WARPLANES OF THE LUFTWAFFE ; COMBAT AIRCRAFT OF HITLER'S A @ LUFTWAFFE 1939-1945 \ — z ee EDITED BY DAVID DONALDWARPLANES OF THE LUFTWAFFE EDITED BY DAVID DONALD BOOKSCONTENTS ARADO AR 68 ARADO AR 95 ARADO AR 196 Arapo AR 232 Arapo AR 234 Burz ARavo Ar 240 Bacuem Ba 349 NATTER BLouM UND Voss BV 138 BLouM UND Voss Ha 139 Boum UND Voss BV 141 BLOHM UND Voss BV 142 BLOHM UND Voss BV 222 WIKING BLonM UND Voss BV 238 DFS 230 Dornier Do 17/215 Dornier Do 18 Dornier Do 24 Dornter Do 26 Dornier Do 217 Dorner Do 335 Prem Frrsrter Fr 103 FIrseLer Fi 156 Storcu FIESELER Fr 167 FLETTNER Fr. 282 KOuBRI Fockr-ACHGELIS Fa 223 DRACHE Fockr-Wutr Fw 56 STOSSER Fockr-Wutr Fw 58 WEIKE Focke-Wutr Fw 187 Fockr-Wutr Fw 189 Uru Fockr-Wutr Fw 190/Ta 152 Fockr-WuLr Fw 200 Convor Fockr-Wutr Ta 154 Moskrro Gora Go 145 Goria Go 229 (HorrEeN Ho IX) Gorna Go 242/244 HemKet He 46 6 15 15 23 23 24 26 26 27 28 28 29 30 34 36 38 38 46 54 54 60 61 61 62 62 63 63 7 85 93 93 94 94 95 Hetnxer He 50 Henke He 51 Heike He 59 HerInKet HE 60 HEINKEL HE 100 Heike HE 111 HemKet He 114 HeINKeL He 115 HeINKEL HE 162 SALAMANDER Herken He 177 GRreir HeInKeL He 219 Unu HeINKEL He 274/277 HeINKEL He 280 HENSCHEL Hs 123 HENSCHEL Hs 126 HENSCHEL Hs 129 HENSCHEL Hs 130 JUNKERS Ju 52 JUNKERS JU 86 Junkers Ju 87 JuNKERs Ju 88 JUNKERS JU 188 Junkers Ju 252 JUNKERs Ju 287 Junkers Ju 290 Junkers Ju 352 HERKULES JUNKERS Ju 388 Messerscumirr Br 109 Messerscumirr Br 110 MESSERSCHMITT ME 163 KOMET MESSERSCHMITT Me 261 MESSERSCHMITT ME 262 SCHWALBE MESSERSCHMITT ME 321/323 MESSERSCHMITT Me 410 INDEX 96 96 97 97 98 98 107 108 113 120 128 135 135 136 138 140 147 148 156 158 168 180 188 188 189 195 195, 196 210 222 229 229 238 245 252Arado Ar 68 Development of the Arado Ar 68, which was to be the last biplane fighter t0 enter Honthine service with the Luttwatle, fol lowed on from the sole At 67. Reaching contemporary stan dards of ‘ffciency the airceate had an oval-scetion fuselage of stecl tube tion, with metal panel covering. the rear decking. and forward sec~ sions, The single-bay wings were fof wond, with plywood and fib- nic covering, The distmetive fn which was to be without exception in subsequent ned Arado designs, was untroduced on the At 6S svhich abo featured spatted land aerodyniam The prototype Ar 68a slew for the first time in 1934, pow cred by a BMW Vid 12-cylnder Vee engine which provided maximum continuous oupat of 410 RW (330 hp dlisyppoinung pertormance. The problern in the Ar 68b second procorype, Which was powered by a super charged 455-kW _(610-hp) Junkets Jumo 210 t2acyhnder inverted-Vee engiic, which both improved torward the cockpit and provided full power at higher Thive prototypes followed Ininal delve the BMW VI-p 0 the Lufiwatfe sored Ar 6BE=L nthe La mer of ‘omnia with TG 134 “Horse Wessel Deliveries of the Jumo 210Ea- powered Ar 68E-1 followed 1m During the winter of 1989-40, few Ar BBF-1s were used inthe night fighting role by 10. (Nachi)/dagdgeschwader 3'Pik As! This aircraft Carries the wing's famous ace of spades ba she spring of 1937, this variant being able co carry six small bombs on an undenfusclage rack By the outbreak of World War I, most surviving Ar 68s had been relegated to advanced Fighter trainer status swith th. jadihiegerschulen (fighter pilot schools), where they operated for some while. However, a few Ar Fs were serving ws might-ight ers with IL/G 2 and 3.1G along the French border, while 10. (Nachrjaed)/JG 33 had Ar sts at Heilbronn quickly re-equpped during svuater of 1939-30) de. Specification Arado Ar 68©4 Types nae the Powerplant: 16201 Performance: © 4.305 Weights: erty 1240 kg 4.057 Dimensions: sear 1 00 38. Arado Ar 95 Dypl Ing Waker Blame designed the Arado Ar 95 in 1935 for set= vice in the coastal patrol, reco rassance and light atack roles, A two-seat ewin-float seaplane, it was of all-metal construction, with parallel-chord wi were attached to ccntre=seetions of unequal chord and thickness This unusual feature was ancend= ed to provide exsier acces to the cockpits from the lower wing: toot, which was thicker snd of wider chord, and improved Upward visibality was t0 result from the thinner and nactower upper surface, The single-step floats were strut-braced to the faselage and wing centre-section The twin cockpits were enclosed by a diding canopy, the rear end lete open to pertait the us emia (0-31-in) machine fun, supplementiny 4, Staffel Seeaufhlirunasaruppe $25 was the main Ar operating ‘gi fvng the type song the atic eoast In support of the German advance through Estonia Sind Uatvia. This airerat'sarmed ‘ith $C 50 bombs. forwatd-firing weapon mounted in the upper fisclage Ta 1937 the frst prororype was own, powered by an 636-kW s8ichp) BMW. 132De der engine. The second was fitted with the S15-kW (690-bp} Junkets Jumo 210 12-cylinder ind both machines were Cvaluited compertively with £0 prototypes of the Focke-Wulf Ew. 62 single-foae seapline Although the BMW-powered version was adjudged worthy of farther development, and a batch of six protatype and pee tion atctatt served a tral period with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Chal War, the Ar 95 was not imimedhately adopted for German military use Undaunted), Arado offered the prodc= dlesign for export asthe Ae 98W flougplane, ordered by Turkey m 1938, and ae the Ae 95L with fixed, spatted landing gear, which was the subject oF Chilean onder. The latter was fulfilled poor to the beginning of Word War I, but the frustrated Turkish aircraft were instead diverted 10 the Luftwatte under the designation A 983A. scein on costal ree They were in aztigned tp: 3i/Secaul sppe 125 opersang 18 the Baltic, and in 194) partet- pated in operations off the coast OF Latvia and Estonia, The rat then operated in the Gulf of Finland, and were reassigned t0 SAGr 127, The Ar 198 wis an ranslccessfilartempt to provide hassance work ‘vaio Ar 954-4 of 2/SAGr 125, Baltic Sea, summer 1944 care tomedo bomber and pateolsirerstt. Specification sl ae a es (50-00 fake-ot 3660 4g (7870 i) Dimonsione: Armament! °° fsArado Ar 196 Ithough ic exerted only « minor influence on World War Il the Arado Ar 196A. was nevertheless an important type Possessed of quite a useful performance, and remarkably heavi- amed — eypically with two cannon and three machine erved all rovind the reas of Hitler's Europe and was also the cl atcraft ivy, the biggest battleships (Biomande and Tip The fine shipboard aircraft ofthe resurrected Getman navy wi the Heinkel He 60, a conventional biplane. AIl such aircraft had to be steed for eatspule launching, posuibly while the ship was « pitching in a heavy sea, and fi recovery by crane alter alghting on the open ocean, The main purpose was short I, reseue of owned aircrew and example in anti-partian operat secondary duties By 1936 it was cle Heine subsequer sibly with severe wa ance, but coastal pat ound force importane was becoming outdated uc the resulting He 114 proved to have nd seakeeping qualities andto be deficient in other ny te iieation of the He 114, ie was decided in about Ocraber 1 was invited to produc tremely poor lydrodynaic 4 fresh specification and se erke or the Focke= Wall company could offer a Wulf produced a conventional biplane in th at the Arido offering was a a low-mouned monoplane, with (urprisi The Kriegsmarine and Reichsluftahreminiseriun he aircraft should be powered by a BMW 132K ni dial engine of 716 KW (960 hp) (virtually the same as th ott He 114), Ie was further stipulated that prototypes had to be produced float atl stall stabilising ly submitted to be the mor with twin floats and with a single ven floats under the wingtips. The two aval drawings an igs and the Ar 1) stmavtive. Two prototypes of the Fw 62 were ordered but four were ordered of th With works numb the fint ovo (Ar 196 V1 and V2) wore Acseries as, while V3 and V4 were che Beseries niaclines with a central at, All were registered as civil aurraft (respectively D-IEHK, IHQ1L TERE and OVMB supanies A pair of Arado Ar 1968-35 0f 2/SAGr 128 fying from their B ‘during the late summer of 1983. Ar 1-equipped Seeaulala ‘gruppen operated in the Mediterranean, Norway and on the Front. The Ar 196A3 was the most numerous ofthe aircrafts subtypes, ‘and incorporated a number of structural improvervents, hr the pr crim aircraft, Their engines 657-KW (S40-hp) BMW wer De type, driving a Schwarz evo bladed propeller. As originally buile the fits aircrafe had twin exhaust pipes which were led round under che left side of the fuselage. Later the standard arrangement was twin shorter pipes discharging equally 0 left and right of the ventral centreline. ‘The covling fitted the et tightly, sith blisters valve gear, and colin by trailing-edge hinged gills. Overall the ai modification, the only visible change between the first two prototypes In many ways the ‘eyes of the Kriegsmarine, the Arado Ar 196 had Superb water and fight handling characteristics. During its early career its heavy armament made it the scourge of lumbering enemy maritime ppatrolers, although this was steadily reversed as the war progressed.Arado Ar 196 being elimination of the balance hor slight The VI was bladed VDM constant-specd propel at the top of the rudder ani Iso later fited with the three- that was made standard. Very the oats, the water rudlers being ications were mad Thus, V2 and V3 wete similar apart feom the latter's arrangement. V4, however, was fitted w ing floats, wich a simpler arrangement of struts. Ie ako was the frst, Ar 196 10 be fitted with armament, comprising a 20-mm MG FF can: ron in each wing, dram which left a blister in the underside, plus a si ‘machine-gun in the right side of the forward fiselage with its muzzle firing through the forward ring of the engine cow! (at about "8 o'clock’ seen from the front), and a small container on the underside of each outer wing, just for a single SC kg/110-Ib) bomb, The four seapkines were carefully evaluated at Travemtinde in 1937-38, but it proved difficult to decide which was the preferred float arrangement, The central float was considered preferable in oper ations from choppy water, but the stabilising floats of the version could exsily dip suring take-off, resulting in pron asymmetric drag and causing tncky problems, In the event, though a farther B-series prototype was buil (the V5, D-IPDB), it was decided to standardise on the cwin-float arrangement and this was used on the 11) Ar 196A-0 pre-production aircraft which were delivered from th Wamemande fictory from November 1938. streamlined joatbourd of the eannor Conventional design Seructurally the Ar 196 was conventional to the point of bein traditional. While the wing was a two-spar allemetal stressed-skin ‘omponent, the fuse nd a strong fiamework of welded steel rabes wath light formers and stangers support ‘which was light alloy from fabric from thenc ‘cockpit and to the ail. The tail was a stresed-skin structure but with the movable surfaces covered with fabric. The floats w Alclad light alloy. Fucl was carried in two 300-litre (66-Imp tanks, one in each float, with the s passing up he forwar gs Fortning ladder with which th climb up t the ‘ockpit. Each wing carried slotted flaps and Fletmer tabbed ailerons, and wes arranged to fold to the rear, undersurfic about a skewed hinge very close to the root. Folding the sitared disconnecting the wing/float bracing struts The crew comprised pilot atid an ol normally faced af lose together. A continuons gl ated prote erver/gunmer. The latte se tank the seats were wed canopy covere pits, th pilot having a section sliding to the rear and the observer slid Portion which originally could closed. In che produ tion versions the rear cockpit could not be totally enclosed, but wind defleccors avoided any discomfort and the de made it easier to aim the rear armament, which in the initial Ar ind as there was no fase The fist and second prototypes of the Ar 196 had conventional twin floats, while the third, fourth and fifth prototypes (for the B:serfes) had ine ain loatan the carte win tabling ts under he Wings. The unarmed second alreraftis shown here undergoing ® atau launch ee This view of the prototype Ar 196 shows the twin-loat layout that, became the standard. Th hoon balance onthe nudder was discarded for the V2, which was similar apart from ths and changes tothe water Indes: Both airraft lew inthe sunimer of 1837 196A-1 version comprised a single 7,92-mm MG 15 machine-gun with seven 75-round siddle-type magaaines, The forward-tning ari nent was omitted, the wo SC 50 bombs were retained. The engine was changed for the definitive BMW 132K, driving bladed propeller with no spinner. A great deal of operational equip= iment was added in the production A-i version, including catapult y strengthened), large smoke canisters tm ammunition and Bares spook (the structure being, loc in the floats, and also eme in the aft part of the floats From the start the Ar 196A was extremly popular. Its performance was adequate, handling was superb nl in the a its rehab ‘and the view from the cockpits very good despite the low-mounted wing Deliveries of the first 20 of the A-1 version started in June 1939. All this batch were asigned to Bordifliegerstaffel 1/196 and 5/196, first to catapult of the pocket battleship Adnisal Graf Spee. This sailed for the south Atlantic tn mid-August 1939, and on 13 December of that year encountered three (much less powerful) cruisers of the Royal Navy. Captain Lingedort? perhaps should have launched his brand-new seaplane, cone of the 9 to sea being mounted on the which could then have directed the fire of his 28-cm (L1-in) guns, while he steamed out of range of the British cruisers, Instead he closed with the Botish vessels, soon suffering crippling damage. As hick The Ar 19€ Vs (illustrated) and Vs tested the single main float arrangement Although this and the twin float arrangement had many Sdvantages, ihe overall water handling ofthe twin system was deemed {fo be more important than the choppy water Randling characterises of the singledn Arad Ar 1968-3 0f 161 Estadra, Royal Bulgarian Airfore. This unit flew the rao for Black Sea tos from the base at Aaa between fate 1942 and the summer of 7344 Mlesst one Bulgarian father te County's a force ‘nuscam The only other ‘ipo customer was Romania would have it, the very firs salvo from the British ships struck the Gu Spee’s catapult and destroyed the Ar 196A-1 that right have sumed the tables Subsequently, additional seaplanes replaced the He 60 in shore uns as well av aboard all the Kricgsmatine’s major surface warships The very severe winter of 1959-40 delayed flight testing from War jmnde, but che 20 A-Ix were fallowed from November 1939 by the Ar 196A-2 version. This was intended for a wider spectrum of tiuves than shipboard reconnaissance, Operating from shore bases 1 twas expected to range over the North Sea and Baltic looking for shipping to harass and hostile airerafe co destroy, and it was fitted with the forward-firmg armament, The MG 17 was installed in the right side of the nose. a in the V4 prototype, and two MG