Start's Luftwaffe im Focus is one of those periodicals that once you start reading it, you want more. Edition #28 arrived recently and like all the others I have read, is well worth the wait.

What makes LiF so special is the number of well chosen, clear images that have never been published before. Much of these come from private collections and family members of those who took the images. They are not your usual photos as they frequently show types that don't get a lot of coverage, but the research that goes into each story is exemplary.

For example, there is a great article on the use of a Ju-87A by the Luftwaffe medical services to explore the effects of high Gs on the body and to figure ways to alleviate these effects. The aircraft was modified with the installation of an X-ray machine and its operator to judge the effects on volunteers. Another cover the Ju-388 as well as one on a Gothat Go-24 glider squadron.

One I found particularly intriguing was an article on the operation of a flame thrower installed in the tail section of a Ju-88. There has not been photo proof of its operation in flight until now. As you can see, this is the sort of article that has made LiF so fascinating to the Luftwaffe enthusiast. Add in the great period photos (some of them in color as are some in this edition) and a few well done large profiles (as the one on the circular 109 camouflage) and you have not only interesting reading, but a well researched reference.