Luftwaffe Training Aircraft
Pilot and crew training was a largely unseen but essential part of aerial warfare, with a value that cannot be overstated. The Luftwaffe employed a wide range of training aircraft, guiding trainees from simple and older types such as the Klemm 35, Focke-Wulf Fw 44, and Bücker 131 to more advanced models including the Arado Ar 66, Gotha Go 145, and Arado Ar 76, as well as larger aircraft like the Junkers W33 and W44. Step by step, pilots were introduced to faster and more modern aircraft that prepared them for combat service.
Recruits first spent about six months at a training depot, where physical training and discipline were combined with basic instruction in radio use and map reading. This was followed by further theoretical study and then elementary flight training.
Aircraft types varied according to the future role of each trainee, from single-seat fighters to multi-crew bombers and transports. Bomber pilots, for example, trained on early He 111s, Ju 52s, Ju 86s, and Do 17s. Training also used captured aircraft and took place across occupied territories.
Away from the front, training schools allowed extensive photography, forming the basis for this richly illustrated study.
Product details
| Author: | Chris Goss |
|---|---|
| Details: | 192 pages, 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.75 in (24.5 x 19 x 1.9 cm), paperback |
| Illustrations: | extensively illustrated |
| Language: | English |
| Publisher: | Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2019) |
| ISBN: | 9781473899520 |
Luftwaffe Training Aircraft
Language: English
