In this video, we take a look at three proposed German aircraft from Messerschmitt and Lippisch during World War II, in the Messerschmitt Me 265, Me 329, and Lippisch Li P.04, all flyingwing or tailless heavy fighter designs. We first talk about the concept of a heavy fighter, from its early stages back in World War I, to the explosion in heavy fighter designs in the 1930's, to Germany's primary heavy fighter in the Messerschmitt Bf 110. We talk about the early stages of that project, its direct competition, and the quest for a successor.

We then talk about Alexander Lippisch, a German designer with a fascination for tailless and flying wing aircraft. We talk about his early career, his employment with Messerschmitt, and his multitude of attempts to succeed or compete with the successors of the Bf 110. We talk about, in order, the P.04, the Me 265, and Me 329, their increasing levels of progress, and why they ultimately failed in the face of more conventional, and sometimes inferior, designs.

Internet Archive Link to Book Mentioned: https://archive.org/details/proyectos...