Mistel: German Composite Aircraft and Operations 1942-1945

This is the first detailed book in the English language that studies the origins, design, development and operations of German composite aircraft during the Second World War. Known as 'Mistel', the concept was originally intended for use in times of peace as a means of extending the range of passenger and mail-carrying aircraft. But by 1942, as Nazi Germany struggled to fight an ever-demanding war, so a small team of pilots and technicians began to adapt the idea for military purposes. Following a series of radical and dramatic glider-based experiments, a new, formidable weapon emerged to stock the Luftwaffe's arsenal - one that became known as the 'Grossbombe' - 'Super Bomb'. Drawing on several years of research and enhanced by superb color artwork and unrivalled technical drawings, this book represents an important study of the Luftwaffe's 'super bomb' which was used in a desperate attempt to hold off the Soviet advance towards Berlin in the closing months of the Second World War. Using hundreds of wartime documents and reports and many new and previously unpublished accounts from the pilots of this extraordinary aircraft, the author tells the story from both sides. This book will serve as the standard reference for years to come.