FP cannon were also fitted, installed in an improved way which left the win Indersrface undisturbed, the ammninition drum causing only a mod ‘ot blister in the top of the wing. The pilot could clect to use the MC 17 only. Though the n0f expected to be used very much, the sannon also gave the ‘of moral superiority, with che Knowledge thar ch ld probably shoot down any hostile sirraft it was likely to encounter aver the open dees Ar 196s were active over most European waters, rom Norway to the Mediterranean. This Ar 0643 belonged fo 1. Bordiliegergruppe 198 Operational n the Bdniatic n 1963. The aircraft often scouted ahead for Warshins, spotting targets at long range and warning of danger. Above: Ar 1968.15 were delivered for the shipborme patrol mission, 20 of Which were followed by the Ar 1068-2 (ilustrated). Intended for the Eoastal patrol mission, ese were the firs aircraft (0 feature the Torwaret firing armament for nuisance atiacks against vessels.Arado Ar 196 Inevitably the empry and gros weights kept rising, but the Ar 196 never became sluggish or difficule co handle. In 1940 the factor delivered 98, this total including the first few of 24 of a version designated Ar 1964-4, This replaced the A-1 aboard the warships difering in having the forward-fring armament and also the addition al FuG 162 radio, A further change was that the Schware propeller was repliced by 4 VIM pattera with a spinner, a8 fitted t0 the modi- fied V1 prototype The V4 was also slightly stron joard use, On. 26 May 1941 the great battleship 2 Ar 196A-45 in an Command Catalina flying-boat that sas looking for the b ink launched AF Co: leship 35 tempt to destroy or drive away the ‘ it raced for a home port. They did not succeed, and the 'Cat™ called up Swordfish tompe gear, sealed the shup ‘On thi aft which, b Bismarck’s steering crip 28 May) wo A. ntly occupied Aalbor seaplanes from Denmark, spot ibmatine, HMS Seal, which had been damaged by 4 mine in the Kattegat. Unable to dive, the Britsh sub tmarine had eo lie helplessly on the surface while an A-2 flown by t Gouther M eis attacked with cannon and two bombs. When ned in th ns alighted i Submarine surrendered, Me ¢ took on board the submarine's commanding officer, aking hit back to Aa Definitive A-3 variant Production in 1941 comprised 97 Ar 196s, almost all being of the definitive Ar 196A-3 sub-type, which incorporated a few further stractural changes and additions to the equipment, Production in 1942 totalled 94 A-3s, and between July 1942 and March 1943 Gelivered from SNCA du Sud-Ouest at B St Nazaire). The parent factory delivered 83 seaplanes in 194 A boing of the final main production model, the Ar 196A. rad a much more eflecive rear armament, comprising an MG 812, fwin-gun installation, with automatic mas balance and no fewer than ) rounds ina continuous pair of belts, The MG 81 fired at 1,800 rounds per minate per gun. Other changes included the FuG 25a and Liter the FuG 1 Ils the FuG 16Z, radios, Cockpit insu mentation was improved and there were other minor changes In summer 1943 the F ks at Amsterdam was brought in wild the A-S version, producing 69 by termination an August 1944 Bordfiegerstaffe 1/196 and 5/196 wore the two.units responsible for providing aireraff for naval vessel, based intially at Wilhelmshaven and ‘Kiet Holtenaw, This aucraftis sen om board the Prinz Eugen heavy cruiser The Ar 196 was designed to meet a requirement to replace floatptanes board large ships of the Kriegsmarine. Here one ofthe prototypes Is {ested aboard a ship. in operation thesireraft was catapulted into the alt Tor take-of and hotsted back on board the ship after a sortie.$$ Right An Arado Ar 1968-3 of {(Bordfiegerstaffe! 196, operating in tine Lore lands during Febrirary ruppe strength as Bordfigergruppe Ti6 tt theee StafelersArado Ar 196Arado Ar 196 Arado Ar 196A-5 2./SAGr 125 Eastern Mediterranean 1943Arado Ar 196 ‘These colourful national markings help to identify this Arado hr 1964-3028 an alterat of the Romanian Excadrila 102, Flotite de hidroaviatie. This unit operated from Odessa in late 1943 under the Aufidavungsfohrer Schwarzes Meer West The Ar 196A was afso operated by. Romania’s Escada 10, Flotila de hidroaviatie. The Ar 196s were Usually escorted by Romanian fighters; usually the AR 80s of {the 46th fighter squadvon. SS At Warhemtinde production’ was terminated in Marels delivery of 1944 after the of the A-5 version, bringing the total production of all versions co 541, including the 10 A-Os and five prototypes. Almost all this considerable total operated fom shore bases, mainly with Sceautkliningsenuppen, often in amits party equipped with the BV 138 flying-boat. Two of the chief units were pruppen of SAGr 125, based fist in the Baltic and later fro Constanza for operations over the Black Sea, and SAGr 126 based on Crete and other locations for operations over the easter Mediterranean and Balkans. Other tants included SAGr 128, which operated aver the western part of the Channel and the Bay of Biscay, and SAGe 131 which operated off the west couse of Norway until the autumn of 1944, Further Ar 196 sea planes flew over the Black Sea with the 101st and 102nd coastal Feconnaisance squadrons of the Royal Romanian air force, as well as the 161st coastal squadron of the Bulgarian air force. Most of these ‘operations ceased by the late simmer of 1944 as a result of the west ward movement of the Exstem batletron Tn 1940-41 Arado abo built a small number of Ae 196B-0 sea planes with the single central float configuration, Otherwise similar co the A-2, the Beseries was for a time on the strength of Bordflegenstatfel 1/196 at Welhelmshaven. There was also a project ar an Ar 196C, which would have been improved in equipment and n streamlining, but ‘An Ar 196 in flight, canrying a $0-kg (110-16) SC-50 bomb under each wing. The aircraft aso had two 204mm MG FF cannon anda 7S:mm MG 17 machine-gun fring forward, and a 7.9-mmm MG 17 nthe rear cockpit ‘The crew of a2/SAGr 125 Ar 1964-3 prepares for launch from their Crote bs the summer of 1943 AS the wa neared ison he Ar 198 ‘gradually disappeared fram service, although a few served ight through. It was to be the last fighting floatplane builtin EuropeArado Ar 232 Arado Ar 2324-0 serving with Transportfiegerstaffel§ on Special transport dates in fate 196% of 4 transport aieraft to sigment and sltimately replace the venerable and ubigui~ fous Junkers Ju 52/3m. A ci engined design, the Arado At 232 was to feature a podeand boom fuselage with a hydra caly-opersted ree loading door Fehad a novel arrangement of 11 pain of sll wheel used to sup Onin eng Sagem U7 SIN por the fuselage during loading agit 69m ie froin, wing sea ani unoading operations the ~ the last transport to Teave the BAW Bono 22rd it BE 835 600 Weights: empry 12802 kg 128,224 Tacmnum takeot 21 tab 09 a Dimensions: ssi 23.59 ‘n gyle main nding gear having. belegured gumson. Some 20 Ar Same | Amumant ow \dnm a5. been parally raised by means of 2328-0 production aircraft were Performance: masinum apess.34) 131 machine-gun inthe rose: one oF Iwo duc ans delivered, serving with the cusng wena seolnnanmpns — Rieasequsereeenssmn te The first two prototypes, Erginzungs von na Bower opersted own in 1941, were each pow- and then Transportthegerstaliel 3 fered by ewo 1193-KkW (1,600- (later redesignated 14./ 1G 4) Jp) BMW 801MA radial engines, This unit flew many special mis- but the insatiable demands of the sions into Soviet territory Focke-Wulf Fw 190 production Survivors were passed to HUKG lines necessitated a change of 2) in March 1945, but only one engine for subsequent aircraft. aircraft survived the end of hom The selection of the lower-pow= tities ered BMW-Bramo 3238 meant that foue engines were needed, and the third aircraft ingoduced a 1.70-m (eft 7-in) span to acconimodate them ramsport Gruppe 2000 m (S60 celing 6000 se! PPS (20248 range 1660 (656 ilest The twinengined Ar 232 V2 is Both the Vi and V2 prototypes etme the ea ser? were operated by the Lattwatte (Milipege) on account efits ‘nto Stalingrad, one acre being Hnusual undercantage Arado Ar 234 Blitz I November 194), many Britsh officals thought che de Havilland however, was roomy, comfortable and well laid out, and was pres smpany mad as it began Aight testing a new reconnaissance and surised by engine bleed bomber aircraft that was thought to have such a high performance The challenging demand for a combat range of 2200 km (1,36: that i needed no defensive armament, How amazed they would have mies) meane that almost the entire fuselage aft of the cockpie had to heen had they been able to travel eastwards to the German company be accupied by fuel the tanks being filled through the top of the fase Ando Flugreugwetke, where engineers Walter Blume and Hans lage. All fight controls were manually operated and conventional, die Rebeski were bewinning the design of an unarmed reconnaissance air- ailerons being of the sharp leading-edge Frise type and the elevators nf planned to fly even faster and higher than the fumous Mosquito, and rudder having prominent mast balances pliv'a combined balance twas to be able to do this because its engines were to be turbojets, weight in the fuselage. ‘The uailplane incidence could be varied for evolutionary new engines then in the early stages of testing at the tnmming purposes by a lange lever in the cockpit, driving a serewjuck BMW and fankers companies Inboard and outboard of the engines were hydraulically actuated plain They submitted to the Air Ministry technical stlf their E 370 pro- flaps with a maximum of 45° for landing, Le was planned that the big poul in carly 1941. With it came vanous more radical schemes, but it reconnaissance cameras would be carried in the rear fuselage was the relatively conventional 370 that was to be accepred and ‘The one feature that was truly unconventional was the [andi awarded the ‘8 seres type number 234, gear. With the benefic of hindsight one can sce that there should have Predictably, it was an extremely clean and straightforward aitcraft of been no serious problem, but the Arado desigh team could see no Way allemetal streysed-skin construction, with a smooth fushoriveted exte= = nor skin. The tapered wing was mounted on top of the slender fuse~ esa = ss] lage, and the two engines were undersang below the wing in neat nicelles about the same distance from the centreline that one might, have expected with a piston engine. In the extremte nose was the sin- pleseat cockpit, the entire nose being glazed with Plexiglas. The pilot got aboard by pulling down a retractable step on the let sie, clam- bering up kick-in steps up the left side and entering via the root hate This hatch could be jettisoned, but there was no ejection seat and emergency escape was a doubtful proposition. The cockpit its The Luftwaffe's second jet in service, the Arado Ar 234, was also the World's first jet bomber. This captured aircraft fs an Ar 23482, the definitive produetion variant that was eapable of flying bombing or ‘reconnaissance missions. The projection above the cockpit is 2 bersicopie sight which could serve the optional rearward firing armament, as well as giving the plot his only view afArado Ar 234 Blitz The first prototype Ar 24V1 Shows the clean lines of the type, The initial prototypes splayed afetuisonable launching trolley a fanding skids. The farge glazed nose area gave the Crew superb visibilty. Nate le tail bumper to protect the rear fuselage. to fig a normal undercarriage, With the shim fuselage fall of fel there ‘was no room for retracted main gears a6 Well, nor could Landing gears be accommodated in the jet nacelles or wing, the high wing mean 18 woutld have t© be very long. The company therefore proposed vations unconventional arrangements, and the Air Ministry staff selected one of the most unusual. On take- oft the A 234 was to ride on a large che land on a-centeal ski, with small stabilising skids under the en that ordinary wing-mouiced wheeled eolley, It would Engine trouble The engine selected was the 109-0044 being developed by Junkers. Construction of the Ar 234 V1 first protorype began in the spring of 141, Junkers having promised delivery of engines in about 10, months. Work at Anido'’s Warnemunde factory went ahead rapidly but the eng " flight testing untal March 1942. What is very curious is that, whereas two O04AS powered the fire Me 262 in July 1942, Arado did not sngine until February 1943, and could not By the 234 ne sulfered very serious delays and did not even be VE uel 15 Jan By this time, he enginelessairfame had been waiting for 18 months, Arado considered beginning might cesting ting piston engines, but there was madequate propeller ground clear mice. [Fa conventional kuiching gear had been adopted this problem would not have arsert; and if Junker had delivered engines much ear Tier, this outstanding aircraft Would have been availble up (0 a year sslier anal in greater numbers As it was, ihe flying qualities of the 234 proved to be delightful Based! at Rivvine, under chief test pilot Selle, the programme un- carthed hardly any shortcomings, and for the start every pilot who had nothing but pense for its bi although i took up to 10 test fights with each aireraft before the ailerons could! be 1997 the RLM had ale fr am enlaged Do 172 with mach entice el sy alles scape any af ege ofcapios sad equally gape a eel cr dive bombing Ft fn it Angus 1938, tne Do 217 Vi was pow trod by BOSEWY (?S-hp) DB OIA engnes bus despite solar eppesraee to the Loe 17/21a: ie aa erally new depo, Te soon that i we lo plessng © By and net cred bu ve praca: eoetnued, Proennpes fs? -wite Junkers Jum 211A end TRIW 139 engin btere the bg BMW BO ws nthe Do 247 ‘V9 prowiype of fenunry 1940, By ti de handling was aceepeble, {bur the unique dive bas svhich ops ike gant crow a the exe el, caused ene i Realy rd- 1941 fering brakes nd boon ted and sever a traf st, re RLM abandoned ts stance thatthe Heavy Do 307 hao Bea dive-bombe Theft act into service was the batch of eight Bo 217A, Opal Dehvered to tit Spec unit in th peng of 194 tquviler Do 2176 bomber did ot and i As Tpaned the ony cramps ofthe “tine bouy. 217s Tn cay 1940 the V5 protorype appe the leading edges of the fins being slot a8 The Do 217 v4 Mustrates the arly thimbody ‘confauration of the bomber ftwas the fist prototype ‘with armament. modified bomber with a much deeper fuselage throughout its length Entering service in late 1940, the Do 247B-1 was the fist ‘deep- body’ model, able to carr nb Toad of 4000 kg (8.818, Ib), of which 2517 ky (5,550 Ib) was inside the bomb bay. A bandfal {0 fly, but still 3 mtost effective bomber, the Do 217E=1 had a ha hheld 20-mm MG FF in the nose, used by KG 40 against ships in the Atlantic, and seven MG (3s, The Do 217B-2 introduced the EDL [31 electric dorsal turret with the excellent MG 131 gun, a hand aimed MG 131 being in the ventral position, a fited MG 131/15 fr Ing ahead and three hand-aimed MG. 15s completing the defence although R19 (dhe 19th in the Rusttse senes of field kits) added twin