Junkers Ju 160

Top: Luftwaffe-operated Junkers Ju 160, WL+UJAF, Werknummer 4242, date and location unknown. A glimpse at the background reveals at least one Messerschmitt Bf 110, several Messerschmitt Bf 109s, and at least one Heinkel He 111. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

Bottom: Junkers Ju 160, D-UGAZ, Iltis, Werknummer 4214, of the Deutsche Lufthansa, date and location unknown. On the left, behind the aircraft, mobile boarding stairs. This aircraft was built in 1935 and withdrawn from airline service in 1941. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

[Entry amended November 30, 2014, and January 18, 2020.]

Focke Wulf Fw 190 A/F/G, Part 1 (A Quick Reference Guide To The Colors & Markings)

Thomas A. Tullis, Meteor Productions, Merrifield/VA, USA, 1998, Colortech #1, ISBN 0-9629146-2-2. Illustrated, softcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Meteor Productions, 1998.

This small booklet is a true gem. Irrespective of its size (14 x 22 cm/5.5 x 8.5") and page-count (24 pages), it is a comprehensive, beautifully-made, and very useful work of reference. As well-known author Thomas A. Tullis states in the booklet's introduction, it was created to provide the reader with a quick reference guide to color schemes and markings of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A/F/G, utilizing the (then) latest information available.

Given the condensed nature of space available in such a small format, Focke Wulf Fw 190 A/F/G, Part 1 (note that Focke-Wulf is spelled without the hyphen in the book) begins without further ado with a surprisingly thorough discussion of the camouflage colors used on the Fw 190. Also included is a brief section on interior colors. Tullis' beautiful color illustrations, along with plentiful text, then show the Fw 190's standard factory camouflage pattern, the colors of propeller and spinners, the color schemes found on the cowl (including some of the more fanciful examples), the various black schemes applied to the exhaust area, the recognition markings on the tail section, the fuselage bands and the defense of the Reich bands, the colors and/or unpainted sections of the wings, and even the frequently seen whitewall tail wheel.

This is followed by seven immaculate color profiles of Fw 190 As and Fs, each printed across a full page and featuring a detailed caption with reference section. The astonishing booklet concludes with lists of common Fw 190 colors, Luftwaffe color cross references, and related third party reference works.

All in all, quite fantastic. One might be tempted to say that even at its diminutive size, Focke Wulf Fw 190 A/F/G, Part 1 is in some ways superior to a number of much more substantial Luftwaffe publications.

To the best of my knowledge, no further Colortechs were ever published, in spite of an announcement on the inside of the front cover, listing planned future titles on the Fw 190 D, Me 262 A/B, Bf 109 G/K, and Fw 190 A/F/G (the proposed continuation of Part 1). What a shame!

Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika Bomber -The Luftwaffe's Lost Transatlantic Bomber

Robert Forsyth & Eddie J. Creek, Classic Publications/Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., Hersham, England, 2006, ISBN 978-1-903223-65-9. Illustrated, hardcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Classic Publications/Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 2006.

Much more than just a book about the aircraft mentioned in its title, Robert Forsyth and Eddie J. Creek's Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika Bomber is a chronicle of the drama that was the Luftwaffe's development effort for a long-range bomber. The existence of the Me 264 is of course utterly inseparable from such context, and the authors have succeeded in producing a book comprehensive enough to meld a detailed background story with a thorough analysis of the actual aircraft.

Beginning their account even before the German airship bombing raids against England in World War I, Forsyth and Creek subsequently describe the rise of the Luftwaffe in the Third Reich, including erstwhile efforts to add a strategic bomber to the new air force's inventory. After a brief look at other German long-range aircraft of the period, the focus shifts to the actual Amerikabomber project. Supported by uncounted rare and often astonishingly clear photos as well as numerous original drawings, the Me 264's development, flight trials, and fate are presented in unprecedented depth.

