Yesterday’s visions are the ideas of tomorrow. The gallery of unusual flying objects is amazing. And of course: you might spend hours in search of uncommon photography on LIFE.com. Really wow!

1949: Children try to catch toys that were released by a kite.

1948: A „K190“ helicopter attempting a three-point landing atop the heads of three women holding plywood squares as landing „pads“.

1956: Flying platform being tested at an Air Force base.

1959: Ascending gondola trailing disk-shaped radio antenna during lift-off for high-altitude flight to observe the planet Venus.

1957: Test flight of the „strap-on“ helicopter.