br quadruple MG 81 machine af from the talcone. Other Rustetze added barrage cable cutters and various weapon kis, by far the biggest of which hung two Hs 293 anti-ship missiles under the wings, with Keh/Strasbuirg radio. command guidance link. The firs itional missile canier was the Do 217E-5, flown by H/KG 100,‘Animpostan aircraft inthe development ofthe Do 217 was this Do Tilt, which tested the strange cruciform fa airbrake. The rangement worked well ere, but not on the 217 which went into action with increasingly de ctfoce British ships From 25 August 1943 Kamplgeschwwader 2 was the only Do 217Fs Netherlands against Britain had been the fist oper porated from bata in the par inthe file Bia? in 1988 Do 217E, begiani Apa 1943, I/KG 100 equipped wick the Do 217E-S/146 293 comb while II/KG 108 operated the Do 217K-3/0% L400, Othe tis hich operated the type were 1 and II/KO. 66 for bombe epeaons, an Veraciskornmando/KG 200, which flew the eypes Ise operations! sore on 12 April 1985 when Do 217F-3s unchod E29 clde bor omsns biden over the Oder With the Do 2136 subetypes, Dore Do 217 fimily into service, and all subsequent models proved ade- quate but generally and, a eof the Do 217K-2, severely Underpowered. Despite thi, ecice of the 1491-KW (2,000. hp) engines thar were needed, Dornier proposed in early VL 1 develop a night intruder fighter version. The main, and obvious, Above: Seen in late 1962, his ‘aircraft is a Do 2176-4 of It Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40. This group had been the frst to put the Do 217E into action, Employed on ante-shipoing, fluties agains the Britis, Note the faterarfring MG 151n the aft portion ofthe fight deck Right: A Do 2176-2 runs its fingines prior toa test fight before delivery. The E-2 added fan IG 131 in an electrically perated dorsal turret in Ue rear ofthe Might deck, greatly enhancing defensive armament ASimiar weapon was housed ‘he ventral step position. Dornier Do 217 Left: This Do 2176-2/R19 of 2/KG 2 hhas two remotely controlled 73:mim (021m) MG EF machine-guns inthe fitcone. A complete reworking of the basic design introduced the Do 2176, with 4 uch deeper fuselage fo allow the carriage of large bomb loads. This Aircraft isthe sixth pre-production Do 21760 hs in the Do 217J night-tighter was the nose. tn pane. Plesigl the Jet fad which swere installed four 20-mm MG FF canon a MG 17 machine-guns. The E-2's aft defensive amument, m MG 131 and a hati-aimed MG 131 an tl position, was retained unchanged. The J February 1942. Crews liked is firepower and endurance, but seather heavy brave which was shiggsh eh Called fo and rieeded bigger arfelds th were More serious wis han 1041-42 most Luftwaffe night-fight od that such new gimmicks were omprsing vente Radar fighter Domier has no record of the fist flight ofa De 217J-2, with Fut 242 Lichtenstein BC radar, but st was probably in the spring. of 1942, The J-2 was a definitive night-fighter, not an intaucer, the bormb bays beinig sliminated. The J-2 was lighter than previous Da 217 versions, partes of radat antenmis the Aight performatice was almost the combat msi Despite is flown before 194 cr, the corresponding Daimiler Benz night fighter, the Do 247N, flew 3s carly as 31 fuly 1942, the DB 603 engine installation having been designed in 1941. Production Do 2AFNeAs hevan to reach the Lutewafte sn January (43. By this time critical feedback about the 217) had been going on for many months. and the NJG crews were disappointed to find the Nel incogporated hone of their mostly obvious recommendations, This was largely because the REM, and Erhard Mulch sn particular, diallowed any modifications that would reduce output or increase costs, By mid nnd al 1543, however the UI conver Dornier had switched to the N-2. produced on set with which modified. The chief changes were to remove the dorsil eurrct and lower rear gun gondola and add wooden fairngs, The reduction in dig and removal of some 2 tones (2.2 tons) of weight raised flightLeft: Ground crew manhandle a bomb towards the waiting bay ofa Do 276-1, The aircraft Wears crue Wellenmisster Scheme, indicating a primar overwaler rote. The Bo 176 fad’a long bomb bay which reached from aft ofthe ventral Step fo the fuselage cross. ‘marking. Normal internat Iaads consisted of eight 250-49 (31-16) bombs, four 500kg (4102-1) bombs oF 3 ombination of two 1000-ky (2,205.10) and two 250-h (Girth) weapons. Below: The combination ofthe dorsal turret and aterslfiring Weapons gave a good field of fire butall were operated by, Just the radio operator. to a usefil level, maximum sp eding 5M) k/h (310 mph). With the devastating armament ot MG 151s and four MG 175 firing ahead, and four more MG 15} n opwvards, the De 217-2 seas mprovement over he J-1, and soon appeared with the FuG 220 Lichtenstein SN-2 radat, By 1944, 217)s and Ns were scattered over , Germany and the occupied countries, serving with /NJG Taster Front. Only 361 Do 217Js and Do 217Ns wi Jelivered, and they had fided from che NJG (night-fighter wings) font line by mid 1944 The neXt major bomber version was the Do 217K-1, which began re off production in about October 1942. It was sitilar 0 Inter E-series. and ic was bkewise intended for night bombing. Th ily significant changes were fitting BMW SDID engines, giving a thaximum power of 1268 kW (1,700 hp), and a redesign of the for- ward fuselage. There had been nothing particularly wrong : original cockpit of the Do 172/215/217E, but Domier ~ influenc bby Junkers’ development of the Ju 88B/18 ~ developed a nose si lir'to that of the He 177, with the front glazed part continued up t the top of the Faselage. Tihis had the slight drawback of making the pilot look ahead throngh Plexiglis on which he tended to mis focus his eyes, especially when the panes reflected lighted parts of th cockpit. Initully, the K-t had MG S1Z twin 7.92-m rose, two single MG Sis firing to the sides/rear, an MC dorsil niret and another MG. 131 in the rear ven 7 vo more MG Sis were added firing to the sides, was possible to ft ne FLI9 installation of one or two MG BIZ. firing astern but it was more common to bave the R25 instllatic ing parachute. Not many K-is were built, a {with underwing racks for no fewer than Above: A marshall waves outa IM/KG 2 Do 2176-4 fora mission. Visible {nthe nose glazing isthe MG 15 operated by the navigator bombardier, Lind befous the glazing athe barrel forthe ficed MG. 191/15 cannon, Simed by the plot. Bo 21%s Intended primarily forthe ant-shipping imission had this fatter weapon replaced by a 20-mm MG FE. Si) Above: To safeguard against non-delivery ofthe BMW engines Dornier SSdanted the K:madel to take the DB 609A engine as the Do 217M, both With a redesigned nose packed with guns, the Do 2174 was the night- Being similar in performance and produced in parallel Ths example fighter/intrater version of the Do 217. This example, the Do 2174.2, beliylanded in good condition during a 1944 attack on London, and was ‘iffered rom the Jt by having radar fitted and the homb bay deleted. Subwequently repairedAbove: Do 217E-2 of &/KG 40, based at Sareaurdenignse Foran shipping ight: Do 2176-5 of 1KG 100, carrying IheHensche! Hs 293 guided bomb under {he ETC 2000 X11 wing racks KG2 became the only Geschwaler tobe completely ‘quipped vith the Do 217. Originaty beginning placement of the Do 172 in 1941, KG 2 pulled back from the Russian Front and relocated to {he Netherfands for bombing ameant shinning shes ovr fe Marth Sen. The wing ta {hore until September 1945, aking partin numerous cross: Chanel operations, including Operation Stemnbock, the so- led Titie Bitz" of Janvary THs mounted by Hitter as 0 Ieprisal forthe RAP's nightly ‘bombing raids. Here, Do 277s OfllIKG 2 taxi out from Gil: Rijn in March 1942. Other KG 2 aircraft were at Eindhoven. | _Running 4 few weeks ater in ming, the De: 217K-2 was the capacity was ited into the forward borub bay, To catry the greatly B heaviest of all production 217s, at 16850 ke (37,147 Ib). [twas specifi-_ increased weight, the outer wings were estensed in span from 19 10 | cally developed to carey the FX 1400 radio-controlled heavy bomb, 24.8 m (62 ft 4in to 81 fe in), and handling and overall performance the He 11TH having been found not really soitble for the task. The remained satisfactory. Almost all K-2s had the R19 fiting of ewin MIC masive bombs, ao known as ‘Prite X°, were slung on special racks $1Z gum (four in all) in the tail, and some even had an MG SIZ under the inner wings, An extta fel nk of L0elitee firing aft from the tail of each engine nacelle Dornier Do 217 variants upper ‘ines FUG P12 racer voaueed Do 217 vi: sypeotnew BO RATE Ry 2iINaut Gnizged, powered by DB GO3A 3 Bo 217 V2 ss VB: sect Do 217 Va: fourh potonoe v Do 217K v1": Do 217 VIE: ‘th otic nen ron fuse Do 217P vi: igre and ong Dest be sobueeiee mere nek topese area cing our Do 217 V7 oy: Var“ 2 port ng 2 rn AO cal vndovede secon fred by SW 19 aca 2. RO ‘ema engi Do 217 VB: prtotoe fo" Do 2 sso nstalton, a ‘gency Sngry pore. RB, RS R13. RIG ood RIP soy SRN ns AVG cor fobs ITD wach ed R26 ich nace» Do 217P V2 ans Vs Do 217-0: shoe Do 217K 3: Be 2176-0: 8 bi mpoversa pe Do 2176-0: p00 bomoer aaa oan tea Bo 378." Do 2176-1: posicion nombe wath OB 8 SRR sewores | Bestia caansgiaeisDornier Do 217 Dornier Do 217K-1 cutaway drawing key 5 The strange Do 217P V1 (illustrated) featured a DB 605T engine in the fuselage that supercharged tne wing-mounted engines. Combined with {ine pressurised cabin, this gave the Do 217P a ceiling of 16150 (33,000 1) ints pre-production Do 217°. fcDornier Do 217 Intended primariy asa night-bomber, the Do 217K-1 introduced BMW Even ighs, deighe reall nse WecieatncaaeA A OF 01D radials and redesigned forwar fuselage, gving the areraft a en seta aes Dulbous [ook by eliminating the stepped cockpit This aircraft wears the chee abs, a with all the | the feeling was thar there was ‘badge of Luftflatte 2 on the nose. mich aeroplane fo the avaible wing are and pow ink, had che FuG 203c or 208d Kehl IV with which the bomb aimer intended for fight at high altitudes, Fint to be started, as an ent cou cither FX 1400 or the smaller Hs 293A winged bomt the 193940 Bomber B requires isthe De 317. This wae Th production Do 2 ily was the M bombers. basically a 217 with DB 1 with four banks totalling Seructually, these were similar co eatlier Versions; it fet, the fist Do 24 cylinders and giving a maximum power of 1984 KW. 2,66 217M. K-1 fied with Daimler Benz DB 603A liquid- each, and with a four-seat pressurised cabin in the nose. In 1940 eh ngines, each of 1380 kW (1,850 max MeL went was dropped and some of its features used to assist development of th {nto production almost straigh being very similar toa K-I Do 217, which hat 4 si it but was powered by rot for havin iy better perform high altitude. Not wo DB. 60308 engines sup two-stage blower and many were built, the need for night-fighters being more pressing, but intercoolee in the rear fuselage, driven by a third engine, a DI 60ST one achieved nocoriety on the night of 23 February 1944 when i ‘The fine 217P flew in 942, and there were plats for a produce made a pertect bely landin mbridge (and was soon flying in tion Do 217P-1 reconnaissance aircraft with almost the sa RAF markings), th having baled ot ov km (62 miles) extended outer wings as the k ng to an esi Londe fed 16154 m1/33,000 ft), but this was abs Meanwhile, in lace 1941, the Do 317 wrocted, and in cath 13 the first 317 began fight resting anned in two ve sions. The Do 317A was a broadly conventional high-altitud. nber with DB 603A e inwardly having much i common th che 217M apart ftom aa odd tail with triangular verical surices The next-generation Da. 317B was to have had extended wings of 26 m (83 ff) span, huge DB 610 double engines each of 2141 KW hp), and defensive armament comprisin ely-control nMG 151 in the ealcone and three tein-gan turrets, S80 OF rm rem trolled. Eventually the 317 alo ground (0 a halt b 16 317A series pros reve moditied as unprest x raft for the Hs 293A ontrolled missiles, Re Do 217Rs, they sw combat dary with TH/KG 10 i OriEans-Bricy in 1944. At 17770 ky, (39,021 Ib), they wi The Do 317 was an advanced extension of the Do 17/217 line, featuring a pressurised cabin. No real increase in performance over the Do 217P twas found and, apat from the Do 217 UF (illustrated), the other five prototypes were completed without pressurisation and used by KG 100Dornier Do 217 Radar Boat? nate hghters weve routry fitted wrth FuG 202 Powerplant (fe production Do217s were avaiable The nine gma hod a higher tare Sut sid nor tly ares the ace of power Sater by al D0 217s Radio equipment The Do 217 ent on FuG 25 beacon sich alawed the grourd-based Vienmabot system contort ently the cai end, orto ‘guide tn Fu 101 ra alter and FuG-10H communications wer aso fited! Whe the AF began jam ‘Commurestions the Fue 10 NF ratio was edDornier Do 217 hhomed in on the emissions of Naxos tuned to H,5 bombing | L } sem 6Dornier Do 335 Pfeil pushed the forefront of aeronautics. Unhampered by tradition, — of his des of using this des wught fre nvided the Allies im both East and West with a wealth of sion shaft arrangement had to be proved. To that end Ulrich Hutter design a small testhed for the arrangemen ngen Go 9, snd buile by Schempp-Hith, th By the mid-1930s, he saw the posbs ae fr means to solve olf problems, and in so concept to power a high-speed fighter, but fist the rear ici ‘which took fo the sir over Germany Designated the Géppi ‘most famous of the bizare sha swas the Dows brave attempt (0 provide the testbed featured a pencieslim fisclage contained a 59-6-kW (80-hp) Cufiwatfe with a potent fighter-bomber, nigbt-fighter and reconnais Hirth HM 609 engine mounted at the centre of gravity beneath th sance platform, shoulder-set wing. Stalky isin undercarnage units retacted into th Prof Dr Chilis Domier was the genius behind the famous com- swing, while a nosewheel uni retracted forward into the extreme ne pany of Dornier-Werke GriblH, and he had established a long line of Behind the wing a long and slender tail boom hid the drive shat uccessful sierfi, notably in the field of Byingeboats, For most of the which extended past 4 cruciform tail to a four-bladed wooden lite 1930s and World War Il, Dormicr was primisiy concered with — propelle the production of bombers for the Luftwaffe. Since the end of World Worl Chandiys Dornier had been interested inthe field of centre-line Fighter or bomber? ‘ame thrust line - one pulling Flying for the first time jn 1940, the Go 9 proved that the rea ‘onveti= pusher principle was both efficient and safe, which gave Dornier ned ninpetus to bis fighter designs taking shape on the drawing bos done pushing, Hench: of this syiteri were abvibits Ver raft, the wing left clean of engine nacelles and attendant structures, However, the Technische Amt of the RLM decreed that Domier nd no asymmetric pall rt out. However, problems did absndon his work with fighters and return co the main job in band of fexst in the area ofthe drive sh drove