The Heinkel He-162 is world-famous as one of the first jet fighters deployed at the end of W.W. II.
Far less well known is a further development of the He-162 Salamander, a piston engine trainer called the VF-163 Wallowmander.
The Soviets became concerned about the rising economic power and nascent military of West Germany. The Central Committee for Centralized Planning decreed East Germany should develop a native aircraft industry which would help equip the new
Air Forces of the National People's Army.
Not only would this give the East German economy a boost but it would also act as a brake on the budding Czech aircraft industry.
The Soviets turned over what remained of Heinkel's Rostock works to the newly-formed Volksflugzeugfabrik or VF. Not comfortable with East Germany producing combat aircraft, the Soviets ordered VF to produce an un-armed trainer.
The Volksflugzeugfabrik determined it would be best to adapt an already proven design for the task, so the ground-breaking He-162 jet was modified with a new power plant better suited to fledgling pilots.
A prototype was produced in record time from mostly non-strategic materials and first took flight a mere four months after the Volksflugzeugfabrik began work.
Officially given the drab designation VF-163, crews called it the Wallowmander due to its sluggish flight characteristics.
Under-powered and slow to respond to control inputs, the Wallowmander was universally unpopular, especially with those seeking the thrill and excitement of flying. However, the aircraft's laggardness was actually a feature, allowing trainee pilots time to correct their mistakes and land safely.
Not often seen nor widely known in the west, it was eventually given the NATO reporting name Mole shortly before the last aircraft was retired from service.
None survive today and the VF-163 is utterly forgotten save for this 1977 short
fun run kit that came in an un-marked box from a shadowy eastern-bloc maker who still wishes to remain anonymous.
Brian da Basher
