Q Branch - Junkers Ju.87 with personnel pods

During World War 2, development of clandestine operations almost inevitably led to delivery of agents behind enemy lines by air, either by landing them or dropping them by parachute.

Both sides toyed with the idea of dropping their agents in self-contained units carried, for example, under the fuselage in something looking like a drop fuel tank. The British tended to airdrop agents from transports or special operations bombers, or deliver and extract them by way of the Westland Lysander (right, bottom).

Germany developed the idea using the Junkers Ju.87, best known in its role as a ground attack aircraft, the Stuka. The overwing passenger pods tried on the Ju.87D-3 were the ultimate expression of the concept, making the pods almost an integral part of the aircraft. Each pod could carry two passengers. They were designed to be released whilst the aircraft was in a shallow dive, descending on a huge parachute.