The Volksjaeger project was an attempt to provide a practical jet aircraft that could be flown by minimally trained pilots. It was program of desperation on one hand and a program of ingenuity on the other. Designed and flown in a period of months, the aircraft was developed to make maximum use of non-strategic materials (as in wood). With several aircraft manufacturers submitting plans, it was the Heinkel entry that got the green light.

The result was a tricycle landing gear aircraft powered by a single BMW 003 axial flow turbojet mounted on the upper fuselage just behind the cockpit. While perhaps not the ideal location for the engine, it was pretty much the only place it could be mounted and keep the size of the airframe small. Armament was either two 20mm or two 30mm canon. Entering service in the last month of the war, the aircraft had no confirmed victories as the war ended before it was able to prove its worth.

Though a great number were built or nearing completion, the lack of fuel as well as not having a really safe place from which to operate the type made the aircraft more of a footnote in history, unlike its much more successful older brother the Me-262. Because so many were captured at the end of the war, there have been quite a few survivors in various museums.

The authors of this book are renowned experts in the field of Luftwaffe aircraft in general and have provided a very complete history of the type. This includes the initial designs, the development of the aircraft and its complete operational record. Add to it a plethora of period photos, the usual nicely done color profiles scattered throughout the book and a complete reference section and you have a history of the type that will probably never be surpassed. This is the second printing of the book and is one that no enthusiast should be without. Most highly recommended. r you. Highly recommended.

February 2024

Review book courtesy of Casemate Publishers. Get yours today at this link. 

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