Blohm & Voss BV 155

Dan Sharp, Secret Projects Of The Luftwaffe 2, Tempest Books/Mortons Books Ltd., Horncastle, UK, 2019, ISBN 978 1 911658 32 0. Illustrated, softcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Tempest Books/Mortons Books Ltd., 2019.

The recent past has seen a number of highly competent publications in the field of historic German aviation. Landmark studies such as Martin Pegg's thoroughly revised Henschel Hs 129 Panzerjäger (Chandos Publications Ltd.) or Brett Gooden's stunningly comprehensive masterpiece Natter - Manned Missile Of The Third Reich (self-published) come to mind, for example. And although significantly smaller, physically, than the aforementioned books, Dan Sharp's Blohm & Voss BV 155 should probably be included in this list; as it is equally a landmark effort.

At 114 pages and in the 25 x 18 cm format, this little gem of a book is likely the most complete history of this deeply intriguing aircraft we will ever see in our lifetimes, given that only three prototypes of the aircraft were built (of which only one was fully completed and actually flown). Previous reliable published material regarding the BV 155 has been accordingly sparse, with Thomas H. Hitchcock's slim Blohm & Voss 155 (Monogram Close-Up 20, Monogram Aviation Publications, 1990) being the only serious contender. It is not surprising, unfortunately, that Horst Lommel's subsequent Blohm & Voss Bv 155 & Me 263 softcover (Lautec Software und Medien GmbH) reflects that author's usual standard of reliability (i.e., lack thereof) and should thus be avoided.

Dan Sharp is mainly known within our field of interest for a series of "bookazine" softcover publications on the subject of German aviation projects of the World War II period. While this choice of topic alone will likely provoke some sentiments of derision with a number of serious students of the former German Luftwaffe, Sharp's publications have actually been incredibly well researched, professional, and comprehensive, and the author has frequently managed to provide the reader with previously unknown information or period drawings/images, in spite of the exhaustive coverage of this very subject matter during the past few decades.

It was thus with quite some positive anticipation that I awaited the release of Sharp's Blohm & Voss BV 155. And the book indeed does not disappoint. Endowed with a striking cover illustration and printed on beautiful semi-gloss paper (essential to facilitate a crisp and detailed reproduction of the book's many illustrations) Blohm & Voss BV 155 provides a true in-depth study of the aircraft, from the original idea and requirement to concept, gestation, stages of development, technical details, prototype manufacturing, evolving design decisions, flight tests, and the disposition of the aircraft after the war's conclusion. All of this is lavishly illustrated by means of countless period drawings, photos, and colour profiles. And to complete such ample content, the book's final appendix provides the detailed description and photos of the BV 155 V2 as originally featured in the Royal Aircraft Establishment's general examination report of 1946.

Sharp thus provides the most meticulous (and fascinating) documentation yet published of the astonishing growth of the BV 155 concept from a pure Messerschmitt Bf 109 high-altitude fighter offshoot to a more distinctly derived aircraft and on towards an almost completely new and very different design. This even includes a number of "what if" colour profiles of the various unrealized incarnations of the concept, these being – although of course not strictly necessary – quite interesting and certainly entertaining. And while it is often nearly impossible to competently assert the full accuracy of such a book's historical and technical content without having spent as much research as the author himself, Sharp's list of sources and documents consulted during the creation of this publication is essential, impressive, and deeply reassuring.

If Dan Sharp's Blohm & Voss BV 155 is any indication, one may look forward with justified excitement to further instalments of this Secret Projects Of The Luftwaffe series. Highly recommended.

Junkers Ju 287 - Germany's Forward Swept Wing Bomber

Stephen Ransom & Peter Korrell, with Peter D. Evans, Classic Publications/Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., Hersham, Surrey, England, 2008, ISBN 978-1-90322-392-5. Illustrated, hardcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Classic Publications/Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 2008.

As in the case of Classic Publications' book on the Horten Ho 229, those with a somewhat less visionary disposition will undoubtedly dismiss this book, too, as a waste of paper on a Luft '46 delusion. So be it. In reality, however, the significance of the emergence of the Ju 287 cannot be overstated, and the publication of a book such as this one is thus both important and overdue.

Due to its status as a late-war fringe design, the Ju 287 has so far been largely neglected as far as mainstream Luftwaffe publications are concerned. There has been a photo of the Ju 287 here and there during the past decades, mostly in books dealing with German jet design or German aviation projects of World War II (such as in Smith & Creek's Jet Planes Of The Third Reich or Griehl's Jet Planes Of The Third Reich - The Secret Projects, Volume Two, both by Monogram Aviation Publications, and in a variety others). Gathering solid data on the Ju 287 was difficult for the common reader, as was obtaining a comprehensive and reliable history of this aircraft type. The sole exception was of course Thomas H. Hitchcock's very first Close-Up booklet, Junkers 287 (Monogram Aviation Publications, USA, 1974), which dealt exclusively with this elusive aircraft but, by now, no longer matches the state of research. But market forces and the relative scarcity of available period material usually meant that the existence of the Ju 287 was utterly eclipsed by works on the various Bf 109s, Fw 190s, Me 262s, et al.

For anybody seriously interested in cutting edge aircraft design or technological advances during World War II, however, the Ju 287 is of course immeasurably more intriguing than most of the conventional aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Accordingly, it was with quite some anticipation that the first dedicated hardback monograph on the Ju 287, Horst Lommel's Junkers Ju 287 (Aviatic Verlag, Germany, 2003) was awaited. Purchased on the day of its publication, it left me strangely dissatisfied, if not outright disappointed. Lommel, apparently well on his way to become the German David Myhra, had wasted the exhilarating chance to literally write history with his book. Instead, he provided the reader with an unstructured concoction of information and images, often prompting the question of the extent of historical accuracy. Moreover, about half of the book was dedicated to other aircraft only superficially related to the main topic, as has become the unfortunate norm for his publications.