the rear propeller producing bombers and fiying-boats, despite some inital interest in his The Do 335 V1 frst prototype [rst lew on 26 October 1843, and Isseen here during an early ight te differed from Subsequent prototypes in having 40 external oll cooler Intake, and Singlespicce citeular mainuheet overs in addition tothe oleo ‘door. Later aireraft had more Conventional undereariage doors, and an enfarged annular owing The second production Do 3358-0 Wears wetkent 102 om its tail. To the RLM (the Geran air ministry), the awerafe was known Bs Projekt 251, and to Its test Dilots Ie was the Pel (Arrow) but {ts prominent nose saw Mt dubbed Samersenbar' (ant eater) by ts, crews. This ateraft was, ‘eventually shipped to the USA for valuation.Dornier Do 335 Pfeil 0335 VI differed most obviously from subsequent prototypes in having ‘manta oll cooler intake underneath, The frst arcraft (CP UA) took 10 theairon 26 October 1943, The unusual circular mainwheel covers wore ‘nique to this avert ralical designs, Neve 1 1942 the Technische Amt re for « high-speed onarmed intruder siren, and D hbmited his Projekt 281 design, incorporating the tractor-pus ine amangement, After evaluation, Domier was awarded a devel opment contract in the face of apposition from Arado and Junkers, and the designation Do 338 was assigned to Projekt As design got underway, the RLM issued a new directiv redesign che Do 335 as a multi-purpose day fighter, night-fight fihicr-bomber, Zentirer and reconnats rm, whieh caused production of the prototype. By the autem th 535 was ready for fight Domnier’s concept had emerged as a fearsome look: af appeating 8 purposeful as 9 fi he forward fuselage a imler-Benz DB 603 featured an annular-ring cowl, while exhaust The fist prototype Dornier Do 335 displayed emariably good handling characteristics despite its unconventional appearance and configuration and its turn rads n particule, Siar significantly better than had been expected The aircraft did porpoise and snake at high te speed, romever bul not suicienty to dampen the enthusiasm of the Rechlin test pilols Development was remarkably rapid, but production was slow to get started. Designed by Uitich Hutter the all-wooden Goppingen Go 9 was the {ested for the Do 325's aft-mounted prop desian. Built by Schempp: Hirth and powered by a Hirth HMd 80R engine mounted beiow the wing, the Ga attained a speed of 220 ken/h (139 mph). seas jus aft Underneath the rear fiselage a latge ait © rated the ‘second! shit, which powered Jed propeller mounted behind a cr form tail, Unde of the wing were doors for a small weapons bay, c ying 9 single 5 1100-6 nwo 25 , undercarriage wis a tricycle arrange ment, w _ snits retracting inward into the win and the nosewheel retracting backwards (following a 90° rotation nto the area beneath the cocky Remarkable shape, remarkable performance The broad wing was set well back, and although the name Pfeil was used semi-officially, th Pilots who became acquainted with this extraordinary machine soo dubbed i¢ ‘Ameisenbae’ (ant eater), thanks to its long nose. A Dome pilot was at the he fi fom Oberplatfenhofen,t 3 with the De 335 V1 fint proton A Domier trial, it moved ta Rechlin to begin extens Reports from Oberpfiffenhofen and Rechlin were fvourable, with only sligh dinal stability problems encountered. Most pilots were surprised at the speed, acceleration, curing circle and general handling of the type, and development continued smoothly. Further rorotypes joined Dornier and 2. aly jolepducing neeJoors and blisters in the wed undercarriage fanopy accommodating mirrors for improved By the fit protorype armament had been installed, this two MG 15 15mm deckir le MK 103 30-mm cannon Firing through the forward prope Subsequent prototypes were used for further Aigh in the Do 335 V9 buile wo pre-pro provements such as redesig trials and ¢ ards, The fist Do 338A-0 pre-production aircratt (VG+PG) fo lowed shortly in mid-1944, with fall armament and ready wo start operational evaluation, The Erprobungskommando 335 was esta lished in September 1944 co conduct tactical development using many ) Do 333A-0s built, Se with the V9 with the Versuchsverband des Oberfetsh By late autumn in 1944, the Do 338A-1 full production model appeared at Oberpfaffenhafen, ehis introducing finitive DB GOBE-1 engine and two underwing hardpoints capable of carrying fuel or 250-kg (550-Ib) bombs. Similar in airframe details to the Do 3354-1 was the Do 335A-4 unarmed reconnaissance version. Only A-D with two Rb 50/18 ‘external fuel. DB 6036 ‘one was completed, adapced from a Do 33: ameras in he weapons bay and increas mgines were to have been Fitted with higher compression ratio and nore powerful superchargers ‘Two-seat night-fighter Next in the line of Pfeil variants was the Da. 388-6 (protoryp: fighte Armament niber, but FaG 217} Nepeu Do 335 V10), which was the night variant nirbome intercept radar was added, che aerials being located forwa ff the wing lateral beam port and vertical beam starbo: per ite the radar a second crewman was needed, and to accommodate hhim a cockpit was incorporated above and behind that of the pilot Giving the Pfeil an even stranger appearance than before, the second cockpit also meant a considerable restructuring of the fuel syst with the weapons bay area given over to fel carsiage. The negative : fe extra cockpit, aera, weight and oth ton performance modifications such as flame over dl damping tub was in the regi nt, bat production flict ths partially by being fitted with water-methanol boosted DB. 603E instead of the DB units retained by the sole example. Product been undertaken The Do $35 V1 is seen here landing at Rechlin. Fourteen prototypes {including some for the proposed Do 3358 Zerstorer) were eventually Completed and flown together with ten Do 335A:0s, eleven Do 3334-15, Sand a pair of Do S85A-12 trainers, Fifteon more were in final assembly ithen US forces overran Dorniers Oberpfaffenhofen plant 48 This was the seventh Do 3354-9 fighter to be built and was-one of 10 evaluated by Exprobungskommando 335, which was formed in September 1941 to develop operational tactics forthe type. The airerat were armed with a ommm MI 103 cannon and a pair of 1-0 MG 151 machine-guns.Actory a the De 335B-1 fF the weapons bay by n cannon by 20-mm MG sed sis the Do 338 Vid which, Do 335B-2, featured the same aud the replace 51 catmon, More heav re on the construction line at the and B-2 proto- ond a pit of Do 335 ypes would have featured DB GOLA, One other development Bos, BS aid BB models which lertaken by Heinkel, but they 1 Derivative designs included che Do 435 wooden wings, the Left: The ten Do 3354-0s (this is the seventh) were intended for valuation as single-seat fighter bombers and were used by the Erprobungskommande 335, formed in September 1948. The Sireraft had full cannon and. Imachine gun armament, and an Internal weapons bay. The Do 5354-0 differed from the reduction model n having two DB 605A? engines and lacked Lunderwing hardpoints Below: V11 was the prototype for the Do 315810 two-seat trainer Both this anda second example (V2) were delivered unarmed, bul the intention was fo equip production models with the ‘Srmament of the Do 3354-1. The titra cockpit radically reduced tie available fuel tankage, which ‘resulted inthe deletion of the ‘weapon bay to provide revised fuel tanks. Do 535 mixed-powerplane fighter with the rear DB 603 replaced by jet engine, and the Do 635 ange recon stform ‘which aimed to mate two Do 335 fuselages together with a ew cen- tte-section, At the termination of production, 37 Pes had been come pleted, with about 70 others awaiting nal assembly and the areval ‘components Ay far as iy known, the P¥eil never entered into combat, although US plots reported seeing the strange aircraft im the sky during forays over Germany, and the Erprobungskommando was forced to send nireraf into a sky which could not be guaranteed as being fice of hostile aircraft. In its singh ton-engined fighters ever bnilt, with + chimed top speed of around 765 kni/h (475 mph). Despite this high performance, e was the muc slower wo-seat might-fighter version which would probably have rnost eflective ifthe war had continued. Equipped with fexcellent radar and powerfal weapons, and blessed with good visi ty, comb persistence and performance, che night-ghrer would have been excellent against the RAF bomber streams, A complicated escape Flying the Pfeil was an experience, thanks co is high performance and unusual configurition, While the performance provided an exhil arsting ride for the pilot, the configuration prompted some doubts, His main concern was the ejection seat, the Do 335 being only the second production type to feature this (after the Stab J21), Before fir- ing the seat, explosive bolts whick held the upper vertical tail sur The Pfeil was the frst production aircraft tobe fitted with an ejection Seat; however, the system for setoally escaping was a complicated ane. German pilots told of how during the fest programme, two aieraft Erashed amd their plots were found still inthe cockpit ut with tre Sirms missing. This was supposedly due to tao firma grin being faxen on ihehandtes which frat jellsomed the anopy before tne set cult be ved ottDornier Do 335 Pfeil sound design with no major fiuls If development ha the Pfeil could | 2 warplane of major impor: and production Left: This captured Do 3958-0 (actually the fifth of tn) fs pockmarked with smal eaibre batted holes, probably inflicted bya bored Afied soldier in the aftermath of victory, or perhaps a Feminder of the battle to capture this anonymous airfield. The Do {135 was unable ta enter frontline Service before the Reich's final Colfapse, Bolow: The ninth Do 335. prototype (Bo 35 V9) which was Completed to full pre-production Standards and was delivered to the Erprobungsstele at Rechiin for evaluation. Armament Consisted ofa single MK 103 30. ‘mim eanmon and a pave of 1mm MG 131 machine guns, and was fitted with'a Revi C 12/D reflector ‘gun sight. This wax mounted on 2 Swivel plate and could funetion as eithera guasight orasa dive Bombing sight When US forces overran Dornier's Oberpfaffenhofen factory, they found bine A-15, four Arts anda pair of A126 i the final assembly stage ‘Several were evaluated by the USAAF. By that time, production ofthe Bo 335a:0 mght-fighter had been ansferved fo the Heinkel plant at Vienna, but the jigs were not reassembled before the war ended. a]Dornier Do 335 Pfeil Dornier Do 335A-0 Erprobungskommando 335 Oberpfaffenhofen May 1945Dornier Do 335 Pfeil — ah adDevelopment of the Fieseler Fi 103 flyig-bomb, better known Xs the Vel reprisal weapon, is well recorded an aviation history A small, fixedawing, plots sir- afi, it was powered by a pulse jet engine movnted above th rear fisclige, incorporated 4 sim ple flight cont te to its target, an ait Tog devi to make it dive te after travelling a pres fand 3 warhead packed with high explosive The first of these weapons landed in the London rea in the early hours of 13 fine oa ong before shat, i Late 1943, Gernian officials were consider- ing the use of piloted mish make precision atticks on high- Seveloped quite mde the Japanese kamikuse attacks targets, a policy that Fieseler Fi 103 A pilot demonstrates the narrow ‘confines of the Fi 100R1V cockpit. The aucratt has a warhead fited, but not the characteristic pimple for the nose-mounted impact fuse. With a deteriorating war situa tion, Adolf Hisler gave the ahead for such a proj March 1944, and the F adopted for this programme which was designated FE 103R Reichenberg), Four versions were planned intially: an linpowered FE AO3R-L (or carly fight tests; anpowercd Fi TOSR-IT with a second seat where the warhead was nomully xciched, BE -AU3R-IE with jc fisted and ballat in place of the warhead: and the production verion, the FE LOSR-TV, with « Je cockpit just shead of the under the wing of am He TH ple jet, [t wis intended that, About 175 of these weap after Liunch from a mother plane, were produced for mtended use the pilot would aim his RIV at by 3./KG 200, the ‘Leonidas the target and then bale out, Stal, but their continued devel fescending bw paachute; in reals ment and planned use was WS, is chances of escaping were abundoned in October 1948 shi, Piloted tals begin at Lite vv September 1944. an unpow- Specification fred Fi 103 being dropped from Fleseler Fr 103R4V Sererptant: 2 Dimensions: « moet The £30084 ad sine fight instruments in the cockpit and the canopy had guidelines for eateulating the correct dive angle forattacks. Fieseler Fi 156 Storch Ba pine Some Tg ae Bak ok Verseally. Ir was appeopmite that sehen Geran! Fieseler wo tract to supply the Luftwaie’s multi \t Storch hold Me and landing) aircraft. In most hot inchiding the V-1 flying bomb make vertical sott landing, provided th Te wes bly better than am victory pilot ia World War 1 and probably the lds greanese inger-war aerobatic 1s he specialised in what 1m S45 f) and then descend straighe down . They are made by storks, which, the con= haps the only: Lufbwatke Allied counterpart pilor With chict designer Rein adiy ate called STO (ehort take~ any’s products (notably i ards 10 Inn summer 1935, Fieseler, Mewes and technical director Erich Bachetn (later ereator of the ba 349 Natter VIO fighter) designed the ultimate in practical STOL aircrat, the Pleseler FE 186. It vas no mere exercise, and was scen 35 fulfilling numerous rok ntly disclosed Lufiswalle. It was a three-seat, high inged machine KW 240-hp) Angus engine and with the wing liberally etdowed sith sts atid flaps. A. parucular festure was the sky landing gear arrangement, well sued to cushioning strivals at unprecedented steep angles, The design as pared in two versions, the FL 136A with a fixed slat and th: {6B with an automatic movable sat to avoid the speed penalty of Fi the fixed slat in cruising fight. Surprisingly, the Faster Fi 1568 was never built Instead, Fieseler manuictured three prototypes with fied sla, he FH 156 VE to V3. The Vi (D-IKVN) flew on or about 24 May 1936, with a metal ground-adjustable propeller. The V2 (D-IDVS) wooden propeller. and the V3 (D-IGLI) had mnltary equip: the REM (ait tite istry) enered further prototypes and preparations for series produc tion, Nevertheless, conform REM wrote a specifi O36 was named Storch — and issued it to industry. He rested in the Messerschinite BF 163, similar to the Storch but swith a variabl dence wing; the Siebel St 201 with a fully glazed, two-seat nove cabin mene, Their performance was so impressive cha ahead of the pusher engine and single low-mounted tail boom, and the Focke-Wulf Fw 186 jump-start nology. The autogyna was not even considered, and by the time the rivals were flying the Storch was in pr jogyro, based on Cierva The fine provduction version wis the Fi 1S6AL utility and Tsison machine. BY nvid-37, dhe company had Bown the ski-eguipped VA A Fleseler Storch uses its STOL capability by aking off from a short strip Of road, somewhere on the Eastern Front. The Storch has heen described 38 the