What weapons used throughout history were too advanced for the time period they were used?
This is the Horten Ho-229. What age do you think it belongs in? Perhaps the Cold War? Perhaps even the twenty-first century? In fact, it was designed and constructed in WWII.
It was designed as a response to a German military contract calling for a light bomber that could carry 1000 Kilograms of payload across a distance of 1000 kilometers while flying at a speed of 1000 kph. Though being the only engines that could satisfy the speed requirements, jets were far too fuel thirsty to put on any normal plane. Thus, the Horten brothers came up with the ingenious idea of utilizing a flying wing design, minimizing drag, allowing the 229 to satisfy every single requirement. In addition, two 30 mm cannon were added, to turn its speed into an advantage in a dogfight.
A first glider mock-up test, and the actual prototype test flight, were both conducted in 1944. Even though lacking in vertical stabilizers, performance was reported to be excellent, though an accident did happen on the third flight, due to an engine failure (jet engines in WWII were extremely primitive).
Few flying wings have been built since the 229, even fewer jet powered ones.
The modern successor of the Horten Ho-229: the B-2 Spirit.
