X-Planes

In this superb illustrated guide, renowned German aviation specialist Manfred Griehl has collected a unique and valuable selection of photographs of Luftwaffe projects that never made it into battle. They remained on the drawing board or at prototype stage either because they were deemed unsuitable or the developers simply ran out of time and the projects never went into production. There are examples of Fw190s developed for the delivery of chemical and toxic weapons, the high altitude Junkers EF 61, the early prototype WNF 342 helicopter as well as numerous examples of developmental jet fighters that could very well have been realized had it not been for the effectiveness of the Allied bombing campaign in restricting the supply of necessary materials. Much of this development work went on to have an important influence on aircraft design in both the East and the West after the Second World War, making this book an essential source not just for those interested in Hitler's Luftwaffe but also in the history of military aviation in general.