This is the second volume of Military Aircraft in Detail and covers the Henschel Hs-129. This was the only Luftwaffe aircraft designed from the beginning for the ground attack mission. Others were dive bombers or fighters that were modified for the mission.

Throughout its service career, the aircraft was hampered by engines that did not deliver the power that was really wanted for the airframe. While this didn't stifle the effectiveness of the aircraft that much, it is always better to have more powerful and more reliable engines. It was also hampered by an indecisive Luftwaffe staff that couldn't make up its mind on what it really wanted. The result was that fewer planes were produced than needed, as it turned out to be a very effective weapons system.

The author takes us through the machinations of getting the aircraft into production after a very close fly-off with a modified FW-189. There are a large number of superb period photographs as well as reprints from the technical manuals for the aircraft. This results in a most complete look at not only the history of the plane, but also at its inner workings and systems.

This combination of an excellent read and technical information makes it a superb book for enthusiast and modeler alike. I'm sure you will agree once you sit down and read it. It is a book that I can recommend to the Hs-129 and Luftwaffe fan without reservation.

January 2007

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