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| Fw 58Weihe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Trainer,Transport,Air Ambulance |
| Manufacturer | Focke-Wulf |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 1,350 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1937 |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Retired | 1940s |
TheFocke-Wulf Fw 58Weihe (Harrier) was a twin-engine multi-role aircraft designed and produced by theGerman aircraft manufacturerFocke-Wulf.
It was developed in response to a request from theLuftwaffe, which sought a multi-role aircraft that could be operated as an advancedtrainer for pilots, gunners and radio operators alike. The resulting Fw 58 was a low-wingmonoplane powered by a pair ofArgus As 10CV-8piston engines mounted innacelles on the wing'sleading edges. The crew were seated under an enclosedcanopy. Aft of theflight deck, thefuselage was open to form a moveableMG 15machine gun station. Thetailwheel undercarriage was retractable. The nose could either be glazed or faired over. The first prototype performed itsmaiden flight in 1935; the Fw 58 entered regular service two years later.
The Fw 58 was procured in large numbers by theLuftwaffe and thus was widely used across Germany for thetraining of several categories of military personnel. Furthermore, the type was routinely operated in other capacities, including as aVIP transport,air ambulance, feederairliner,photo reconnaissance andweather research aircraft.[1] It was also operated as anairliner by the Germanflag carrierDeutsche Luft Hansa. Several were owned by private pilots, including theaeronautical engineerKurt Tank. Outside of Germany, the type wasbuilt under license by several other nations, includingBulgaria,Hungary andBrazil. Other nations that procured the Fw 58 included theNetherlands,Romania,Croatia andTurkey.
Work on the Fw 58 commenced during the early 1930s; its development was closely paralleled by theArado Ar 77, which was designed to fulfil the same specification.[2]
The Fw 58 featuredwelded steel tube construction across its fuselage along with mixed materials for its covering.[2] It had a semi-cantilever wing that was primarily metal, but made use offabric aft of thespar. This wing was mounted relatively low on the fuselage, the centre sections of which werebraced between the uppermost point of the engine mounting and the fuselage.[2] In contrast, the tailplane, which was positioned forward of thefin, was braced from beneath viastruts. The underside of both of the enginenacelles featured a recess into which the mainundercarriage retracted into during flight.[2] The Fw 58 was powered by a pair ofArgus As 10CV-8 inverted air-cooled piston engines, capable of generating up to 240 PS (240 hp; 180 kW).[2]
During 1935, the first prototype conducted itsmaiden flight.[2] It was quickly joined by the second prototype which, unlike the first, had been constructed to a military configuration; one of the more prominent visual differences between the two aircraft was the presence of defensiveMG 15machine guns in the nose and dorsal positions of the latter. The configuration of the second prototype, sometimes referred to asFw 58A, did not actually correspond to many of the quantity production aircraft as production was quickly transitioned to the improvedFw 58B, which most closely corresponded to the design of the fourth prototype.[3] This model featured the ability to carrybombs and could even be outfitted withfloats; when in the latter configuration, the aircraft was designated asFw 58BW. However, the definitive production model was theFw 58C, which had a faired-in nose and could accommodate up to six passengers.[4]
A major customer for the Fw 58 was the Luftwaffe, a large number of its operational units were equipped with multiple aircraft, either Fw 58Bs or Fw 58Cs, for light transport and communications purposes.[4] The type would see use as anair ambulance and several other secondary roles, includingaerial application for agricultural products. At least 30 specially configurated Fw 58s were deployed to theEastern Front to spray potential sources of disease for German ground forces.[5]
Between 1938 and 1939, eight aircraft in anairliner were supplied to the Germanflag carrierDeutsche Luft Hansa.[4] Furthermore, a few aircraft were used for various experimental purposes, including early trials ofaerial refuelling apparatus. Numerous private pilots, including theaeronautical engineerKurt Tank (who had headed the design of the Fw 58), operated the type as a personal aircraft.[4]
The only Fw 58 on display is atMuseu Aeroespacial inRio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil used this airplane mainly for maritime patrols and the example on display was one of the 25 Fw 58B-2 units license-built in Brazil by Fábrica de Galeão, circa 1941.
An Fw 58 C-2 is stored in theNorwegian Aviation Museum inBodø.[14]
An Fw 58 C crashed on 30 March 1943 in theLac du Bourget, France, after a low-flying training pass over the lake went wrong. Two of the four airmen on board were rescued by local fishermen. The wreckage lies at a depth of over 112 meters. Due to the dark and cold water, it is still fairly well preserved, though the canvas over the tube frame light structure is gradually deteriorating. A proposal has been made to raise the wreckage, but local divers are strongly opposed because of its status as awar grave, and the risks of damaging it.[15][16]
Data fromDie Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 Vol.2 – Flugzeugtypen Erla-Heinkel[6]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related lists
Media related toFocke-Wulf Fw 58 at Wikimedia Commons
