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The Swiss aviation industry of the late 1940s was characterised by an enormous drive for progress. The latest findings from Dr. Ackeret, globally renowned for his groundbreaking contributions in the fields of supersonic aerodynamics, swept-wing geometry, and gas turbines, led to a variety of new aircraft concepts in Switzerland. At the same time, the industry was at a very high technical standard. The key factors—determination, capability, and opportunity—were all present.
It is therefore not surprising that during this time, two new fighter aircraft were developed. One of them was the N-20 Aiguillon, which was developed at the aircraft works in Emmen, now RUAG.
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The Aiguillon was not lacking in visionary ideas:
It was a flying wing concept with a highly tapered, swept wing and retractable canards. The four engines integrated into the wings were developed by Escher Wyss. The afterburner with bypass ducts, which remains revolutionary to this day, was a key feature. The main landing gear was a tandem design, allowing the aircraft to operate on unpaved runways. To shorten the landing distance, the aircraft was equipped with thrust reversers and a drag chute. Additionally, the cockpit section was designed as an ejectable capsule.
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A 20mm cannon was intended as fixed armament, mounted beneath the cockpit.
Depending on the mission type, an interchangeable fuselage pod could be selected, carrying bombs of various sizes, 30mm cannons, or reconnaissance equipment.
Also interesting is the nitrogen filling of the fuel tanks for explosion suppression.
There were no shortage of development problems.
The crash of the DH Swallow at Farnborough, which had a comparable geometry, caused some concern among the engineers.
Additionally, the wing design with the flow-through section, the engine nacelles, and the elevons meant that only a small part of the aircraft had completely undisturbed airflow. To name a few issues.
Special attention was given to the problem of tumbling (spinning around the lateral axis). Extensive wind tunnel tests and experiments with model aircraft were carried out to investigate this issue.
On 10 July 1950, Prof. Dr. Karman from the USA was invited for a meeting. In a very diplomatic manner, he suggested reconsidering the flying wing concept, but this was rejected due to the advanced stage of the prototype's construction.
The end of the project came just before the first flight in December 1952.
With the decision of the Federal Councils, the development budget was cut, and work on the N-20 had to be halted. The attempt by the workforce to conduct the first flight using their own resources was stopped by the highest authorities.
The N-20 is now on display at the Flugmuseum Dübendorf, alongside the N-20.2 Arbalète.