The He 162 represented an unprecedented aeronautical and engineering
achievement. Embracing revolutionary jet engine technology, the aircraft went
from drawing board to prototype flight in just three months, at a time when Nazi
Germany was on the brink of defeat. For the first time, this book will draw on
the previously unused Heinkel company papers which offer a unique insight into
the workings of the Nazi production system in the late-war period. The authors
have provided the whole history of the so-called Volksjäger ('People's Fighter')
project. From inception in September 1944 (with the competing Arado, Blohm und
Voss and Focke-Wulf projects), through Heinkel’s extraordinary manufacturing
achievements between October 1944 and February 1945, to the aircraft’s
operational deployment with Jagdgeschwader 1, the various planned variants and
weapons systems and British and American testing of the machine in late 1945 the
book provides fantastic in-depth coverage, supported by a wealth of previously
unseen photographs plus stunning colour artworks.
