Looking back on the final years of the second world war its easy to forget that nobody knew quite when the conflict would end. Many aircraft were constructed and flown and were thought to be the pinnacle of fighting science at the time but we know little of them nowadays because the war ended and they never made it into service… they were no longer required. Here are a few.

The Supermarine Spitfire

The Republic Rainbow

The Martin Baker MB3

The Martin Baker MB5

The CAC Boomerang

The CA 15 Kangaroo

The HO 229

Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the RAF, SDASM, USAF, Insomnia Cured Here,  RAF, Martin Baker, IWM, Australian War Memorial collection John Thomas Harrison,  US Army, Tomás Del Coro and the NASM.