Luftwaffe X-Planes

From jet planes and high altitude aircraft to radar-equipped fighters configured to deliver chemical weapons, numerous Luftwaffe planes were designed and reached prototype stage but never made it into mass production or battle.

Luftwaffe X Planes is a definitive, revelatory guide to the remarkable range of secret planes that the Third Reich failed to complete. Despite the Allied authorities ban on research, countless aircraft were designed and tested by the Luftwaffe and German manufacturers before World War II. The research took place at secret evaluation sites in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the USSR. After the outbreak of the war this work continued.

Many projects remained on the drawing board or at prototype stage because either they were deemed unsuitable or, as is the case with most of those in this selection, the developers simply ran out of time and the projects never went into production. Renowned aviation expert Manfred Griehl has painstakingly assembled a valuable selection of images which shows the remarkable range of projects dreamed up by the German designers. Had these innovative projects ever been realised the course of the World War II could have been dramatically different.

About the Author

Manfred Griehl, born in 1952, has numerous publications on aviation. His focus is the transition from piston engine to jet propulsion and in technology and service history of German military aircraft. His previously published books include Focke-Wulf Fw 190 / Ta 152, Heinkel He 111 and Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka'.