Whereas one previously had to make do with brief and entirely incomplete glimpses at the story of the Me 264 in books dedicated to other topics or rely on Manfred Griehl's inevitably incomplete development history as published in Germany's Flugzeug magazine in 1996 (issues 2, 3, and 4, 1996), Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika Bomber merges the many scraps of information in a coherent and skilled manner to yield an amazingly riveting and visually delightful book. Every aspect of the aircraft is covered, from technical details to the armament to the construction of the prototype to the various evolved versions of the bomber as projected by its designers. Equally revealed are the political and industrial machinations without which the gestation and demise of this aesthetically pleasing aircraft cannot be properly understood. A number of sidebars provide additional information, such as on technical minutiae or people involved. Also included are beautiful color drawings of the Me 264 and some of the projects derived from its design.

There are only very few minor amendments one could offer. The caption regarding the jettisonable additional main wheel on page 46 could be slightly clearer, for example. The description of "the ... single main wheel" is a bit confusing; the actual installation as auxiliary main gear in case of a higher take-off weight can be seen on the next page. Also on said next page, the lower drawing has been erroneously captioned as showing additional flaps, when the wartime German caption clearly refers to additional ailerons. But such corrections really amount to being finicky in the face of what is actually a magnificent publication (as is fortunately so often the case with Classic Publications' output).

This is a truly remarkable book, and its absolutely stunning photo content renders it even more indispensable for both the serious Luftwaffe enthusiast and the modeler.

Projekt RAK - Das Raketenzeitalter begann in Rüsselsheim

Klaus F. Filthaut, Aero-Verlag-GmbH, Petershausen, Germany, 1999, ISBN 3-934596-00-2. Illustrated, hardcover, published in German.

Cover image © by Aero-Verlag-GmbH, 1999.

This very beautifully designed and lavishly illustrated book is only partially an aviation publication. Its full purpose is to document the abundance of rocket propulsion experiments conducted by a small circle of dedicated people around Fritz von Opel in Germany in the 1920s, and it also attempts to provide an assessment of the legacy of these activities.

The first half of Projekt RAK is thus focused on Opel's trials involving various combinations of rocket motors and race cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and rail mounted vehicles. It is immediately clear that the author has produced a thoroughly researched and very comprehensive labor of love. The text is well written and full of absorbing detail and anecdotes. The reproduction of the often spectacular photos is almost always very crisp (the only exceptions are photos of which there survived only inferior quality copies), and there are numerous period drawings and documents to complete the narrative.

It is really the second half of the book, however, which falls within the scope of this blog. Starting on page 106, Filthaut focuses on the early experiments with rocket-powered aircraft. This includes the Opel-RK 22, the Lippisch Model Nr. 4 Storch, the Rhön-Rossitten-Gesellschaft Ente (with which the first manned rocket flights were undertaken on June 11, 1928), the Lippisch Raketenpfeilflügelflugzeug, the Flugzeugbau Gebrüder Müller GMG Raketenflugzeug (the world's first liquid-fuel rocket-powered aircraft), and the comparatively well-known Opel-Sander-Rak 1/Hatry-Raketenflugzeug.

Projekt RAK explores pioneering research conducted against the backdrop of a very unique time inbetween the two world wars in Germany. This book is truly a hidden treasure, an insider tip of sorts. Not only does it provide a prolific record of historically important events, it is also astonishing on account of the sheer amount of period photos that have survived to this day - the remarkable number of photos showing the Opel-Sander-Rak 1, during maintenance work, on its launch rail, in powered flight, and after its crash, for instance.

Some of the photos contained in Projekt RAK are truly stunning, both for the technical details and the situations they reveal. There is a double-page spread on pages 142/143, for example, which shows the GMG Raketenflugzeug during a static test of its liquid-fuel rocket engine. Apparently oblivious of the inherent danger of such a test, the image shows three of the protagonists standing a mere three meters from the operational rocket motor, without any protection. It was not least a similarly casual attitude which led to the death of rocket pioneer and erstwhile Opel companion, Max Valier, on May 17, 1930.

This remarkable book concludes with an illustrated summary, biographies of the main characters involved, and an appendix with bibliography.

