A superb study for both the historian and modeler, this book contains 124 color profiles showing Luftwaffe single-engine fighter aircraft - Bf 109, Fw 190, Ta 152, Me 262, Me 163, and He 162 - once piloted by some of the most famous German aces of World War II. Also shown are war-era photographs of select aircraft and pilots. The book begins with a summary of Luftwaffe fighter camouflage and color schemes on the various war fronts, then explains unit markings, tactical codes, personal markings and other markings. Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile serves as the perfect introduction to the history of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. At the same time, it is an indispensable volume to the aircraft modeler.

Contains 124 extraordinary color profiles, portraying examples of nearly all types of single-seated fighter aircraft used by the Luftwaffe in World War II. All of the detailed profiles represent aircraft flown by German aces, some of the most famous and successful as well as those of lesser known. Also contains over 100 color illustrations of Luftwaffe unit markings, uniform insignia, camouflage colors, unit code styles, kill markings, and related features.

In this exciting book Mike Spick shows how the Luftwaffe's leading fighter pilots were able to outscore their allied counterparts so effectively and completely during the Second World War. When the records of the Jagdflieger pilots became available after the war, they were initially greeted with incredulity _ the highest claim was for 352 kills, and more than 100 pilots had recorded more than 100 victories. However postwar research proved that these claims had in fact been made in good faith and confirmation had only been given after rigorous checking. To discover the secret of this success, aviation history expert Mike Spick examines the exploits of these aces and sets out the context in which it took place. Every major theater is covered in detail including the conditions peculiar to each: climate, relative numerical and qualitative strengths, the presence or absence of radar and other measures, and the relative merits of the planes being flown. He focuses on the methods and tactics used by individual aces and uses firsthand sources wherever possible to put the reader right alongside the pilot in the cockpit.

The German bomber fleet operated as a terror weapon of the Nazi regime during the early years of the Second World War - bombing and killing thousands of innocent civilians during the Blitz. As the tide of battle turned, the Luftwaffe's attention was refocused on the deserts of North Africa and the frozen steppes of the Eastern Front, where bombers and ground-attack aircraft played a key role in supporting German army units.Luftwaffe Bombers offers more than 200 highly detailed full color profiles from world renowned artist Claes Sundin, covering all of Germany's most famous bomber, dive-bomber, close-support and ground-attack types - the Dornier Do 17 and Do 217, Heinkel He 111 and He 177, Junkers Ju 87, Ju 88 and Ju 188, Henschel Hs 123 and Hs 129, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Me 262, and Arado 234.The markings of aircraft piloted by famous and infamous German bomber and anti-tank 'aces' such as Ju 87 tank-buster extraordinaire Hans-Ulrich Rudel, the leader of the world's first jet-bomber strike Dieter Lukesch and Hs 123 Knight's Cross holder Josef'Bazi' Menapace are meticulously reproduced, based on original photographs, alongside a wide range of schemes from every year of the war and every front.Offering a host of different color schemes and detailed notes, this is indispensable reading for enthusiasts and modelers alike