What Happened To Germany’s Flying Saucers?
YouTube / Mark Felton Productions
During World War II, German engineers were at the forefront of aeronautical innovation, producing cutting-edge aircraft far ahead of their time. Among these experiments was the mysterious development of circular-shaped flying discs—a concept that has fueled speculation for decades.
Origins of the Flying Disc
The idea of a circular aircraft can be traced back to Joseph Andreas Epp, a German engineer inspired by the 1938 test flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw61 helicopter. His designs featured disc-shaped helicopters with adjustable rotor blades, aiming to create a revolutionary new form of flight.
A dedicated facility was established in Prague to develop a full-scale prototype, marking the start of what would become one of WWII’s most intriguing aviation projects.
The German Flying Disc Program
The project was initially led by engineer Rudolf Schriever, with backing from the Luftwaffe and Junkers. By 1944, it had been transferred to Albert Speer’s Armament Ministry before being absorbed by the SS under Dr. Hans Kammler.
According to reports, a working prototype—nicknamed the Flying Gyro—was built, weighing 3 tons and incorporating Epp’s early designs.
Photographic Evidence?
A photograph allegedly taken by Epp shows a disc-shaped craft flying over Prague Airport. He claimed this was one of the first test flights of the experimental disc, said to have taken place in January 1945.
Additionally, Luftwaffe test pilot Otto Langer later signed a post-war statement claiming to have flown the aircraft. Meanwhile, a parallel German-Italian project under Professor Giuseppe Belluzzo was also working on a similar flying saucer design—one that bore a striking resemblance to post-war British aircraft.
Did These Flying Discs Really Exist?
Design blueprints and technical documents from all three projects have survived, including thrust calculations and test data. A second photograph of a disc in flight was found among these documents, though skeptics argue they may have been planted during the Cold War to fuel conspiracy theories.
So, were these WWII flying saucers real—or just a mix of myth and wartime speculation?
