The material in this book is a compilation of computer generated images, hand generated sketches and engineering data, gleaned from hundreds of pages of documentation in the public domain, about the many research projects conducted in Germany through the course of the second world war. Most of the aircraft under development were constructed of non strategic materials, such as wood and composites. As the end approaches in 1945 the projects take on an ever increasing tone of desperation, which is reflected in the extremely non conventional nature of the aircraft designs. The engineers and scientists working on these research projects were to use a modern phrase "thinking outside of the box". The flight testing aspect of these radical designs were extremely dangerous to the flight crews, who incidentally were in a large part women. All of the experienced pilots were engaged in operational duties and could not be spared for test pilot duties. Many of the projects were destroyed in bombing raids by the quickly advancing Allied forces and their existence would have been obliterated from history had it not been for the teams of engineers and scientists who were tasked to gather information by interviewing the personnel who worked on these projects. The volunteers at Luft '46 are dedicated to the preservation of this aeronautical history