Various Publications: REIMAHG Me 262 Underground Manufacturing Plant At Kahla, 1944/1945

Deckname Lachs - Die Geschichte der unterirdischen Fertigung der Me 262 im Walpersberg bei Kahla 1944/45

Klaus W. Müller & Willy Schilling, Heinrich-Jung-Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Zella-Mehlis/Meiningen, Germany, 1995, ISBN 3-930-588-30-7. Illustrated, hardcover, published in German.

One of the most extraordinary and in equal parts intriguing and drastic German armament industry projects of World War II was the conversion of the Walpersberg mountain in Thuringia, Germany, into an underground jet fighter manufacturing plant with a full mountaintop runway. The plant was to be operated by the REIMAHG works (Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring Werke). Although still vastly uncompleted by war's end, construction work inside and around the mountain was at an advanced state, and the plant became partially operational. Originally intended for the production of Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, Focke-Wulf Ta 152s, and Messerschmitt Me 262s, plans changed in early 1945, and the plant was subsequently intended to focus on manufacturing the jet-powered Me 262 and Horten Ho XVIII.

The runway on top of the Walpersberg mountain, originally 900 meters long but later extended to 1,200 meters, was completed in February 1945 and actually used for RATO-assisted take-offs of freshly assembled Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters. The aircraft reached the top of the mountain by means of an inclined and open elevator which ran along the mountainside for 200 meters, at an angle of 27 degrees, thus bridging a vertical height of approximately 85 meters.

Klaus W. Müller and Willy Schilling's Deckname Lachs was likely the first specialized study of this massive project to be published for the general Luftwaffe historian. A small hardback book of 88 pages, it is still a very detailed look at the entire history of REIMAHG's Walpersberg undertaking. Deckname Lachs investigates the early discussions about the possible protection of the German military aircraft production from Allied bombing, the actual construction of the tunnels and bunkers of the REIMAHG plant, the slave labor used during the construction work, the facilities of the plant, the plant's runway, and the arrival of the American military at the plant at the end of the war.

The book contains a number of back & white photos and drawings of the REIMAHG plant, the most interesting ones, in my opinion, being those of the runway and the inclined elevator.




REIMAHG - From Sandpit To Armament Factory (History of Hitler's Secret Underground Factory)

Claus Reuter, Publications of the German-Canadian Museum of Applied History, Brunswick, Germany/S. R. Research and Publishing, Ontario, Canada, ISBN 0-96961-7-X. Illustrated, softcover/ring binding, published in English.

Very little information is available about this publication. It has a definite underground feel about it, consisting of 134 small-format pages held together by plastic ring binding. The text is very comprehensive, however, including not only information on the REIMAHG plant project itself but also on the camps which held the labor force used to build the plant, the Me 262 and other aircraft intended to be produced at the plant, the occupation of the plant, and so on.

It is perhaps of significance to point out that the author at times takes a rather critical stance against certain aspects of the Allied bombing campaign. Also, the photo section at the end of this publication is a somewhat mixed blessing. Not only are the photos printed in an inferior quality and at a very small size, many of them are not directly related to the REIMAHG project at all (such as various images of Focke-Wulf Fw 190 prototypes or drawings and photos of technical details of the Me 262).

All in all, a publication which has left me unconvinced. It is rendered valuable primarily due to the fact that the text is in English.




Düsenjäger über dem Walpersberg (Die Geschichte des unterirdischen Flugzeugwerkes "REIMAHG" bei Kahla/Thüringen)

Markus Gleichmann & Karl-Heinz Bock, Heinrich-Jung-Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Zella-Mehlis/Meiningen, Germany, 2009, ISBN 978-3-930588-82-4. Illustrated, hardcover, published in German.

As I am writing this review, Düsenjäger über dem Walpersberg is the newest and most exhaustive of the studies published on the REIMAHG underground aircraft plant. The book is enormously absorbing and complete, both in its text and photo content. The result of years of research by authors Markus Gleichmann and Karl-Heinz Bock, Düsenjäger über dem Walpersberg presents a clearly structured and very detailed history of the plant. Beginning with an overview of the Allied bombing campaign against the German armament production and the subsequent German efforts to move much of such production underground, Gleichmann and Bock then chronicle the various phases of the massive construction project.