only Luftwaffe aieraft demonstrably better than any Allied Counterpart and was the best liaison and spotter alreraft ofthe warWidhits colour scheme Ienttyng its desert Ieatre of operations flying the conflict in North Afies, this i 136C-2/Trop thas operated by 2 (H)/14 tinder Afrika Korps orders ontank-spatting dures Wah excefentaltround sibility from the ‘itensively glazed cockpit Sndwith cnparalielied Sow fying characteristics, theSorcn was eal for such duties the military V5 and 10 FE 136A-0 pre-production machines. One of the latter, D-IJEN, put on a dizaling show at the Zorich meeting in July at which the DB-engined Dormer Do 17 and Messer= schmitt BE 109 also swept the board, marking Germany's ¢ 34 superior aie power, The Storch repeated toke-ofi demonstrated fall a ground run of never more than 45 m (148 fi), and a fully controllable speed ranige of 51-174 kin/h (32-108 mph Temust be admitted that the Storch was large for is job, and the US Anny Piper L=4 Grashopper, ts mass-produced equivalent, did most of the same tasks on 48 instead of 179 KW. (65 instead of 240 hp) (On the other hand, we could be argued that th RAF tor the same duties was the Westhnd Lysinde the best efforts of Westland anywhere near the German sireratt’s STOL 746 kW. (1,000 hp) The trwest rest is perhaps an aifcraft’s influence on history Tnnmedistely. the Storch laters in at east 10 countries, US examples including the Ryan ¥O-31 Dragonfly, Vuleee L-1 Vigilant sreratt bought by the which, despite ould not come and Bellaica O-30, As described version was adopted b he USSR. Storch configuration There wav little unconventional about the design oF construction The fisclge, which was just half as long again as that of an L=, was of welded steel tube with fabric covert had a glazed area all around, which was wider than the Fisel give a clear view a op of the cabin were ibric-cavered wooden wings, braced to the bottom fisclige longerons by steclube Vestas. The wings could be felled tuckwards, Along the entre straight leading edge were fixed alumini= um slats, while the entire tring edge was formed b slotted ‘outer sections serving as drooping ailerons with inboard by to reduce stick forces in roll. The flaps were not af Fieseler’s il patter (resembling the Foxe), but simply Large slotted Faps wing leading kets and chains, left of the cockpit could go to 70°. Take-off could be used for really “impos but the rest of the ta variable ineldence The strongly made cab Sownwvards, To attached the ron, jackserews an the & handwheel on the Working the flaps was litte elfor, and the 2 oF none, but 4 sitnitions, The fin seas metal and far The inverted V-8 engine was neatly installed, and its aie cooling 1 boon on the Eastern Front during World War IL. It leetnc starter was selected, and the invarably started as soon as the secess sep projecting ftom the landing ge to replemsh oil. The standard propeller was a 2 -m (I with metal anti-erosion inserts ip the outer leading edges. A 74) 16.28-lmp gal) tank was fitted in cach wing, and a 205-lere (43-hmp I) tank could be installed in place of the two passenger seas in Gant lem behind the pilot. The main legs and talskid were all tall and had ich an oil dashpo needed, slong stroke, the main units having spinal springs to prevent bounce. Hydraubie brakes were hardly and tyre although pi soot leamied to watch far ruts and! Large 9 In a scrong wind flaps hid to be the Storch could be blown over kepe in on the ground o Difficult target Th ad 1 vehicl 1 remarkable number of things. Tests against fighters appeared to cairn that, at arounel 55 kin/h (34 mph, st sas a very dais ear 1 for fighters; there was almost trouble when Uder's canera-guan fill ich, Another Ft 1564-0) sis Thombs, swith aim marks 4 up tc that could go almost anywhere and do shovved nor one picture ofthe elusive Se rested with three SC. 30 (50-ky/110-Ib) ped on the Plesighas windows, while an ngainse & U=b ) depth charges. pected were supply-sropping cess atid Gia with smoke apparate, Deliveries to the rapidly growing Luftwaffe began in late 1937, some of the first Fi T36A-Is going to the Légion Condor in Sp Fieseler had to enlarge his factory at Kassel and then to enlarge it jetted not muking the retractable-slat Ft 1568, but dhe Lutewatte had no requirement for a higher there was no spare capacity for civil production (although there was plenty of demand). So, the nest version was the Fi 136C, appeared in. 1938 when output was about three per week, The main Feature of the Fi [56C was provision for a 7.92-mm (0.812-in) MG 15 machine-xon fining thronigh the raised rear part of the cabin. Th gan was usually not installed on the BE 156C=1, one or two of which ‘were supplied co virtually every Gnppe in the Luttwatle for The FE 16C-2 did have the yun cal reconnatscance camera, and was crewed by’ fer/gunner, either of whom could work the mnclded skis anid atachinent By 1939 Ficseler wat able bs to Finland and Switzerlind, Presentation examples were given eo the Itshan Duce Benito Massolim (who had no idea hovr important a Storch would be later ty his fe) and, in summer 1939, t0 in, He re liaison duties sw loc and an obsew dio. Optional fis ilier a nonsageresion pac A.common sight wherever German forces were operating, the Storch Could perform in several valuable voles. Heve ant Fl 1860-1 In Tunisia Iihistrates the upward-hinging loading hatch on the lowered rear ifazing, which permitted the carriage of one stretcher casein the rear fuselage after some avrangement of internal equipment.Fieseler Fi 156 Stalin, The liter was so impress produce a cop he instructed Oleg K, Antonov to {no licence was sought), Antonov had no experience Ipith steel-tube fuselages, and also no As 10C engines, bur he very {quickly produced an excellent copy in the OKA-38 Aist (stork) powered by the MV-6 engine denved from the 164-kW (220-hp) Renaul sixeylinder inline. The OKA-38 was adopted for production as the ShS (Shtabnyi samolyet, staff aera), but the factory was over- tun by German troops hefore deliveries began in summer 1941 from the start of World War Il the Storch went, literally, every where the German army went, Despite audacious missions in full view fof the enemy, i suffered amazingly few loses, the frontline life being (ie was said) 10 times as long as that of the BE 109 fighter. This is Gespite the fict the Wastennorstaffeln special rescue unis were off cially asked with bringing back battle casualties and downed aircrew ho matter where they were, and in North Afri the long-range Fi 156C-5 version often lew deep into trackless desert to got Luftwaffe aircrew. From late 1041, the FE A36D-1 was produced in parle! with the Fi 156C, the new 1g most of the right side hinged to ficlitate rapid loading and unloading of stretchers. Yet another ver~ Sion which appeared in. 1941 was the Fi 156E, with tandem-wheel tacked landing gear. This was not so much to reduce footprint pres sue as to reduce damage and write-offs caused by taxiing over ruts and stall obstructions bat, although the Fi 156E appears 00 have per= formed a6 advertised, production was restricted t0 the 10 evaluation Fi 156E-05, Ficseler was increasingly required to produce BF 109 and Focke= Wulf Fw 190 fighters, but nevertheless managed to deliver 484 Storchs in 1942. An additional 121 came from a nev production line at Puteaux in France, which had previously buile Morane-Saulnier MS.406 fighters before the French capitulation, Production transfer Subsequently, all Storch production was transferred fiom the over= burdened Kassel works, which delivered its lst Fi 156 in October 1943, Te sent the jigs and a few key workers to the Benes Mraz fac tory at Chocen, in what the Nazis called the Bohemia-Moravia Protectorate (Czechoslovakia). All subsequent Storch deliveries were to come from Puteaus or Chocen, and iti significant that afer the fend of the war, both factories continued co build tis wseful aircraft even though ex Luftwafle machines were litering unlikely parts of the countryside. Total Luftwaffe acceptances were about 2.871. some fof which were pased on to the forces of Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Iely, Romania and Slovakia, all fighting on the Axis side fn the Eastern Front. So fir as is known, the Storch did nor fly night harassment missions with weapons on that front, as did thousands of Loftwaffe biplane trainers (ian having the same As 10C engin), but the Storch never: theless took pace in many exciting actions. Certainly the most remark able James Bond'-type mission of the entite war (which received litle publicity because ie was by the losing side) took place on 12 September 1943. Italy had reached an armistice with the Alles, and the former Fascist dictator, Mussolini, had been taken prisoner. Most of the country was at once taken over by the German army, however, and Hitler ordered S$ Haupsturm-fihrer Otto Skorzeny to find 56 ‘The badge on the engine cowling identifies this aircraft as belonging to Ihe fst Wastennotstafel in North Afrika Feld Marshats Rommel and KKesselring both used Storchs as their personal aircraft although ‘Kesselring switehed fo 3 faster Focke-Wulf Ew 189. Mussolini and rescue hinn, Eventually Skorzeny located Mussolini a being held in the hotel on top of the pinnacle of the Gran Sasso in the Abnizzi mountains, reached only by cable-car. He organised a rescue tasing a Focke-Achgelis Fa 224 Drache helicopter, but at the last moment this was unserviceable, Undeterred, Skorzeny went in a Storch, landed on the tiny tetrace at the bick of the hotel, got the former dictator and, severely overloaded, took off over the sheer e Fleeing Berlin flown by a Storch of the Laftwae. On 23 Apal 1945 Hid 2 connmiiation from Reichsmarscall Hermtann Goering previoudy his doses aide, which made him finous, He immediately dismised Goering as C-in-C of the Lule (Goering having got out of Been to safer climes), and appointed in his stead Genctaloberst Riter vonThis 11566 Storeh rkommanda der Luftwaffe. Fiaseler Fi 156C-2 Storch cutaway drawing key Groin. few mon had bi fof rubble and under enemy tire formally invested von Greim, who was then flown out again by liane woman test pilot. She was th get-out of jered Berlin, snd the return erp hy onal basis impossible Dyring the war a aTrop or Fi 156 47 Storchs, nearly all of them FE 186C- craft of Fick Marshal Mong 5/Trop versicns, were taken on charge by Another, brought to the UK by an air mahal, was reluctantly weest-Saal, The latter was so impressed he instructed Oleg K. Antonov to produce a copy (uo licence was sought). Antonov had no experience with stecl-tube faselages, and also no As 10C engines, but he very quickly produced an excellent copy in the OKA-38 Aist (stork), powered by the MV-6 engine derived ftom the 164-KW (220-hp) Renault six-eylinder inline, The OKA-38 was adopted for production as the ShS (Shtabuyi samolyet, se aircraft), bur the factory was over~ stun by German troops before deliveries began in sommer 1941 From the start of World War Il the Storch went, literally, every where the German army went. Despize audacious missions in full view Of the enemy, it suffered amazingly few loses, the front-line life being, {ic was stid) 10 times as long as that of the BF 109 fighter, This is despite the facc the Wastennosstatfeln special rescue umits were ffx cially esked with bringing back battle casualties and downed airerew rho matter where they were, and in North Affica the long-range Fi 156C-5 version often flew deep into trackless desert to got Luftwaffe airerew. From late 1941, the BL 136D-1 was produced in parallel ‘with the Fi 156C, the new series having most ofthe sight side hinged to facilitate apid loading and unloading of stretchers. Yet another ver~ sion which appeared in 1941 was the FE 186B, with tndem-whe tracked lending gears. This was not so much to reduce sure as to reduce dimage and write-offs caused by and sinall obstructions but, although the Fi 1S6E appears to have per- formed as advertised, production was restricted to the 10 evaluation Fi 1S6E-0:, Ficscler was increasingly required co produce BE 109 and Focke~ ‘Walf Fw 190 Behrers, bur nevertheless managed to deliver 484 Storchs in 1942, An additional 121 came from a new production line at Puteaux in France, which had previously buile Morane-Saulnier Kesselring both used Storchs as their personal aireral ‘Kesselring switched toa faster Focke-Wulf Pa 185.Focke-Wulf Fw 187 VDM propellers were Kure Tank's Focke-Woalf Fos 187 Falke (Falcon) sing Changes were ma propos was evolved originally introduced in place of the origi in 1936 a6 4 private venture, nal Junkers-Hamilton variable fosed on two Daumler Benz DB pitch upits, and twin wheels were 600) engines which were then installed om cach main gear le; tinder developmen. The Reichs 7.92-mm (0.31-in) MG 1 Tuftihitminiteruin wis persassle machine-gun way mounted sub- sockpit, The Bw 187 V: fd to sanction che manuiacture the arerafe and detail dlesign was entrusted to Tank's bering R. Blaser. Of all-metal of 1937, was simular but with constuction, the Ew [87 had an Jamo 210G. engines and a exceptionally slim finelage with a Teduced-chord rudder The Fw 187 V3 third sircrtt aU 13 tworseat interdict tockpie so small that some instr ments had to be located on the was completed, at Udet's request inboard scetions of the en cowlings where they cou seen by the pilot en The specified DB 600 engines nacelles, vere in short supply and REM mm MC approval for construction had flown in the spin fheen given om condition that the Fumo 210 would be substituted ‘Thos powered, the Fw 187 V1 first prototype made its maiden ght during late speimg 1937. in the ands of Flugkapiein Hans Sander. The 507 kW (680 hp) provided by cach of the Jummo 210Ds engines was considerably below the power of the IB 600, achieved a very creditable mm/h (325 mph), compared with the projected 360 km/h (348 fph) of the original poweyplant he tating fuselage redesign, longer fine bearers and revised engine Armed with two 20- FF cannon, it was lof 1938, fol- Towed by two similar airerafe in the summer and autamn, AIL three had fall-span flaps, Despite the los of the Hist prototype on 14 May 1938, continued andl 9 pair of 746-4W LONi-hp) DB GO0A engines was Focke-Wulf for nevertheless 4n Fu 1874-0 of the Focke- Wulf industive-Schutestafel, Used to defend the Bremen factory These aueraft were sso used for propaganda With its narrow fuselage, short Fw 1 Tne ose and powerful engines, the insellation in the which achieved a maximum 2O8eand powertul engines, the speed of 636 km/h (395 mph). fighter,The prominent gun ports Thrce Fw 187A-0 pre-prosluc onthe fuselage sides were forthe rion examples were built, armed MGI? machine-guns, the more potent MG FF 20-mm canton were mounted inthe lower fuselage The radio operator faced aft to Waten the rear hemisphere with four MG 17s and two MG Fs, and these were used to defend Focke-Wals factory at Bremen durin TL tne utc salt claie npeetncauiss teverdl Gnlikelp il During Pome er teTA- cially) with 13. (Zerstiirer) Stattel Powerplant: ” OF JG, 77 m Nonwy. while one Meagan? sefrlwihine tuesinctcne pei wv in Denmark: during With the BE 110 in full Chance of the Fw 187 being peo- Bimensiones oo dhiced, although it was praposed ‘ongih 1110 asa nightlighter in 1945. Uefa 38502 work is performed by the a= RyGereee3f Craft in the weapons and gap me He He come Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu [i se srr of the Lulfwalle was He 46,3 bne-covered biplane recmbling aera of World Wat fe rerctenne, Gre rn ti sututon 1836. War tne IC 126; 4 strescd-skin monoplane, But even the 126 coald be seen to be an although it ewe good service inthe eatly years of World War ll) In February 1937 the air ministry in Betin isued a specifica tion for an even later aiteraft with a crew of three, all-round vision and high performance Te was a challenge Arado Ar 198, and produced one ‘unconventional one conventional response, the and the Focke-Wulf Fw 189. Whereas the Arado was a single-engined mid-wing monoplane rouble only for having extensive glazmg on the underside ofthe ft lage as well av on top, the Fw 189 had sn almost completely plan central nacelle, twin engines and twin tail boonis, Nor as this all: Hamburger Flagzeughai decided to enter the contest with an even more radical aitctaft, the extriordmary asymmetnie BV 141, with a glazed nacelle on one side of the centreline and an inmanned “fuse ge" (with engine aa tal) on the other The comervative official favoured the Arado, considering both of the unconventional designs in sone way inferior, f not actully faulty Gradually they b ‘of the notion of a coni- pletely glazed erew nacelle with, ifnecessary, an all-round field of five for defensive guns. Moreover, Focke-Wulf d led by Kurt Tank and (for the Ew 189) E. Kose, pointed out that diferent kinds of nacelle could be fied. They suggested 2 close-support version, trainer and a single-seat armoured attick and anti-tank version as the army co-operation and reconnaisance model (which could ils fly casualty evacuation, VIP transport and Supremely versatile and universally popular, the Uhu was essentially 2 low-atttude aweraft, befitting ks tactical reconnatssance vole. The ride tas extremely smooth, while the extensive glazing gave good visibility atthough, surprisingly, forward vision was impatred by refraction from the stoping panels.Ey 1098-1 of 5(H)/12 at Poltava, Ubraine.tn the Summer of 1912, The unit operated under Luftfiatte 4 The odd BV 141 was destined never to although the first version Aew well. Likewse, the favourite of the air ministry self, never it was heeawse the prototype was a complete daappomtment, on the of both handling and performance, In complete contrist, the Fw 189 proved to be an excellent aircraft im all expects, The VA (first protorype) was flown by Dip] Ing Tank an July 1938, dehghted with it. He called it Eufe (Owl), although the Lutewatte was to call che type the Ul (Eagle Owl) and the official media dubbed it das Fegende Ange (the Flying Eye 9 into production Atado, initially the and he as Conventional structure caused any of the feared problems, the Fw [8 was quite conven al-metal stesed-skin structure hud a smooth flush-riveted exterior. The wing comprised a rectangular centre-ccetion and detach able panels bolted on just outboard of the tail booms and tapered on, the leading edge only. The long-span ailerons and three sections af clectacally-operated spht Aap were all fabricecovered. Likewis the rest of the tail war allemetal, the elevator and rudders were fabric~ covered, Each maint landing gear had an -shaped tran shock absorbers in a levered suspension giving a long stroke several Fw aircraft of the period. Oddly predilection for all-electric actuation, th swinging buck under the ‘im view of the company’s sear ws eatsed hydraulically wing inte bay in the boom doors. Linkage alo pulled up the ‘ailwheel, which setracted ays tthe left to be stowed in the tailplane, On selecting landing + down, at speeds below 160 kni/h (09 mph). the main units were hydraulically extended but the tilwheel fell under its own weight, assisted by ruber pulleys, The chosen engine — and nobody ever Argus As HIOA-L, an inverted-Vee with 12 air-cooled cylinders. Very woth at 3,100 apm, and easy to start even in a Russian winter, this ine proved very reliable, although the 189 could be Hawn perfect= Iy well on ome. A single fel tank of 110-itee (24-Inip gal) Capacit was in each tal bo 1g gear bay, the usual being 87. The prototype bad simple fised-pitch pro- cng m just behind The Fw 189 V4 served as a prototype [or the production Aseries nirraf, ‘embodying minor changes such a¢ ‘evised cowlings later went on to Various warfare trials a3 seen here vats Lost chermeat warfare ‘coulpment under the wings forthe Spraying of mustard gas. Fw 1898-1 off Aufelarunosstaffel (Heeres)/32, based af Kem in Finland in June 1912. The ‘brownigrean splinter eamouflage was common inthis theatre, The first Vi prototype took to the air in uly 1938, with Kurt Tanke himself atthe controts. The soundness ofthe design was such that broduetion areraft differed litle from this machine. H was assigned the ‘registration D-OPUN. poller, but from V3 every Pw 189 had wo-bladed Argus propellers with pitch controlled automatically by the prominent that wa free rotate om the font of the spac The ventral nacelle hatally changed front VI to the last aircraft built (apart from two totally different versions desenbed later). Basically a setessed-skin structure, almost the whole of w was covered sith Ait Pletigles inal, some food panel’ and thode ih she pain boing curved. Entry was from the wing on either side, through the huge space lett by hinging up the complete side and top windows on The pilot sat well forward on the left, with ps fon beams ahead of the floor. Almost all necessary controls were on the loft the BLT jack socket swas at the rear of the roof centrcline, and the Aligh instruments were in a row across the Front ofthe cockpit, sght= ly The magnetic compass and spm indies. head of the ewo-handed control yoke (Ow the tight, shightly further back, was the seat for the navigator, He ‘ould face ahead and manage the floor-mounted cimera(s), oF tke photos with ‘or the GV 219d optical bombsight Alternatively, he could swivel his eat round and aita the dorsal gut) At the rear of the nacelle was a quilted mattress on which the rear jgunner could lie, Oddly, chis third crow member wis called the fight micchanie, although there was litle he could do apart from keep an 1 taileone das projecting ove eye kvel were » band camera“This Fw 1898-1 served with Nahaupdarongsgruppe (NAGI) 1 from Dnepropetrovsk Inthe Ukraine, March 1983. Note the units red devil badge nthe engine cowhng. The Fw 189 V1 was rebuilt a the VIb to test the Fw 189C assault aircraft. Once again a new nacelle was fitted, this cramming 2 pilat and rear facing gunner into.a Uny, heavily armoured cabin. Viston for both crew ‘members was appalling, and the flying characteristics were altered Aistincty forthe worse eye out for interception fram the rear. Management of the radbo, ‘which the thircl man might have performed, was yet one more duty for the overworked navigate From the outsee, the miinseream Fry 189 as tbe the A-Series, as described. The VI difered from production machines only in sich details as the propeller, a6 described, and in having single-leg main gears, The V2, tlown oniy a month later in August 1938, was agmed with po MG 17 machine ainied via a riny/bead sight by the pilot, ant thtee very sinblar MG: 13s (fed by a saddle magazine instead of a belt), aimed through the hove, mid-upper position and taileone, Four ETC 30/VIMd racks tinder the outer wings could carry 50-kg (I 0elb) bombs oF chemical containers for poson gis oF smokescreets, Vis adkhitional prototypes, the pre-production Ew 189A-0 was completely defined by the beginning of 1939, but rather to Tank's chagrin the Oberkommando With a completely vedesigned fuselage nacelle the Fu 1838 was Intended as.afve-seat tauner. Tent of the Fw 18981 production Sireraft were delivered before i 1894 production began. An Fis 1890 Moatplane tratmer version fins semicampleted Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Slovakia and Hungary were Supplied with the Bar, his being an Fw 1394-2 of the latter's Hungarian 3 Short Range Reconnaissance. ‘Squadron (Ung NASD). Hewas Subordinated to Laftotte 4 at Zamocz, eastern Poland, in Maren i948 dor Luftwaffe expressed the view that there was no need for sul at aurea and that the Hy 126-1 and Bel were perfectly adequate, All the company could do was press abead with other versions but tually, an spring 1940, permission was given to build 10-08, At aout che Sime time, the inadequacies of the Hy 126 were becoming fobviows an the campaign im the west, and Focke-Wulf was told to canty on beyond the A-0s with production A-Is for front-line service This was reinforced by the excellent service evaluation by the Auilieungsafiel ancl, quite saxklenly, from being unwanted the Uh apis ie Been aia Second-source production Focke-Wulf frantically tooled up to build the A=1 in series, but became increasingly overloaded, mainly because of the Fw 190 fight er, Ava second source, the Avro factory at Prague Vssocany was silly tooled up, and in the course of 1941 the Czech plant delivered 51 Fav 18%, compared with just 99 from the parent company’ at Bremen, Ie was obvious thit the invasion of the Sovier Union, begin Ts that could be fon 22 fine 1941, was going to need all the Ew produced, so a major part of French industry was taken ov Focke-Wulf, and the Fw IS production jigy were sent to France fio Bremen. Brepuct made outer sings at Bayonne, but most of the other parts were made by SNCASO, including the centre-section and hacelle at Bordeatx-Bacalan, booms and tail at Rochetor, and other parts at Bordeass-Bégles, Ascmbly and flight est was at Bordeaux Merignac. This was one of the few instances of a iecessful production proganime in German-occupsed France, output working up event ily ta 20-per month The A-t differed only in details (auch as in having, twin-leg main gests) from the fourth protarype, The nose gun was omicted, and iemament comprised wo MG 17s and ewo hand-oitned MG 13s, Four SC 50 bombs were cared if necessity, and ained either in dives fo in level fight using the sight. Gas equipment was not used, butFocke-Wulf Fw 189 This Fu 1898-1 served with E(H)/2 at Petsanno in northern Finland in December 1942. The | tisruptive meander camouflage twas applied over the standard green summer camouflage. Everything about the Fw 189 was slender, especially the wings and tail, booms, Despite this. was an immensely strong aircraft able fo take fange amounts of battle damage. Fying Tow over the baltefet, this was ‘an important attribute ofthe type ond fare cart Tn mnid-194T production switched to the Fw 189A-2. in which the single MG 13s were replaced by the neater and fist-finng MC BIZ twin inseala fs firing 3,600 apm svth belt feed. The rear cone had 10 asst it almhing in all rearwards direc tions, Sill numbers were al of the mented by a few A- 1940, the F Then it bec ‘sively replacing the Hs L ® serving, With units d to be reliable, © The cockpit of the Uhu resembled the compound eye of an insect, anc {ven the propaganda department of the RUM called the type das Fliegende Auge: The eight vanes on each propeller spinner regulated {he vaviablespitch mechanismFocke-Wulf Fw 189 ge) | Fw 89n.2 of2.14)/21 in the > BsFocke-Wulf Fw 189 Specification Fw i89n2 Production Focke-Wulf Fw 189A-2 Aufklarungsgruppe(H)/14 Salzburg, 1945 1A-2 of AufkiGr (H)/14 is soon with EastOperating in the interim night Tgiter rote, this Fw 189 few with the Stab/Nachtiagdgeschwader 109 from Grefowatd in February 1943. Note the schrage Musik annon instaflation, runing axacks and frequently fighting off hostile fighters Tn late 1942 small numbers were delivered as A~4 close-support ad sircaft, with exten armour and with the forward ed by 20mm MG FFs. The Bremen and Prague facto nile Kept MG 17s repl rey ceaned prociction in 1943, but the French tuna January: 1944. Tucluding ps 1939, 38 in 1940, 250 in 1941, 3. 1944, making a grand total of Sod the North Atrican campaign with desert survival equipment and sand and two A-Ls modified for use as ta transports for General nd General Jexchonnek. tn addition, at least 30 AcIs were modified a6 nightefighte with NIG 100 with NJG 5, Conversion involved removing reconaaissince gear and radar, with the sl quad amy’ of dipole nf he nose and replacing the mid-upper MG SIZ. guns by a fixed upward-fir MG 151/15 foccasionilly an MG. 151/720) There were two main branches of the faily thot were terminated, The Fw 189B seis to have been a crow ersiner, with ac for Five, inching dual pilot contiols, The V8 protoryps ingly completed in early 1939 with a conventional nacelle skin construction, with Huse a no aed cockpit and further gaz ing for a cockpit t the rear, Obviously tir more capable and econont ical than existing aircraft used for crew crining. the Foy 189B appealed to the Luftwaffe at a time when the [YA did not, and in) 1939-40 the Bromen works delivered three pre-production B-Os and 10 Bots There was to have bec onthe Fw 189D bbe this was cancelled The other main branch hat did not Fw 1896. This was t0 have beet at atm the nacelle aking the form of 2 cramped box just b pilot and an aflsfacing rear gunner, the whole pes, ootpue com in 1942, 226 an 1943 and 17 in These numbers included a tes for feldararchall Kewelrng other items, adding FuG 212 Lichtenstein C-1 interception omnmiadation ‘ws accord twwinefloat seaplane ver 0 into production was the ited lose-support version being made of Wearing suitable camouflage, this Fw 1898-1 few night feconnarssance sovties with the NachtketteiNAGr 15: Operatin lunder VIN Flegerkorps (with Pr BOK 4), i flew from Naglowtz in Southern Poland, October 1944, thick armour with the exception of tiny’ inserts of thick armoured lass, I the # 1938-39, the angonal VI prototype ws rebuilt With the planned armoured nacelle, becoming the VIB, flown in Spring 1939. The pilot could hardly See out and, far from being able to aim his MG 15, the gunmer had hardly any vision at all. In any case the handling of the Vib was poor and performance unimpressive, On ther hand, the nval Henschel Hs 129 was even worse ly 1940, Focke-Wulf flew the somewhat improved Fu 189 V6, with the revised engines and Landing gear of the I89A-D, an inproe lle offering better vasility both ere and ided armumcne of two 20-mni MG FF plus four MG 17 fin forvards and a twin MG SIZ. firing aft. In the event, although the Het rye it as picked for production mainly bbecaue of al taed (0 vest sinaller size and lower cont the As 410 was an excellent engine, Facke-Walf contine © options with more power. The Fw 189E wx 19 Ta SRAM 475 racial of KAW (700 lp) as teed to the produetion Hy 129B; SNCASO designed and on, but this sole 189 route to evaluation int Germany in carly 1943, Greater success atend= od the Fw 189F, an A-2 powered by 447-KW (600)-hp) As