Category: German Aircraft
More great ads!

Considered by many as one of the worst aircraft designs of all time, the “strut-less, wings like a bird” Christmas Bullet had (surprise!) an annoying habit of shedding those unsupported wings immediately after takeoff. Two were built, both lost their visible means of support. Note: Dr. William Christmas designed the aircraft with an idea in mind that it could be used to fly over to Germany and kidnap Kaiser Wilhelm II during WW1. No, I did not make that up.
Albatross D.III of the Polish Air Force
Poland’s fledgling air force began with top of the line machines such as the German-built Albatross. When war came with the Soviet Union in 1919, the untried Polish air force gave a good account of themselves and were instrumental in the victory over the USSR.
The short-lived Udet Flugzeugbau
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Famed German ace Ernst Udet could do just about anything in an airplane, but unfortunately, that did not translate into a successful aircraft company of his own. Still, the designs of such Udet aircraft as the U8 and U10 were hi-tech for the early 1920s.
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These are two of Udet’s original sales brochures from that period.
The DO 335 Pfeil
What more can one say? The 335 was one of the fastest piston-engined aircraft ever.
The end of the Pfeil, Dornier factory at Oberpfaffenhofen, 1945. An array of 335’s are examined by US servicemen. Problems with engine production hampered the 335’s deployment and this can be attested to by the lack of engines in most of these aircraft.
Two-seater 335 in RAF markings attracts curiosity while on display in post-war Britain.
The only surviving example of a 335 is this one, an American war prize. Restored by Dornier in the 1970’s, it is now at the National Air & Space Museum.
Luft Hansa Ju52 “Boelcke”
A variety of German aircraft ads…
Zeppelin-Staaken bombers
You see the word “Zeppelin” and automatically think “airship”, but they were also in the heavier than air business as well. Pictured here are the R .VI and its later refinement the R.XIV.
December 1941 edition of Luftwissen
The featured aircraft is an early version FW-189 “Uhu”. Later 189’s packed more firepower. Great photo.
Inserted in this issue was a tribute to Werner Mölders who had died only days before when the plane in which he was a passenger crashed while attempting to land.
Lufthansa 247
Zentralflughafen Tempelhof-Berlin
Two magazines, two eras
Flugsport magazine of November 1921 offers a glimpse at a grand aircraft display.
When the April 1940 edition of Luftwissen hit the stands, both aircraft and Germany had changed. Aircraft is a Heinkel 115 seaplane.
Heinkel 112B
Original ads: Fokker and Zenith
As one can see from the pictured Fokker Eindecker, this ad is an early one indeed.
The Zenith Vergaser (carburetor) features a marauding Zeppelin high over London.
Arado 196, JU-87 Stuka, and JU88K
Focke-Wulf FW 58 and the FW 200
Zepplin LZ-96 came down October 20, 1917
The mighty Graf Zepplin
Der Deutsche Sportflieger of Oktober 1940
This issue features Hermann Goering making friends with his fellow Luftwaffe airmen during the closing days of the Battle of Britain. Der Sportflieger of that era of course contains a healthy dose of propaganda (hey, what wartime aviation magazine didn’t?), but it also contains outstanding information.
The Blohm & Voss Ha-139 was, undoubtedly, one of the more pleasing appearing aircraft in an era of, well, pleasing looking aircraft
Bayerische Flugzeugwerke & Junkers
Two great pieces of artwork. The first is from Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in Augsburg. This is part of a several page promotional booklet, hence the German and French. The other is cover art from Flug-Woche magazin featuring the Junkers G-31.