Germany, May 6, 1945: JG 1, the only Luftwaffe wing equipped with the Heinkel He 162 fighter, is forced to surrender and hand over its aircraft to British forces. These unconventional machines and their valuable BMW jet engines are thoroughly examined. A few months later, seven of them fall into French hands.
Paris, 1946: The French Air Force General Staff dreams of jet-powered combat aircraft, but must contend with a tight budget, an aviation industry devastated by the war, and above all, the political agenda of the Air Ministry.
In an extraordinary and rather unexpected turn of events, the Heinkel He 162 introduces the French Air Force to the jet age, enabling the initial training of the first French military jet pilots and hundreds of mechanics. These technicians would go on to give the aircraft a particularly colorful end to its career, while preserving one surviving example from this remarkable chapter.
Following the volume dedicated to the NC 900 (the French-built Fw 190), this book reveals another SNCAC "achievement," drawing on previously unpublished documents and insights gained during the restoration of He 162 WNr 120015. This full restoration—which included bringing certain onboard systems back to working order—sheds light on the operation and deployment of this legendary aircraft, a surprising blend of cutting-edge technology and makeshift ingenuity.
Produced in collaboration with the Memorial Flight association, this 332-page book features over 500 photographs and color profiles by Yann Le Gal. It includes an appendix fully dedicated to scale modelers—complete with paint references used during the restoration, detailed French and German markings, and numerous dimensioned scale drawings—as well as an appendix for flight simulation enthusiasts, detailing all known flight parameters and the aircraft's original operating manual.
