Dragonfly: The Luftwaffe’s Experimental Triebflügeljäger Project

Dragonfly: The Luftwaffe’s Experimental Triebflügeljäger Project
David Myhra
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd (US) (1 Sep 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0764318772
ISBN-13: 9780764318771

This is the story of the worlds first attempt at perfecting a true, tail-sitting vertical take off and landing (VTOL) interceptor flying machine Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbaus proposed Triebflugeljager or thrust wing fighter project of 1944. The Triebflugeljager was not intended to be an air-superiority dogfighter, but a bomber killer rising straight up from its hiding place in the forest or urban area to meet and attack Allied bombers head on. With its mission completed it would return to its hiding place on the forest floor and wait to arise again. The Triebflugeljager would have been a point-defense interceptor intended for the Luftwaffe home defense squadrons and its most important virtue was that it would not need a runway. Highly unusual, then as well as today, the Triebflugeljager was an amazing prototype.