 Projekt
Natter
Last of the Wonder Weapons
By Brett Gooden
Classic Publications, ©2006
ISBN 1-903223-62-8
Hardbound, 144 Pages
Available from Specialty Press
for $44.95
As the war was winding down for Germany, and it was pressed
from all sides, attention turned towards radical defensive measures. Some
of these new concepts found their way into production and performed somewhat
admirably, such as the Me 262 and Ar 234. Others, while interesting in
concept, never made it off the drawing board. Some fell in between, such
as the subject of this book, the Bachem Natter. The Natter was a rocket-powered
vertically-launched interceptor that was designed to offer high-speed
local defense of key military targets. With its rocket armament (supplemented
by 30mm cannons) and rocket propulsion, it was thought that the plane
could quickly zoom to altitude, shoot down a bomber or two on the way
up, and then on the way down, ram a third. This was not a suicide mission,
though, as the pilot was provided with an ejection seat to throw him clear
of the aircraft before impact, allowing him to return to earth and fly
another mission.
This interesting concept managed to get off the drawing board and into
prototype production, with several test flights. While the basics are
known about the Natter, this is the first in-depth analysis of the project.
Done to the usual high standards of Classic Publications, this book provides
a thorough examination of the concept, development, and production of
the Natter. Complementing the well written text are plenty of photos,
well over 150 of them, many of which are new to me.
For those who are interested in these concepts of Germany during WW2,
this is a great book to have. While I am not a strong proponent of the
“Luft ‘46” material out there, this project has merit
as it actually entered a testing phase. While there are not many models
out there of the Natter, this book will present more than enough reference
for the modeler of this esoteric subject. My thanks to Specialty
Press for the review copy. |
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