HLIMA-L engines 36 used on the SF 204D. This caused no problems, and the been powered by the same French € arvied out a single conver crashed et Final 17 averse made at Bordeaws in 1944 were Fw 189F-4s. The F-2 was to hive had extra armour and clectnc landing gear operation, but none was built. Also unbuil, the Bw 1896 was to have had 708" KW (050-hp) As 402 engines ancl a strengthened structure The V6 was also completed as an Fw 189C prototype; it was essentially Similar to the V1b but incorporated variable-piteh propellers and frmament in the centre-sectian of the wing. This comprised (wo 20-mm MG FF cannon snd four MG 17 machine-guns. A pair of MG.E1S, protected the reaFocke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 onceived in 1937 asa contemporary of the Hawker Typhoon, Service trials at Reechlin went ahead in 1940 witho ( and fort son — t0 replace the fist generation of lems, although Luftwaffe pilots suggested that the pre rs (the Hawker Hurricane and the ment of the Fw 190A-1 ((our synchronised Menerschiitt BF 109} ~ the dengn of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was machino-gums) would meet with spiced eri fendered with cwo alternative engines, the Daimler-Benz DB GD1 Production of the 100 Fw 190A-1s at Hamburg and Bremen was inline and the BMW 159 radal, the latter being selected to power the completed by the end of May 1941, and these were pi by prototype on account of its assumed higher power development 1194-kW (1,600-hp) BMW SDIC engines which bestowed 2 top potential. Detail design commenced under the leadership of speed of 624 kin/h (388 mph). The aircraft were flown bj Oberagenicur laser and the fist prototype was flown by cest pilot Erprobungssielle Rechlin and 6./JG 26, te latter based at Le Bou Hans Sander at Bremen on I June 1939 in Aug allowing month, the fist combats were reported with The first wo aircraft featured large, low-drag chucted spinners, but RAF Supermarine Spitfire Vs, showing the German fighters to b discarded ay they were thought to cause engine over- markedly superior, albeit lacking in Weapon Pun ie BMW 139 had been abandoned, the Fw 1908 fnfered production with che BMW $01 L-cylinder radial with fan- New armament issted cooling, The fist nine pre-production Fw 190A-0s featured Already, the early gun criticisms hud led to the Fw 1908-2 version Gull wings of 15.00-m (161 46-sq fi) atea, but the definitive version with two svingroot-mounted synchronised 20-mm MG FF cannon had larger wings of 18, 30m" (196.99Rsq f) area and wo MG 17 gions; with a speed of 61: km/h (382 mph), this ap Right: Pilots walkout to their Fev fata-ss somewhere in France Ahring 1983 Each has a belt of flare Cartridges slung around his lower leg. The areraft have recvived a hasty application of Scribe camouflage on thet flanks snd fins 402 and JG 26 trere the main operators of the efoainte West althouph the {ype also served with 4 (6) and S118 and with Nahautkdiransoruppe 13 in the fighterreconnaissance role. ftir ihe troduction ofthe Spitfire Mh the Fw 180 g2ve thetuptuasle fighter pilots key sdvantage Below: Although not showing theelegance of the Spite, few fighters have looked more ‘aggressively purposeful than the For 190. This aircraft devotd of ‘weapons, isan Fw 1006-3 Eaptored by the Amerfeans before it could be delivered toa frontline unit The G-series For iowas deveioned as an itendedrange fighter bomber Sand was externally similar to the Bu rd0a5/U-13 with ETC 907 fuselage bomb racks and no fuselage-mounted guns. z= ~ BenaParticipating inthe gveat tank battle of Kursk in Sly 1943, (his, Bas 1908-4/U3 of the Gofechtsverband Drusche! [Sch 1) features yellow {theatre panels, fighter arm Staff marks (forward biack Bar), Gruppe marks (aft black Bar) and UStafel (red) individual etter, Oberst Alfred Druschel was oneal the most experienced Sssaull pilots in the Luftwa gaining the Swords and Gakleaves to the Knight's Cross. Plows illed on ¥Sanuaty 1965, Yellow Nine’ of Il Gruppe Jagdgeschiwader 1 'Grunhert! vaas an Bw 1908-5 flown by Teutnant Helmut Storm in Estonia during June 1944. The yellow panels indicate the war theatre, and the two: fone green uaper surfaces the Unit's summer eamauflage gunned version still had the ed ‘over the Spitfire V. By the end of March 1942, JG 26, commanded by Adolf Galland, was fully squipped with Fw 190A-2s. Thirty Fw 190As had accompanied the escort forces during the famous Channel break-out by the battle= Cruisers Schamhorst and Gueisenan in February, Fw 190A-2s of II/JG 26 being involved in the one-sided action against Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esiionde’s Fairey Swordfish tompedo strike As the RAF desperately soug an answer to the Fw 190, production of the German fighter was stepped up as Focke- Wulf factories at Contbus, Marienburg. Neubrandenburg, Schwerin, Sorau and Tutow joined the programme, as well as the Ago and Fieseler plants, The Fw 190A-3, sith 1268-KW (1,700-bp) BMW SHIDG, ‘Semin (0.31-in) guns, josned I/JG 26 in March 1942 and shordy afterwards began t0 equip the only other Lutiwatfe fighter Goschwader in the west, JG 2. hus, by the time the LAF was ready to introduce its new Spitfire IX and Typhoon fighters to combat over the Dieppe landings in August 1942, the Luttwatfe could ficld some 200 Fw 199A8 in 0 tion, Unfortunately he RAF underestimated the number of these fighters avaiable but dhey were unawar version, the FW 190A-4, had appeared with a w not only had that a new sr-injected 1567: The unarmed Focke-Walf Fw 190 V1 (first prototype, D-OPZE) with fan Cooled BMW 139 and dacted spinner 1s seen atthe time ofits ust fight ‘ont June 1938. Numerous atheraifferences from subsequent production versions are evident, including smal tail wheel, absence of {fuselage wheel doors, and the hinged door cavers on the whee! leg. Temporarily painted matt black, {his Fe 1908°5108, with centrecline Domb rack and wing drop tanks, elonged ta Gruppe, Schneltkampigesciovader (SKG) 10 during the Jabo attacks on southern England cuving summer Tass. Based at Poirin France, this unit virtually ‘briterated all national insignia!” the interests of eamouflage kW Q.100-hp) BMW SD1D-2 engine and a top speed of 670 kav Glo mph), and that a bomb-carrying variant, the Ew 190A-3/U, was in service, (The suffix "U" indicated Umrust-Buusarz, or factory Conversion set) The resule was a stinging defeat for the RAAB, which lost a total of 106 sitcrat, nicking 97 to Fww 190s, Asa result largely of rsmannigement, neither the Spitiire IX nor the Typhoon had been able to redress the hance Te would have been of litle comfort had the RAF known that the Gernuans had for many months devoted all the Fue 190 resources £0 the Channel frons, sich wis the esteem held for the Spitfire V Indeed, despite the ferocious tempo of battle on the Eastern Front, which had opened in June 1941, no Fwy 190A fighters fought om that front until well into 1942, when JG 51 recerved Fw 190A-4s, Fw 190A-36 and Acts were albo isaued to LV/G 5 and 0 JG 1 for home defence and protection of German fleet wnits in Norway. A Feconnaissace version of the Fw 1904-3 was fie flown by 9.1)/LG. 2 in March 1942 on the Russian Front, The Fw 190A-4/U4 recon. haissance fighter joined NAufklGr 13 in France, and Ew 19082 Ai Trop eround-attack tighter-hombers appeared i North Afeica wih VSG 2 daring 1942, Before the 1, Fv 190A-3/U Ts and Fw 190A-4/U8s of SKG 10, cach able to carry a SW0+kp (1.10041) ona of that Early Focke-Wulf Fw 1908.18 undergo final assembly at Bremen in 194. Particularly evident in ths picture fs the eveeptionally wide-track main faanding gear andthe large number of higed panels providing access 0 the compact BMW e01 radial engine. Just vishle are the pair of nose mounted MG 17 machine-gus.5. Staffel aurcaft (spinner tips and letters mre), several aireraft Uisplaving the “gun-toting Mickey Mouse" emblem of the Gruppe.Focke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 ; | ‘The last of eighteen pre-production Fw 190A-0s on approach. This was the 25th Pus 180 built and had the fullstandard big wing. The frst mine Fw 1904-06 had the original narrow-chord wing of he prototype, with ‘greater taper on leading and trailing edges, hom, had embarked om a series of daylight lowe-level ‘ip and run! attacks against cites and ports in southern England, forcing Fighter Command to-deplay disproportionatsly heavy fighter defences to counter the threat, Some measure the Fw 190 may he judged trom the fact the more chan 1,900 Fw 10A-36 and Avts had reached the Lutewatfe in 1942 (compared with ue 500 Typhoons and Spittine [Xs for the RAE the dependence now placed on Rocket-launchers Early in 1943 there appeared the Ew 190A-3 with si gine mountings, and with it a much increased range of Ruste (field conversion kits icluding the R6 that enabled the Fw 190-5 (in modified torn Fw 190A-5/R6) to carry two under 21 Ql-cm/8.27-in) rocket-launchers for use against the wing WAG! growing Bocing B-17 and Consolidated Be24 bomber fleets operated the USAAF. The Fw: 190A-5/U2 night-bomber could carry a Skis (1100+Ib) bomb and twa 300-litre (66-linp gall) drop tanks the Fw 190A-5/U3 carsicd up t0 1000 kg 2,208 Tb) of bombs, the Fw 190A-5/U12 was 4 heavily-armed fighter with six 20-mm MG 151/20 cannon and Gwo MG 175, while the Ew 1904-5/U15, of which three examples were buile in November 1943, was equipped to catty 2 950-kg (2,094-1b) LT 950 torpedo. A torpedo-carrying Fw 190A-S/U14, a lighter version of the U15 torpedo. to have been flown in action by Hauptmann Helmur Viedebannt of SKG 10. The Ew 190A-6, in its standard form with reduced wing stuccure weight, was armed with four fst-firing 20-mum guns inside the wings Lin addition ro che ewo MG 17430 the nose) the Bw 190A-6/RL car: ed sis 2)-mm guns in onderwing packs: and the Fw 190A-6IR6 four 30-mim MK_ 108 cannon in these packs, making it the most heavily-armed single-seater of the war. The Fw 190A-6/R4. with turbocharged BMW SUITS, had a top speed of 683 km/h (424 imph) at 10500 m (4,450 2), Fighter-bomber Ew 190A-6 versions wore able t W-kg (2.205-Ib) bomb under the fuselage One of the few surviving Ew 190s is this two-seat Fw 190A-3/U1, now in the possession of the RAF Museum and based at RAF St-Atharn, whose engine is si regularly rn up. Only a handful of two-seat conversions ere produced. The greatest single victory by Fw 190A-(s of JG 1,JG 5,JG 26.JG SI and JG 34 was gained on [4 October 1943, when they decimated the US Rth Air Force's daylight bombers ateackiig Regensburg and Schweinfurt, destroying 79 and damaging 121 out of the force of 228, Had not been for the introduction ot superative American close= ‘vont fighters, particularly the Noreh American P-S1 Mustang, the Fw 190-equipped Jaedflicger would have decisively suppre American daylight bombing attempts easly in 1944 Notwithstanding these successes, the changing fortunes of war firced the Lattwatfe to adopt a wholly defensive stance, of am increas Above: This Fw 1908-2 of W462 ears an unusual eye and earsome sharkmauth on its ‘Cowling: Colourful unit markings ‘and personal decarations were by homeansrare.on the Pw 190, The Bw 190A established an Immediate ascendancy aver the Spilire Mk V, three Spires Taling to Fw 1904s inthe fst Imecting although the second ‘resulted in the fass of an Fis 198, which the RAF believed was 2 ‘captured Curtiss Houle Left Fu 190A-4/U3 Trop Jabos of Gefechtsverband Drusehel (Battie Unit Druschel) taxy out, Earrying underfuselage bombs 8nd kicking up clouds of dust. This unit was'apart of M/Sehfachtgeschwader 1 and was heavily involved n the Datifes for Stalingrad and KurskAight A palrof Fw 1908s of It Gruppe, Sehischtgeschader The aera carry Russian Front {Yellow theatre markings under thewingtips and couting, and ound the rear fusefage. Despite Uelr assignment to the ground tack role, the Schiacht Fu 1905 ‘cored numerous kills against Soule fighters and ground attack aerate During the period Ieading upto the evacuation of the Crimea one Schacht pilot laimed 0 ils in only three theeks Below Carrying a single SC 500 50:49 (7,102.1) bomb on the Entei, an Fw 190F fasies out [oran anttank mission. The Sehlacht Fo 190s used a wide Farlety of weapons against Allied tanks and other vehicles, Including heavy cannon, rockets ‘and even primitive cluster Tombs desperate nature, As the RAF in Weight, che Luftwaffe employed Fw L90As (in partiex ht-bomber offensive increased 1 Fav 190A 5/U2s) in che night-fighting role on moonlit nights, and the ‘Wild Boar’ tactics of Hajo Hermann’s 30. Jagddivision, with three Goohucer, are reckoned to have accounted for some 200 RAF heavy bombers daring the later half of 1943, While Fw 190A fighter-bombers were in action in the Mediterranean theatre, thete appeared the Fw 190A-7 with a pair of | non in the nose decki and the 20-mm g (in addition to the various wing nbinations), Faw 190A-8 with GM-1 0 ide power-boosting and all the adaptability afforded by earlier Restitze Additions. The Fw 190A-8/U1 was 1 two-seat version, of which three examples were produced to assist the conversion training of Junkers Ju 87 pilots to the Fav 190 for the groundeattack squadrons on the Easfern Front. The Fw 190A-8/U3 was the upper component of the Mistel (mistletoe) composite weapon, riding the back of explo- sve-packed, unmanned Junkers Ju $8 aircraft. The Fw 190A-8/U1L anc-shipping stake aircraft, with a BT 700 (700-kg/1,543-b) « dlo-bomls, was Flown in attacks against the Russian Black Sea Flect i February 1944, The Fw 190A-9, with armoured wing leading edge 490-KW (2,000-hp) BMW 801F (although the Fw 190A-9/RI1 hod 2 wrbocharged BMW 8017S), The Fw 190A- 10, of which only prototypes were completed, featured provision for an increased range of bombs, Among the purely experimental versions of the Fw 190A were che Fw 190 V74 with 2 seven-barrclled mm SGI17 Robrblock cannon aimed by a Revi 242 gunsight, and the extriordinary Fw 190 V75 with seven 45-cin (17.72-in) dow \ward-finng mortars intended for low-level anti-tank use from a height of about 10 m (33 f). Another inceresting experiment wis the use of | ge Doppelciter overwing fuel canks on the Fw 190A-8, evahiated Erprobungpkommando 28 under Major Georg Chris! in July 1944. The artval of the Spittire Mk IX in Fighter Cominand and its iret to combat domination by the Fw 190A led to the development of the Fw 190B series wich GM-1 power-boosted BMW 80ID-2 sed cabin, but eouble with the latter led to che rsion after only a few prototypes had been pro= fengine and press abandonment of this Focke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 duced, The Fw 190€ series, of which five prototypes were complet= ed with DB 603 inline engines, annular radiators, Firth 9-2281 super chargers and four-bladed propellers, was also abandoned eady in 1944 The Fw. 190F snl Fw 190G s ersions of the basic Fav 190A series, the Fw 190F (Panzer-Blitz’) armoured assult aircraft appearing in the spring of 1944. Externally similar to the Fw 190A sencs, but with a bulged hood, this version featured gun armament reduced to two MG 17sand two 