The Flying Saucer

Overview

The term “flying saucer” came into use by Allied forces who had knowledge of Germany’s Rundflugzeug projekts during the World War period. The Rundflugzeug represents Germany’s ambitious foray into experimental, disc-shaped aviation, combining aerodynamic innovation with electromagnetic experimentation. The term Rundflugzeug translates literally to “round aircraft”, reflecting circular design. Experimental disc-shaped aircraft prototypes were being developed under the Nazi’s Luftwaffe during the 1930s and 1940s.

Research into unconventional aircraft in Germany extended from aerodynamic experiments in the 1930s to full-scale prototypes by the mid-1940s. These projects were pursued as part of broader innovation in aviation and advanced propulsion technologies. Early indicators from the 1930s, combined with documented prototype tests in 1945, highlight a systematic effort to explore unconventional propulsion and aircraft design, laying a foundation for post-war research and ongoing fascination with circular aircraft concepts.

Early Research

Some accounts suggest that precursors to the Rundflugzeug program may have emerged as early as 1930. Charles Fort, in his book Wild Talents, recounts an incident on October 25, 1930, where roughly 40 automobiles stalled for an hour along a road between Risa and Wurzen. While Fort framed the event in paranormal terms, the pattern aligns with subsequent reports of electromagnetic interference experiments conducted in Germany. By 1938, according to Nigel Pennick in Hitler’s Secret Sciences, high-energy transmitters had been erected at strategic locations, including the Brocken peak in the Harz Mountains. When operational, these transmitters reportedly caused nearby vehicles to stall temporarily, suggesting early exploration into directed energy or electromagnetic effects, possibly linked to advanced aircraft research.

Development

By the early 1940s, Germany’s Air Ministry and Luftwaffe specialists began systematic experimentation with disc-shaped and delta-wing aircraft. Robert Jungk, in Brighter Than a Thousand Suns, details the construction of the first “flying discs” by engineers Schreiver, Habermohl, and Miethe. The initial prototypes were reportedly flown on February 14, 1945, over Prague, reaching altitudes of nearly eight miles in three minutes and speeds of 1,250 mph. Subsequent tests purportedly doubled these speeds. These designs emphasized vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, aerodynamic efficiency, and unconventional propulsion systems, reflecting Germany’s intense focus on advanced aeronautics in the final months of the war.

High-energy technologies

The Rundflugzeug program intersected with multiple streams of experimental research:

• Electromagnetic experimentation: Early transmitter projects at the Brocken suggest that German engineers were exploring the effects of electromagnetic fields on propulsion and vehicle systems.
• Disc-shaped aerodynamics: Circular aircraft designs were theorized to offer stability at high speeds and altitudes.
• Vertical takeoff and unconventional propulsion: Some prototypes reportedly demonstrated VTOL capabilities, suggesting exploration of novel lift systems beyond conventional wings.

Additionally, reports indicate that Viktor Schauberger, an Austrian inventor with controversial theories on energy, vortex dynamics, and water propulsion, may have contributed design concepts that influenced disc-shaped aircraft research. While the precise operational success of these craft is debated, the integration of unconventional physics into German aeronautics highlights the experimental ambition of the period.

The combination of electromagnetic research, disc-shaped aerodynamics, and experimental propulsion represents an early intersection of theoretical physics and applied aeronautics. Some historians argue that incidents like the 1930 automobile stalls may indicate early, unrecorded tests of high-energy technologies that eventually contributed to disc-shaped aircraft development.

Implications

The Rundflugzeug program illustrates the potential for wartime research to accelerate unconventional technological development. It serves as a historical precedent for experimental disc-shaped aircraft and demonstrates that advanced aerodynamics, electromagnetic experimentation, and VTOL concepts were being actively explored in the 1930s–1940s. Though often sensationalized, the evidence shows a continuum of experimentation and theoretical research.