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.

Focke-Wulf FW-190A-3 of JG-1 warms up prior to another mission

Seems that the Dornier Do.18 wasn’t made out of any old metal. Nope, they used “Ulminium.”

The Focke-Wulf FW 189 had a rather pleasing design. Undoubtedly this is one the cooler looking aircraft ads I’ve ever seen.

A pair of century-old German aviation magazines

The “Deutsche Luftfahrer Zeitshrift” dates from the early days of WW1. Even at that date, heroes of the air were already being decorated. Photo #2 is an original photo as used on the cover. “Das Fliegen” features the immortal Max Immelmann himself.

“Stukas”

The Ju 87 Stuka was famous enough that Junkers could just blurt out the aircraft’s name in their advertisements.

Interior of the Junkers factory in World War 1

The aircraft are the J 2, the world’s first operational all metal military aircraft. A mere 6 were built. First flight: 1916. Last flight: 1916.

Ju 90

Billing itself as the “Koenigin der luft” (Queen of the air), the Junkers Ju 90 was a pretty decent aircraft. Most were pressed into service with the Luftwaffe as transports.

Rohrbach Metall Flugzeugbau

Located in Berlin, Rohrbach were innovators in the use of metal in early aircraft designs. They also paid for some great ad work.

Fokker D.VII painted up for the 1930 film classic “Hell’s Angels.”

Flettner Fl 282

Known as the “Kolibri” (Hummingbird), this example ended up in US hands at Freeman Field, Indiana.

Me 262 war prize

Me 262 B-1a/U1 two-seat night fighter at Freeman Field, Ind. in 1946.

He 219

Fortunately for the Allies in WWII, the Heinkel He219 interceptor was never produced in sufficient quantities. Fast and well armed, the 219 was a stone-cold killer. For the Luftwaffe, they just never had enough of them to affect the air war over Europe.

Under new ownership

ju88 - Copy img141_stitch - Copy henschel hs129 - Copy

Captured at the war’s end, and hauled to the USA, were these former Luftwaffe airplanes, a Junkers JU 88, a JU 290 bomber, and a Henschel HS 129 attack aircraft. The JU 88 has the insignia of the 86th Fighter Squadron (USAAF) on its nose. Must have been their guys who took it for a prize or were flying it. Photos taken at Freeman Field, Ind.

Messerschmitt’s Oberammergau plant

Part of a photo album in my collection. Taken by US intelligence officers in post-war Germany. Pictured are the Me 1101 and H-H O11.

Neyen’s Schraubenflieger

Emil Neyen’s “Schraubenflieger” was by far one of the crazier looking contraptions devised by mortal man. Despite the machine’s awkward design, prospective passengers are assured they may travel “ohne sturzgefahr!” (without risk of crashing).

“Neyen’s Schraubenflieger” – needless to say – never got off the ground, literally, and figuratively (the design was politely described in a 1910 Polytechnisches Journal article as “problematic”). The purpose of this brochure is to drum up investors; interested gentlemen need inquire only if they bring in more than 25,000 Reichmarks per annum. This is an original brochure – I can’t find much else regarding this venture.

I am grateful to Felix Wander of the Deutsches Museum for providing additional information on this “flying” machine.