20-mm cane non, bur had the ability to carry the 1000-kg (2,206-Ib) bomb plus two 5-kg (110-15) fragmentation bombs. The most important sub variant was the Fw 190F-8, which could carry 14 21-cm (8.27-in) rocket bombs, six 28-cm (11,02-in) rocket-lunchery or 24 RAM unguided rockets; Fw L90F-8s firs joined 111(P2)/KG 200 in the autumn of 1934, The Fw 190G series actually entered operational service long before the Fw 190F, the firs aircraft bemg sent to Noreh Africa, joining SG 2 at Zarzoun, Tunisia, following the "Torch" landings in November 1942. The majority, however, went to the Eastem Front where they played an active part in the great tank battle of Kursk in early July 1943. The Few 190G-1 version, with greatly strengthened andercar riage, could carry 4 1800-ky (3:368-Ib) bomb Flaving regard to the nature of the Lufiwaile's defensive operations Goring the lst 30 months of the war, its scarcely surprising that pro~ @uction assumed impressive proportions. No fewer than 20,087 Fw 190s {incliding 86 prototypes) were produced during the 1939-45 period, the peak daily production rate of 22 aircraft being reached ealy in 1944, By the same token, many Luftwaffe pilots achieved remarkable combat feats at the controls of Fw 190s (not forgetting that of Josef Wormbeller, who shot down seven Spitfire Mk Vs in one day over the Dieppe beaches ~ despite concussion and a broken leg sullered in Pride of phce mse go to Oberleuant Otto Kittel, Hauptmann Moritz on the wing of his IV Sturm/SG 3 Fw 1908 at ‘Schongau during the summer of 1944 Morte was the Srenpenkommandeur,and his aircraimenrs the appropriate doubleFocke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 aie prey Fur 908:6/R11 of 1/NIG ry flown by Oberteutnant Hans “suse from Werneuchen fn August 4, Te pilots insignia consisted Fhis nickname iio’ beneath the ide Sau emblem: Note Neptun sr araysand two shade grey on J pper wing surface, Krause was er awarded the Knight's Crass rd gamed 28 night victories. the Lufawalfe’s fourth-highest scoring pilot, of whose 267 aie victories some 200 were gained in Fw 19DA—ts and -5s, Other very high seor- fens in the Fw 190k inchided Walter Nowotns, Heine Bir, Hermann Graf and Kure Bubligen, all of whose scores included more than 100) victorics guinted with the guns of the apely-named ‘Butcher Bird From radial to inline From its frst encounters with the RAP, it vas clear 9 Pocke-Wal H 1 that the Fw 1A) was a great success. Versions prolferit fed among other things succeoding the Ju 87 asthe chief close-support sircraft of the Lufewatt Its only shortcoming was that performance fell away drastically at high altitudes. Even with a massive GM+I (nitrous oxide) boost system the pertormince was disappointing, and while this mattered lite in the ground attack role (where the radial fengines tolerance to battle damage was a major advantage), it limited the Fw 190% otherwise Inge potential a6 at alt superioniey fighter ‘epectily aganst Allied aircraft hike the P-SUD Mustang, The answer appeared 10 he with a change of engine, The official view sas that the Jamo 213 should be fitted, bur designer Dipl Ing Kurt Tank favoured DIB G3. Both were inverted-V12 liquid-cooled engines in RW (2,000-hp) class. From early 1942 numerous prototype and development aircraft were Hown with these engines, mostly as B-scries or C-seris airraf, and many having torbochangers in prominent venttal farings, The ka ter looked like a coolant radiator, 88 om the American P-31 Mustang bout in fice all the higuid-cooled Fu 190s has the nese, making them look superfically like radial-powered aircrat Inevitably, the liguid-cooled engmes increased the length of the nose and to retain directional sability may anlme-engined variants of the sircrat alo had an estea section inserted into the fear fselage. Such twas the pressure on extreme-altitude performance ~ the REM (Leichslattfalitministeriam) calling for the ability to-opperate at 14 | First ofthe 190 series 0 be powered by the 1238-KW (1,660:ho) BMW aDiC-b engine were the For 190 5k and V3g, the forrner with sal wing (150 mt6t-a6 gf) area itustrated hore, ad the hater with entarg Sing (183 my/19890 sa f area. The lator was chosen for production on ‘count of ts superior manoeuvrability. [ iia 2% fase Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-3 cutaway dra Defence of the Reich Fw 19088 Grote ed fusetage band) of TGruppertagdgeschwader 1, based af Twenthe mn the ‘Netherlands in December 194, An aircraft with double ‘Chevron’ was being flown by Major Fans Enters, theFocke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 Displaying the black-white-black i engine cowling was farily rare at Ii late, hecie stage ofthe war ‘Blue Eight! of Schachtgesehwader ¢ during T) Senion Soden oy? ‘Staffel cofour characteristic of m [7 aniaFocke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-8 5. Staffel/Jagdgeschwader 300 Lébnitz Defence of the Reich, October 1944 8 its basle configuration with the ETC 501 centre-line 36Amp gall drop December i944, Powerplant‘canopy Tread etane the cgi ightestyle arooy of tne, bt many ater var ants fared naw town’ tarépy when gave egeiuncatack pots muss cater ve Dy Gun armament Inthe upper ceclng ofthe fuselage was a pair OT Senm 031-n) MG 17 machine-guns eth #000 rounds oer gun. More sot the wengrasts, and anther pa atooars of he {endorcarrage, ach with 200 rounds wing Zs Branly developed, the Fw 190 hac ben tested (oth two sas of wg Th lnger ono was chosen Fr proaucton. showurg ite degradstan n speed pertormance but cock erable advantage nother reas The Fv 180 was vry agi, parteuay dung Foling manneuwes, but showed some lax of alee Eanttal nhghvspees ves. The wing was buit round two spats to whch wore sleeved @ what Section leading eoge sectons and srmpiafaps ana Bierons he ater having od tas The through spar Eonsiracton mase'n vey song,Focke-Wulf Fw 190/Ta 152 oo ‘The construction of the Fw 1900 prototypes necessitated the conversion OfsixAcseries airframes, which were followed by further A-7 airframes Converted to serve as Fw 1900-0 pre-production aircraft with the Sumo, PIaKF engine. This areraft is the frst of them, the V3a, displaying the A Tarmament of two MG 17s and four MG 151s. (87 miles) — that some of the aircraft were fitted wit cockpits, a turbo-supercharger and MW 50 GMI power boost systems. Tank and his staff never wavered in pressurised miethanol/water) and support for the big 445-litee (11.7-Imp gal) DIB 603, and work never stopped on projects powered by it, leading to various Fw 190Cs, the Ta 152C and Ta 13. The offical view continued to support the Junkers engine, and it was obvious as 1943 progressed that, a6 this engine would be availa sooner, priorcy would have to be given to the Fw 190D series, pow cred by the Jamo 2134-1 rated at 1323 kW (1,776 hp) but capable of delivering 1669 KW (2,240 hp) for briet periods with MW. 30 ing tion, It way natura, but perhaps unfortunate, that Tank should have Above: A are in-service view of ‘an Fw 1900.9. About 700 Fa ‘90Ds were completed, but reat of iene eer entered service. The type was Involved in the futile Defence of the Reich operations against USAAF bombers, and played its partin Operation Bodenplatte, the Luftwarfe's starred ‘peration against Aled airfields Im Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The major production model was the Fv 1900-4, or Dora-Nine" as twas known inservice Improvements incorparated Included a wider chord fn, removal of twe MG 151 cannon ‘and the replacement of the uselage G17 machine-guns by MG Tits of 12-mm calibre, Bomb tacks were added and MW50 water methanol boosting was employed. kept his sights consistently on the distane horizons with the DB 603 and revised aitframes nded to make him Fw 190D as an interim airctalt, and he filed to flly exploit its poten This ways consider the tial. The problem was compounded by the fact that the Jumo 213, like the 211 before i, had been designed exclusively as an engine for bombers. The totally inaceurate rumours that filtered through to the 190. Suffeln were therefore to che effect that the 190D would be a lumbering, second-rate ‘Lash-up’ Development of the D-serics occupied two whole years, from about Apnl 1942 neil May 1944. Most of the inital ving was done with converted Fw 190A-Is, all with a fairly standard Juio 213A in the nose (engthening it by 0.6 m/2 @), driving a propeller wath theee very broad blades, and with 4 0.495-m (1.6-f) section added to thy rear fuselage immediately in front of the tail. In late 1943 some Fw 190A-7 conversions were made, most having the unchanged armament of four MG 151s in the wings and two MG 1s in the fuse= lage. In early 1944, however, further design changes resulted in dele~ tion of the outboard 20-mim cannon, replacement of the 7.9-mm mmuachine-guns by the 13-mm MG 131 fin to improve seability in all conditi duction Fw 190D-9, or ‘Dori-Nin ted with three bomb racks, a low- protstyo Fw 190 foek Va2i mooted trom 1a 82 Fer 1906.7: oi 19 coy Froosype to nla ver hig ‘angie 0b te imp gab op aspee! fata wing Fw 1906-8: 6 9012 Strerwise slr 10 Fe 1908-8: RA aFocke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor I ‘dering fee from the Latte’. rank death in 1936 of Gencral W Keselring, but it was ba Masa Bl ombers (among other hundred So the Lutevate the Foeke-Walf Fw 200 V1 ifsc protory Above: This is the Sole Fev 2006-7, Which was taken over by RGzBV 105 Tor transport work fight The Fu 200 vs flown by the aftatte as Hitor's personal transport Hf not anh Kure Tank, technic and the boatd of DLE! (D. For some tin ange airliner t0 beat the Di hick DL equ creseences and a cantileve high range efficiency. Th at of DCS pried song ane ities Gio us lprovied nia Ses eullng EE Rat Sani eneetaeet mal tionary Hee eee ee ee ear Paani aT aetareencaR Satie eee sees ile contol surfaces The lance were simpFocke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor Posed infront of ‘their Condor, which already has its engines turning, this KG WO erew reviews their map details before leaving Bordeau ‘Merlgnacon another fong mission. red tabs and electrically-driven trint tabs. The split laps were fiydraulic. Tank made a special point of retracting all three units of the landing gear forwards, 30 that they would free-fall and be locked by air day ‘The main wheels were distinctively cartied ahead of th leg on swing-links with diagonal shock wth skinning of Elektron (magnesium alloy Tank hielt made VI had nine widh but was initually unfimished snd ampainted. L The Fw 200 of the cabs 1D very successfl maiden fligh Plexiglas windows along each side AERE in DLIL livery, with the name *Saarland” (which Hitler had lately reoceupied). Right at che start of the programme Tank had secured his board's agreemient to thtce prototypes and nine Fw 2008-0 production aircraft, and these followed a¢ rapid intervals. Few ch led apar ding slight sweephack co the outer fwingy, revising the tail surfices and switching tthe licenses! Hornet engine, the BMW 132 (in 132G-1 form of 336.9 kW/720 bp). The Ew 200 V2 was delivered to DUH, while the Fw 200 V3 had a ony career 38 D-260K) Jnmelmant HI, Filer’s personal aiteraft. OF the nine Ew 200A series id to DDL of Denmark and (wo to Syndicato Co Jane 3 Led of Pio ck Long-range flights Tn early 1938 the Fav 200 VI was fired with painted as D-ACON Brandenburg. Tank had specially REM (air ministry) member 200 for propaganda purposes VI now became the Fw 2008 (special). On 10 August 19 off from Berlin-Tempelhof in the hinds of Flogkapitine Henke and von Moreau, Ie made a remarkable non-stop flight against headwinds to Floyd Bennett airport, New York, covering the estimated 6558 km (4,075 miles) in 24 minutes, The ret 21 a tank This is belioved to have been the first photograph taken of a Condor in Inert Ie shows the Fu 20011 climbing out of Bremen an is fist fight m2 July 1937 af this time it had not been pa/nted. Note the single Wheel main faring gear, common fo all Condors prior to the ocean: attack C series hours 47 minutes, the average of 330 kin (205 myph) being just dou= ble the speed of the typical Iindplanes of Imperial Airways. On 28. November 1938 the same aircraft and pilots left to fly via Basta, Karachi and Hanot to Tokyo, in a total elapsed time of only 46 hours 18 minutes, On the return, #9 2 way never publicly explained, D-ACON ran out of fel on the fist leg and ditched near Man While in the Br the standard versio sed intense mnterest. By this me was in produetion wich what W the Ew 2008, with BMW 13 span, the Fw 200 ere De or 132. tengines of 633.8 or 618.9 KW (850-or 830 bp), and with apprecia increased weights. No orders appeared forthcoming, however, because the Condor was too big and costly for the predominantly shoet-haul DLH network. Export sales were thus eagerly sought, five being ordered by Dai Nippon KK of Japan. Thi a1 order far evo by Acro O/Y of Finland. In the ey prevented delivery of these aireraf, and ¢ tnd twos with DLE and with the Luttwatle KGr2b¥ 105, svas high, only one aircrat, Ew 200B-2 2s ‘was soon followed b ie World War I 20OBs served in ones Areition he war The penultimate DLL Condor, Eww 200B-2 Hesen, cashed on high round while overloaded with the last Nazi leaders to escape from Berlin on 21 April 1945, Condor over the Far East Ther secret adit a longerimge recon twas eager to build this, bs Could be usefial to the Lutewatle. Fle V10, che B-series pio per cent more fel in fuselage e 1 Japan which called for he Imperial navy. Tank suse he was con bee need such a machine re picked the Fw 200 pe, for conversion, This was fit bin tanks, provision fr over 2000 kg #400 Th) of camerss, flares, markers, dinghies and other mission uipment, and ako with three 7S-mam (OaI-in) MG 15 machine- guns, one in a small dorsal turret abowe the trailing edge and the other rondola offset t0 th ight. There was no bomb bay In spring 1939 it suddenly | san f and that a war was a near-term prospect, Luftwatle Chiet Of Staff Jeschonnck ordered Oberst! sr Petersen, a very experienced pilot, to form 2 squadron which could sink ships out the Atlantic, on which the obvious enemies, France and es UK, would depend during a war. The problem was that then The intended machine, the Hleinkel He 177, was The only answer seemed to be the ‘Japanes firing to front and rear from a vente eat as if Hitler's gambles might not Suitable sncrat years from combat duty Fw 200 V1. Ay in the case of the Ju 52/3m, Domier Do types, the REM was faced with botching up a combae aircraft from rt. wh because Batish obs time the Luftwaffe was busily developing bombers in oy 200) was fundamentally uns Xt had been ter The airframe would henceforth hav sof fc) a the ke guise of civil aireraft, Th ie signed to operite 3¢ wseip CE+IB, seen here with the yellow theatre band of the Eastera Front, was ne of hwo transport Condars ~ Fw 2000-4/UF (illustrated) and U2 built in'tate These had all requtar C-t improvements but only had four 79 fnum (0.21 in) MG13 guns, two in small dorsal turrets and two ia shore Gondola. There were Mf passenger seats