The examination of these phases is not limited to technical or logistical aspects. The authors include a detailed chapter on the forced labor workforce utilized to create the pant as well as the camps used to house this workforce and the German guards used to enforce the extreme work regimen. Owing to the chronic lack of manpower due to the war situation, these guard detachments included members of the Hitler Youth, many of whom frequently found themselves emotionally overwhelmed by the task. Needless to say, the conditions under which the workforce had to function were harrowing.

Düsenjäger über dem Walpersberg then looks at the planned aircraft assembly operation as well as at the construction of the tunnels and auxiliary bunkers and buildings of the plant. The book concludes with the discovery of the REIMAHG plant by the Allies, the subsequent Soviet disassembly of the facilities, and the fate of the site in the decades after the war. Due to the inclusion of numerous eyewitness accounts (not least in the section on forced labor and working conditions), the text often conveys far more immediacy than usually found in such studies.

A large amount of photos and drawings further serves to illustrate the various aspects of the REIMAHG project. Pages 110, 117, and 125, for example, provide views of the remarkable mountaintop runway. Unless hampered by the inferior quality of the original source photos, the photo reproduction quality is generally good. The final part of the book is dedicated to series of stunning color photos of the remnants of REIMAHG plant as they appear today. This does not just include images of the ruins of bunkers, buildings, and the inclined elevator, but it also shows the area of the runway (completely overgrown by forest), the uncompleted train lines once intended for the transport of aircraft components, and - most strikingly - various tunnels and assembly halls inside of the mountain.

A very complete, utterly intriguing, and highly recommended book.




Flugplätze der Luftwaffe 1934-1945 - und was davon übrig blieb (Band 3: Thüringen)

Jürgen Zapf, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrücken, Germany, 2003, ISBN 3-925480-80-3. Illustrated, softcover, published in German.

While not strictly a publication solely dedicated to the REIMAHG project, part 3 of Jürgen Zapf's profusely researched and illustrated Flugplätze der Luftwaffe 1934-1945 - und was davon übrig blieb [Airfields Of The Luftwaffe 1934-1945 - And What Remains Of Them Today] series contains a major section (72 pages) on the REIMAHG plant and its mountaintop runway. While the text is to Zapf's usual professional and very detailed standard, it's really the photographic content which makes this publication indispensable for anyone interested in this topic (although the printing quality of the photos could perhaps be a tad better).

Numerous large color and back & white photos show the interior and exterior of the Walpersberg mountain, both as it appeared during the war and as it looks today. As can be seen, the tunnels of the plant still contain lorries (evidence that construction was never completed), electrical aircraft systems parts, and corroded cockpit instruments. The outside is dotted with crumbled bunkers, foundations, and buildings. Of particular interest are the photos which show the area of where the inclined elevator once stood as well as the overgrown runway.

Messerschmitt Me 321 Lastensegler

Messerschmitt Me 321 A-1, W2+SF, of Grossraumlastenseglergruppe 321. Camouflage is standard 65/70/71. The aircraft appears to be in factory-fresh, pristine condition. Walter RATO units can just be discerned under the wing. Location and date unknown, although it is likely that the photo was taken in summer of 1941. (German Aviation 1919-1945 collection)

[Entry amended January 17, 2020.]

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.

Kurt Tank's Photo Album 1940-1943

Compiled by Roy Powell & Barry Ketley, Flight Recorder Publications, Ottringham, England, 2004, ISBN 0-9545605-3-1. Illustrated, softcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Flight Recorder Publications, 2004.

This relatively unknown - I am tempted to say "obscure" - book is quite an intriguing publication. The plentiful photos contained therein were originally part of an anonymous Word War II vintage photo album that came into the possession of one of the authors, Roy Powell. As related in the introduction of the book, some detective work eventually revealed that the photo album had possibly once belonged to Kurt Tank, Focke-Wulf's illustrious chief designer.

