Gotta love American tech.As a young boy in the 1950s I lived on base at Moffit field as my father was in the Navy,We had free run of the entire base.
They actually had a vertical take off and land aircraft than. Was called the Pogo stick.
Huge radial prop engine,we watched the land trials every day.
Another trick plane they were testing was called the flying wing,Niether went into production.
Perhaps it was American trails with the German Ho-229 Horten and the Heinkel "Lerche"?