The "Ta 152" was a special high-altitude fighter plane that was the pride of the German Air Force, which fought to the end as an ally of Japan during World War II.

At that time, Germany, like Japan, needed to counter enemy bombers such as the B-17, which flew across continents. Dr. Kurt Tank, chief designer at Focke-Wulf, advocated that "fighter planes should be war horses, not race horses," and the new aircraft developed based on the German Air Force's unique delicate yet bold design philosophy was completed as the Ta 152, named after the doctor. Only a few pre-production models, the H-0 and the H-1, were deployed in combat, and with their high turning performance due to their long and beautiful wingspan like a glider, they are said to have been able to compete on equal terms with the P-51D, the best fighter plane of World War II, which escorted enemy bombers.

What's important here is that while the Shinden aimed to revive the company with a revolutionary approach, the Ta 152 pursued high performance by sticking to a more orthodox style. This is exactly why it was called the "ultimate reciprocating fighter."

Historically, the only ace pilot of the Ta 152, Senior Sergeant Joseph Keil, was credited with shooting down a B-17.