and fighter projects at the same time, interest in VTOL came to a halt when high production costs were considered for that time period, the Harrier remaining as the only exception for NATO...

http://26.media.tumblr.com/NAJN8JTZ6p0h7b9wT0dWYPqko1_500.jpg http://jpcolliat.free.fr/vak191/images/vak_3.jpg http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Braas/7424.jpg