To any serious student of the former German Luftwaffe, the book is simply spectacular. It contains a remarkable mixture of candid shots of aircraft and people, always bolstered with extensive and well researched text. Even if these photos are taken from what is purported to be Tank's album, not all illustrations are directly connected to him in subject. The enormous bandwidth of topics covered is surprising and thrilling.

There are images of Fw 190s, Fw 189s (including in-flight shots of the rear gunner's station), Fh 104, Fi 156, Fw 200, Ta 154 V1, and, most interestingly, five pictures of the Fw 191 (one of these is a shot of a wartime scale model). In addition, there is a chapter of pictures of the little known but highly interesting Berlin B 9, some of them showing unprecedented details. These photos are complemented by a translated German technical and flight test report on the B 9. To me personally, this chapter is the highpoint of the book.

Moreover, there are, for example, numerous photos from newly captured France which range from airfields to towns and tanks. A small chapter in the beginning of the book provides a glimpse at the famed 1937 Dubendorf, Switzerland, aviation meeting. People featured throughout Kurt Tank's Photo Album include Tank himself, Friedrich Christiansen, Ritter von Greim, Erhard Milch etc. Of interest to many might also be a series of shots of Adolf Galland that, in the background, also show Bf 108s and Bf 109s.

Astonishing, to me, is the inclusion of 15 pages (!) worth of period cartoons only superficially related to aviation. These are of course of a certain historical significance but still seem like an immense and incomprehensible waste of printed pages to any aircraft enthusiast. Moreover, the meaning of the German language captions to these cartoons is often simply untranslatable, in spite of the authors' admirable efforts.

The book is completed by color profiles of the B 9 and Fw 191. These are printed in very dark colors, however, which drastically limits their usefulness.

Notes On Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-0,Werknummer 14003, V-Tail Trials Aircraft

One of three known photos of Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-0, VJ+WC, Werknummer 14003, as featured as part of report no. 109 08 E 43, issued by Messerschmitt AG's flight test department, dated May 5, 1943.


This early Bf 109 G-0, Werknummer 14003, VJ+WC, was used for Messerschmitt trials of a V-tail empennage on January 21, 25, 26, and 27, 1943. The extensive technical description and flight test reports, issued by Messerschmitt AG in Augsburg and dated from early 1943, survive and have been reproduced in their entirety in Luftfahrt - Band 5 (Germany, 1978, ISBN 3 87547 182 2). Only three pictures of this aircraft are know to exist (all originally included in the aforementioned technical description), but none of them show the entire Bf 109.

There are a number of features which distinguish this Bf 109. Based on its Werkummer, it was part of the first three Bf 109 G-0s produced at Messerschmitt's Regensburg plant in October of 1941. According to the technical description, the aircraft was powered by a Daimler-Benz DB 605 A (Werknummer 76172), driving a VDM airscrew. The aircraft's wings incorporated early (i.e., small) G-type wing bulges, implicating that the corresponding wider wheels had possibly been fitted. One of the photos of this Bf 109 shows that this aircraft had a Bf 109 F-4 type canopy, but it seems to have lacked any head armour. Also visible in the photos is a Bf 109 F type tail wheel. Werknummer 14003 had no antenna mast, but an antenna wire ran from each butterfly fin towards the canopy (the exact location where the wires entered the fuselage cannot be discerned from the existing photos).

An F-style external fuselage strengthening strip ran from the fuselage to the converted tail cone. This strip seems to have been riveted to the fuselage. There was also an apparent actuating rod on the bottom of the new tail fins, near the hinge point. The new fins were faired into the fuselage by means of (aluminium) slip-over gloves. On the outside of the fins, very noticeable external strips apparently signify the mounts of the hinges for the rudders. These strips are not present on the upper side of the fins.

The camouflage of Werknummer 14003 appears to have been standard for the time, i.e., 76/74/75. The converted tail cone had been left natural metal, and the two butterfly fins were painted in a dark color, possibly 66 or 70, or even 22. The aircraft Werknummer was hand-painted in white above the last letter of the call sign on both sides of the fuselage, right before the demarcation line from the camouflaged fuselage to the natural metal tail cone. The small number "8" denoting the fuselage frame was uniquely applied over the bottom part of the call sign letter "C" on the port side, on a small patch of what appears to be 76.

