Obscure Curtiss-Wright projects

[Stargazer]

The cover to the March-April 1943 issue of the CURTISS FLY LEAF featured quite a spectacular concept, but one which I can't make head or tails of...
It depicts a system of apparently five aircraft attached together by cables; all five seem to be transports, but the one in front has two contra-rotating propellers (so probably four engines) and tows the other four (which are of a similar design as the first one, with slightly more sweep, but strictly gliders). The vertical stabilizers are not located at the rear of the fuselage, not at wing tips, but at two-thirds of each wing's span connected to twin boom by the horizontal stabilizers in a configuration I have never seen elsewhere.
I know there were several such projects of towing transports in the air (Burnelli conceived some for Canadian Car and Foundry, for instance), but what strikes me here is the strong wing sweep of all five aircraft, especially the gliders, which are more or less flying wings. I can't see how such a complicated configuration could have seemed practical, especially with regards to towing, and wonder if the sweep was to provide more speed in towing configuration, or after release, to carry troops to the ground more swiftly.
Any thoughts will be appreciated!

 

[Stargazer]

More concepts from the CURTISS FLY LEAF (Sept.-Oct. 1944 issue): a tailless canard airliner, a tailless flying wing, and a really modern-looking rotor-system.

 

[Stargazer]

Another Curtiss-Wright project from the same magazine (Nov.-Dec. 1944 issue, back cover ad).
I've retouched the image to remove the line from the window (see attachment for original, full image).

 

[sienar]

Not exactly a Curtiss-Wright project in the normal sense, but there isn't really another thread that fits.

The quite attractive Curtiss-Wright Technical Institute of Aeronautics "Bunting 1"

From Sports Aviation;