Test of German aircraft design

Test Pilots

By Wolfgang Spate. Independent Books, UK (distributed by Crusader Books). 288pp. $70.

Reviewer: AIRCDRE Mark Lax

Few pilots are qualified as test pilots – perhaps the pinnacle of a flying career. Today, the Air Force’s Aircraft Research and Development Unit plays home to Australia’s few.

This is certainly a book about test pilots, but it should be subtitled “The men and women who tested Hitler’s Luftwaffe aircraft and secret weapons” as it is mainly about the German test pilots who trialled and proved German aircraft designers creations.

The world of the test pilot has always been seen as exciting and dangerous, but perhaps no more so than during times of war. The rapid developments in aircraft design and systems meant that many new types were rushed into service before they were fully cleared.

A typical example of this was the development of the Me-109 fighter. Nemesis of the Spitfire, Hurricane and Kittyhawks flown by Australians, the 109 was to become a superb fighter, but it had it teething problems.

Wolfgang Spate, himself test pilot, has collected 14 stories from the German Air Min try’s test program and adds f post-war program descriptions to complete the work.

As well as aircraft tests, included are stories of glider trials, early ejection seats, parachute trials and setting the world speed record in a He-100. Hanna Reisch’s remarkable escape from a Me-163 rocket fighter crash landing, that nearly killed her, makes an exciting read. Perhaps the most amazing story is about test flying the Natter, a vertically launched rocket interceptor and one of Hitler’s last-ditch secret weapons. The reader is left in no doubt about the heroism of these guys.

The last chapter is by the man who tested the Mirage III. His description of the high altitude zoom and engine performance will bring back many memories of those who flew this French lady of the skies. Although somewhat technical, Test Pilots is an absorbing read.