Midland Publishing

Luftwaffe Advanced Aircraft Projects To 1945 Volume 2: Fighters & Ground Attack Aircraft, Lippisch To Zeppelin

by  Ingolf Meyer

Reviewed By  Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

MSRP: $54.95 ISBN: 1-85780-242-X Available from www.specialtypress.com. This highly professional book covers the second section of the subject, which is "What the Luftwaffe might have been operating against the Allies' P-80's and Meteors in 1946 and 1947?". This involves many advanced technology projects, and a few that actually got off the drawing board into actual existence before the end of the war. Designs covered include those from Lippisch, Messerschmitt, Skoda-Kauba, Sombold, Stockel, Von Braun,and Zeppelin. In addition, separate introductory sections deal with such topics as Camouflage, Flying-Wing Aircraft, and Aircraft Configurations. An extensive Glossary and Notes section covers everything from Firms and Institutes, Aircraft Types and Projects, Armament and Bombs, Armament Designations, Radio, Radar, and Cameras, Aircraft Engine Designations, and even Measurements. There is a lot of useful information here for any Luftwaffe aficionado. The main text section deals with specific projects, and features an introduction to the manufacturers and designers, followed by excellent color paintings of the aircraft in speculative color schemes, sometimes backed by actual aerial photos, and short explanations and descriptions. The three view drawings are very nicely done, as are the squadron and unit badges that sometimes appear in the margins. Even aircraft which actually existed in prototype or production form, such as the Messerschmitt ME-163A and B series, and the P.1101 V1, are shown in drawings rather than photos, although good photos exist of all of these aircraft. But that was not the format the author used. This was an enjoyable book to go through, as I have always been a fan of the Luftwaffe's dream projects, most of which remained either on paper or in their designers' minds. Nearly every configuration was at least thought of, and some of the projects were years ahead of publicized Allied designs. American aeronautical engineers were studying these projects well into the fifties, and some of the features eventually wound up in American designs. The Bell X-5 is an example, being based largely on the Messerschmitt P.1101 which was tested to destruction by Bell Aircraft postwar. The only thing I would have liked to have seen included was more of the stories of who designed these aircraft, where they were designed, and how and where they would have been produced. But then, much of this material was probably lost in the chaos that followed the end of the war, so these are details that we will probably never know. I would highly recommend this high quality publication to anyone interested in the German secret projects that were in the planning stages towards the end of the war. If Volume 1 is of the same high quality, you should get that one too, as this is really a set. Thanks to Midland Publishing Company and IPMS for the review copy. [Ed. Read Volume 1 review on this site].

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