(Amended version of a text I originally posted on the discussion forum of Hyperscale.com on July 22, 2002, and which was subsequently appropriated and used without permission or credit in kit instructions by U.M.I. Resin, USA.)

Military Aircraft In Detail: Heinkel He 100 Record Breaker

Erwin Hood, Midland Publishing, Hinckley, England, 2007, ISBN 978-1-85780-260-3. Illustrated, softcover, published in English.

Cover image © by Midland Publishing, 2007.

I first became intrigued by the Heinkel He 100 as a young teenager when, in December of 1975, Manfred Leihse published his excellent article Weltrekordflug Heinkel He 100 V8 in the German magazine Modell Fan. The article, still relevant today, also contained outstandingly detailed scale drawings of the He 100. But more than three decades later, published information regarding this elusive aircraft still remains scarce, not least due to the fact that little original source material has survived the war.

Having to make do with such limited resources, it is to Erwin Hood's credit that he still managed to create such a detailed, meticulously researched monograph about one of Ernst Heinkel's most fascinating aircraft. Barring a possible future discovery of currently unknown information regarding the He 100, Hood's book will likely remain the one-stop, landmark study on this topic.

In spite of the aforementioned dearth of material and the limited page count of the books in Midland Publishing's Military Aircraft in Detail series, Heinkel He 100 Record Breaker is an extremely comprehensive and complete reference publication, and, as such, long-overdue. Starting off with a brief look at the Heinkel factory and the pursuit of speed in 1930s German aircraft design, the book then delves into the history of the gestation and the technical anatomy of the aircraft. The various prototypes receive due attention, along with Heinkel's efforts to utilize the He 100 to achieve the absolute world speed record. Equally meticulously illuminated are the ultimately unsuccessful attempts to convince the German air ministry (RLM) to acquire the He 100 as an operational Luftwaffe fighter. A further chapter details the efforts to export the design and technical know-how to Russia and Japan. The narrative concludes with a look at the He 100's eventual use as a propaganda tool and in Heinkel's factory defense force - a rather ignominious end for such a cutting edge aircraft.

Heinkel He 100 Record Breaker is an immensely absorbing publication, not least due to the wealth of photographs, color profiles (created by Tom Tullis), and period documents reproduced therein. Erwin Hood's own detailed line drawings of the various prototypes and A-series aircraft conclude the book. The book has been printed on high-quality, glossy paper, which provides for a good photo reproduction. The impression is slightly marred, however, due to the intermittent application of superfluous sepia tones, as is periodically in vogue for history books. While a modern book design is very welcome, this particular publication is directed at a highly specialized audience interested in written and visual facts and not at teenagers dazzled by fashionable photo coloration. It is simply annoying, although such criticism is of course highly subjective.



Needless to say, the compiling of a perfect reference is impossible, even under the best of circumstances, and in spite of decades of expert research into the field of German aircraft 1933 to 1945, there remain significant gaps in knowledge und uncounted questions. Hood's truly excellent book reflects that reality. There are still no known cockpit shots of the He 100, for example. Or there is the photo of the He 100 V8 prototype, on page 59, the caption of which states that it was displayed at the Deutsches Museum [German Museum] in Munich (under the spurious designation of He 112 U). Other sources have identified the location of this display as the near-mythical Deutsche Luftfahrtsammlung [German Aviation Collection], in Berlin, however. And indeed, a photo in our collection seems to show the very same aircraft, mounted in front of a wall and underneath a roof which can clearly be identified as part of the Deutsche Luftfahrtsammlung building in Berlin (see above). Perhaps the V8 was displayed in both locations, at different times.

Such observations constitute nitpicking, of course, and are perhaps even unfair. Fact is, Erwin Hood has created a truly outstanding new standard reference on the He 100.

[Entry amended January 20, 2020]