Quick Look: Messerschmitt Me 264 Amerika Bomber
Just received my copy of "Messerschmitt Me 264: Amerika Bomber" by Robert Forsyth and Eddie Creek.
This aircraft has long fascinated me, not for the 'Amerika Bomber' aspect by just because I love the sleek lines of this aircraft. Finding reference material has been an incredibly frustrating and largely fruitless quest - until now.
This volume contains nearly every photo I've ever seen of the Me 264, and quite a few new ones (to me.) There is a nice balance of pictures, schematics and text. Though I have only had a chance to skim the text, the coverage of this aircraft and its (possible) missions seems fairly complete and reasonable, with a minimum of "what if" that sometimes plagues books about Luftwaffe project aircraft. There are some small items (missing windows on layout drawings, a possible mislabelled photo of the interior) but then I'm a bit of a detail freak (for instance, I've never seen any mention of the fact that the Me 110 used a moving tailplane for trim and Flettner tabs on the elevators to ease stick forces in the 15+ books I have on that aircraft, but they are clearly evident in many photos of the aircraft.) I cite this example as the Me 264 also made extensive use of Flettner tabs; a more thorough read will be necessary to determine if the authors noted or explained this.
I am well satisfied with this volume, consider it an excellent addition to my library, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this beautiful aircraft. My usual sources in the US all told me the book would not be available until October or November, but I was able to get a copy from the Ian Allen Superstore in England (which I have absolutely no association with other than occasionally being a cuistomer.)
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