Jet planes and rocket fighters (WW 2): books - Germany - Luftwaffe

German Jet Aircraft 1939-1945

Germany was one of the leading developers of jet propulsion during the Second World War - in August 1939 the world's first jet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, took to the air on its maiden flight.

This book examines all of the developments, production and aircraft types: He 280, Me 262, Ar 234, He 162, Ju 287, Ho IX, Me 328, P1101, Hs 132, DM 1, Ta 183 and others by such aircraft manufacturers as Heinkel, Junkers, Messerschmitt, and powerplant manufacturers BMW and Daimler-Benz.
Numerous photographs and three-view drawings illustrate this extraordinary book.

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German Rocket Fighters of World War II

In 1940 the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug launched the DFS 194, developed by Alexander Lippisch, and the tests with this experimental plane laid the foundation for the Messerschmitt Me 163, the world's first operational rocket fighter.
Using a Walter rocket engine, the Me 163 achieved hitherto unimaginable climb rates and speeds. It was in this rocket powered plane that, on 2 October 1941, Heini Dittmar reached 1003 km/h and thus became the first pilot in the world to break the magic mark of 1000 km/h. In so doing, he also brushed against the sound barrier.

The technology incorporated into Germany's rocket planes - the Messerschmitt Me 163 Bs and Cs, the Me 263, and Bachem Ba 349 Natter - was recognized throughout the world as cutting edge and after the war had a major impact on the technological development of other countries.
This book is the first to present every rocket aircraft flown in Germany and the rocket systems developed by Walter and BMW, as well as several of the most interesting projects drawn up by Germany's aviation industry.

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Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich

Throughout much of the Second World War the Nazis' military technology was far more advanced than anything the Allies could produce. Part of the German arsenal were rocket and jet aircraft, the first of which, the Heinkel He 178, first took to the air on 27 August 1939. It was followed by other icons of aviation such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 that had an engine with a thrust of 1,350lbs, and the famous V-1 (Doodlebug), over 9,500 of which were fired at Britain resulting in 22,892 casualties.

In this book, aviation historian Terry C. Treadwell tells the story of the planes and weaponry that represented the cutting edge of aviation technology. He details their design, development and application and the struggles of those who built them.
The German scientists and engineers were always under pressure from the German High Command during the conflict, and as it drew to a close they were caught between the Allies who wished to control them, and the SS who would stop at nothing to prevent them falling into Allied hands.
Complimented by over 200 illustrations, "Rocket and Jet Aircraft of the Third Reich" provides unrivalled insight into the aircraft that made Germany an almost indomitable enemy.

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Vertical Takeoff Fighter Aircraft of the Third Reich

Technical history of Germany's World War II experiments with vertical takeoff aircraft, including the Natter and other rare and unusual types.

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