I've always
been fascinated by the story of the He-177. It was an aircraft which should have
been quite successful, but it was hobbled by several factors. One was that it
had to be a dive bomber, which was quite ridiculous given its size, but that is
what happens when politics gets involved in aircraft design requirements. The
other was the use of the Daimler-Benz DB 606 engines. These were basically two
DB 601s sharing a common crankshaft. This engine never got properly sorted out
and was one of many things that led to the delay of the aircraft. Its lack of
reliability also caused issues as it tended to catch fire with great frequency.
In the end, a version was designed with four standard engines, but by then it
was far too late in the war and never saw service with the Luftwaffe.
This book adds to a growing library in the Airframe
Album series. These issues cover the history of types that don't really fit into
the Aircraft and Miniatures series as they were fairly low production types,
unlike aircraft such as the Lancaster. We are provided with a full history of
the aircraft as well as an extensive look at the aircraft itself, thanks to
period photos and excerpts from various tech manuals. Another large section is
the Evolution portion that covers every difference between variants from the
first prototype to those that were under consideration but never built. This is
followed by a fairly extensive camouflage and markings portion. Also included is
a single kit build of the Revell 1/72 He-177, followed by info on decals, books,
and aftermarket items. There is also a small kit section, but the 177 has not
been widely kitted so this portion is fairly small.
In all, a most welcome addition to what is a superb
series of books and well worth the effort of adding to your library.
April 2024
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