Book Review: "Mistel: The Piggy-Back Aircraft of the Luftwaffe" by Hans-Peter Dabrowski

The Mistel or "Misletoe" concept in Germany originated as a means of a powered aircraft being carried atop a DFS 230 troop glider as a means of propulsion, but matured as an offensive weapon, with a "piggyback" fighter being used to guide an unmanned, explosive-laden bomber towards a target. Although slim, this book does an excellent job of illustrating the various Mistel combinations employed by the Luftwaffe. There are numerous side view drawings, including DFS 230 with the Klemm 35, Focke-Wulf Fw 56, and the Bf 109. Next up are the Ju 88-based Schulmistel; stripped of unessential gear, the Ju 88s were fitted with huge shaped charge warheads to deal with armored ship targets. There are many photos, including several shots of groups of Mistels awaiting takeoff from Magdeberg.

There were also Mistels that never made it to the hardware stage - there are side-views of an Fw 190/ Ta154 combination, and an Me 262 with a bomb aimer in the nose, atop an unmanned -262, as well as the top view of an Me 262 atop a Ju 287 forward swept wing jet bomber.


Other Mistel References:
Ray Bonds Classic Fighters: The Inside Story  p.59: large photo of a Ju 88/ Fw 190 Mistel

Peter C. Boisseau  "Captured"   Air Classics  August 2003  Includes a side view of a captured Mistel 2.

Aviation Reviews, Photos and References

Review: "Luftwaffe: Secret Projects of the Third Reich"