Behold the weapons - some brilliant, some far-fetched, and some so bizarre that they never made it off the drawing board - that paved the way for future successes in weapons development.
These unorthodox military innovations were not developed by chance, each was constructed to solve a tactical or strategic problem, such as overcoming Nazi defences on D-Day, mounting a surprise attack over water, or safely moving an agent back and forth across enemy lines.
Aeronautics Expert Andy Filo kneels next to the 'Hiller Flying Platform' that was designed to mimic a magic carpet. It still captures public imagination today
The US smart bomb piloted by live pigeons, a jet pack used by flying soldiers, an incendiary bombing program that used bats released from aircraft, and a giant Catherine Wheel are all covered in this fascinating series.
World’s Weirdest Weapons explores never before seen weapons and introduces viewers to the extraordinary people that invented these ingenious devices.