Wings of the Luftwaffe: Flying German aircraft of the Second World War

I first came across this book over twenty five years ago when I was a young kid. It was at the local library for a very short space of time before it was stolen. Not remembering the title or the author of the book it has taken me until now to renew my acquaintance with this riveting read. This document offers a rare insight into the aircraft featured, also into the life of an accomplished test pilot during a very interesting period of aviation and political history. While the multitude of other books on this subject are written on hearsay and conjecture, this is coming from the horse's mouth. Eric Brown not only flew the aircraft featured, but also flew the aircraft that they are compared against. In this regard the book is unique and it staggers me why it should be out of print. If I were to fault the manuscript it would be that the final page came all too quickly. For anyone interested in aviation this book is a 'must have'.

Yes, this is the best book on this subject that you will every read. I've long read Eric Brown's articles in Air International. I've always found them both enjoyable and informative. This book is a collection of some of those materials and others he had yet to publish. The articles come directly from his log book and include broader experiences then even the log books provide. Each article about each aircraft is both informative in there detail but are also delightfully colored by some personal experience that Mr. Brown had with them. Eric Brown is arguably the most experienced pilot when it comes to the sheer number of aircraft types that he flew during World War II and in the 1950s. His ablitity to evaluate these aircraft of different companies and different nations makes his assessments truly unigue. This is NOT a book to be missed by anyone truly interested in military aviation!

World war two is history like other things we learned from books and media. But how many times could you find a reference is written by a person who actually flew those airplanes ? Especially they were not Allied's planes, they were German's military airplanes.You could learn the speed, range or how many guns of each airplanes from tones other books, but you won't be able to learn the feeling to fly all of them by the same person from them.This book was published long long time ago, but don't think the data and describtion is also old. Those experience is never faded away.

This is probably the closest that the average person will come to flying a captured Luftwaffe aircraft. Wings of the Luftwaffe is certainly among the best books in the relatively small flight test review genre. Brown has a terrific eye for detail, and must have been an exceptional test pilot. I just wish Brown would write an expanded edition of this book, and his other classic, Wings of the Navy.

Just as flying magazines review the latest twins, this is a 'you are there' kind of book. Organized to convey the standard specs- takeoff distance, range, armament, etc, Brown has included plenty of photos, and a rich narrative. Did you know the Germans used propeller controls modeled on the face of a clock? I was also intrigued by Brown's experiences with German aviators before and after the conflict. He must have led a fascinating life. Every scholar needs a copy of this book beside him when reading anything about World War II Luftwaffe operations.