We are thus incredibly fortunate that, only a few years later, a trio of very distinguished protagonists from the Luftwaffe research community embarked on the unenviable task to finally set the record straight. Stephen Ransom is of course the author of the fantastic study on Brandis airfield, Zwischen Leipzig und der Mulde (Stedinger Verlag, Germany, 1996). This book is itself a treasure and, upon its publication, caused quite a stir among enthusiasts due to the inclusion of sensational, rare photos of the second prototype of the Ju 287.

Dr. Peter Korrell is also a familiar name to serious Luftwaffe researchers; he has been publishing restored reprints of rare vintage aviation documents for years (some of which are reviewed elsewhere in this blog). A number of Dr. Korrell's publications deal with the Ju 287 and related designs. Peter D. Evans, last but not least, is the eminent creator of the Luftwaffe Experten Message Board, the internet's foremost meeting point for those seriously interested in the former German Luftwaffe. Evans, too, had long been studying the Ju 287.

The Ju 287 photos that were once part of Ransom's book on Brandis airfield have now been included in what is and probably will remain the standard work on the type, Junkers Ju 287 - Germany's Forward Swept Wing Bomber. As can be expected when such a trio of authors teams with Classic Publications, the book is a beauty. It is thoroughly researched, complete, professionally designed, and sumptuously illustrated.

The book commences with a look at the development of forward sweep until 1935. It then delves into Junkers' interest for the concept, followed by the actual development of hardware in the form of the first two prototypes of the Ju 287. Further chapters deal with the flight trials and disposal of the prototypes, with the mysterious and still unidentified "Rechlin 66" aircraft whose shape suggests a close affiliation with the Ju 287, and with the further development of the Ju 287 in the Soviet Union. All chapters are crammed with photos and drawings, and every conceivable aspect of the aircraft is investigated. A postscript looks at swept wing designs after World War II. There are detailed endnotes to every chapter as well as a comprehensive appendix which contains biographies and further interesting insights into the research conducted for the book.

Junkers Ju 287 - Germany's Forward Swept Wing Bomber is a stunning and very satisfying book. Even if one were to disregard the exhaustive text, the book's photo content alone is well worth the purchase price. It is astonishing how many pictures exist of an aircraft that has so far been regarded as completely obscure. Moreover, some of the photos reveal amazing detail (e.g. on pages 82 and 83). Only a few very minor questions remain. The authors speculate, for example, whether the two photos on page 64 show the mock-up or the actual front section of the Ju 287 V1. In my humble opinion, the aircraft section in question is not a mock up (except for the dummy engines) but definitely part of the actual prototype.

One can still hope that additional photos of the EF 131 (originally designated Ju 287 V3) will emerge from Russia one day, as it happened a few years ago in the case of the equally shrouded Junkers EF 126.

Indulgent Retrospection: Arado Ar 234 - Der erste Strahlbomber der Welt (Eine Dokumentation)

Luftfahrt Dokumente LD 21, compiled by Karl R. Pawlas, Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas, Nuremberg, Germany, 1976, ISBN 3-88088-211-8. Illustrated, softcover, published in German.

Cover image © by Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas, 1976.

Establishing his Publizistisches Archiv in 1956, Karl R. Pawlas made a name for himself by publishing a series of magazines, books, and booklets containing almost exclusively original aviation documents. The 1970s, in particular, saw some of Pawlas' most important aviation releases. Albeit aircraft of every nation and from every period of aviation history were covered, the focus was clearly on the German Luftwaffe of the Second World War.

The idea of utilizing only original documents and information was quite unique at the time and transcended the approach largely common in the then fledgling Luftwaffe publications scene. Instead of petrifying myths or errors committed or copied by previous authors since the 1950s, the publications of Karl R. Pawlas provided a wealth of extremely detailed and factually accurate technical and historical information, illustrations, and photos, most often directly gathered from material compiled by the respective German aircraft manufacturers or former Luftwaffe test establishments.

It is fair to say that Pawlas provided those interested in aviation history with a quantum leap as far as the availability of quality information was concerned. Pawlas, along with a number of further Luftwaffe research pioneers such as Karl Ries, Heinz Birkholz, Hans Redemann, J. Richard Smith, Eddie J. Creek, or Thomas Hitchcock, to name but a few, inspired countless later equally serious historians and researchers and thus laid the base for the abundance of truly excellent Luftwaffe publications available today. Moreover, most of the publications by Publizistisches Archiv Karl R. Pawlas still retain their significance to this day. That alone is an enormous accomplishment, given the major advances in Luftwaffe research since the 1970s which often render even cutting edge publications obsolete only a few years after they are released.

Next to the Luftfahrt International magazines, this comprehensive book on the Arado Ar 234 is probably the most notable legacy of Karl R. Pawlas. It contains 480 pages (!) of reprinted original German-language flight test reports, notes, data sheets, graphs, records, along with an appendix of 68 b/w photos. The Ar 234s covered range from the first prototype Ar 234 V1 TG+KB to the Ar 234 C prototypes V19, V21, and V22. The information contained in these flight test reports is stunningly interesting and makes for riveting reading.

It goes without saying that noteworthy facts contained in these documents have in the meantime found their way into subsequent standard publications such as, for example, J. Richard Smith & Eddie J. Creek's Arado 234 Blitz (Monogram Monarch 1, 1992) or Arado Ar 234 A (Midland Publishing, Military Aircraft in Detail series, 2006). But the mere page count of Pawlas' book alone indicates the sheer quantity and bandwidth of original information contained therein; an amount of data and details which goes far beyond the scope or capacity of any commercially viable book released by any modern publishing house.