| Fw 189Uhu | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Tacticalreconnaissance andarmy cooperation aircraft,light bomber |
| Manufacturer | Focke-Wulf |
| Designer | |
| Primary users | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 864 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1940–1944 |
| Introduction date | August 1941 |
| First flight | July 1938 |
| Retired | 1945 |
TheFocke-Wulf Fw 189Uhu (Owl) is a twin-enginetwin-boom tacticalreconnaissance andarmy cooperation aircraft designed and produced by theGerman aircraft manufacturerFocke-Wulf. It was one of theLuftwaffe's most prominent short range reconnaissance aircraft during theSecond World War.[1]
The Fw 189 was developed during the late 1930s to fulfil a specification issued by theReichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) for an advanced short-rangereconnaissance aircraft to succeed theHenschel Hs 126 in the tactical support role provided by theLuftwaffe to theWehrmacht. WhileArado Flugzeugwerke (Arado) had responded with the conventionalArado Ar 198, Focke-Wulf's design team, headed by theaeronautical engineerKurt Tank, produced the unconventional Fw 189, a twin-boom aircraft with a central crewgondola with a glazedstepless cockpit. During July 1938, the first prototype performed itsmaiden flight; early testing of the Fw 189 demonstrated its superiority over the Ar 198, and thus the RLM backed its development and subsequent quantity production.
During 1940, the Fw 189 entered service with the Luftwaffe. It was much in use on theEastern Front against theSoviet Union, where it was used for reconnaissance role, alight bomber and anight fighter. The Fw 189 was also used on other fronts. Production of the type took place at the Focke-Wulf factory atBremen, theBordeaux-Merignac aircraft factory inoccupied France, and theAero Vodochody aircraft factory inPrague,occupied Czechoslovakia. Further development and production of the type continued until mid-1944, at which point production was terminated to concentrate on fighters.
Work on what would become the Fw 189 can be traced back to February 1937 and the issuing of a specification by the GermanReichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) that called for a short-rangereconnaissance aircraft that had a three-man crew and provided all-round visibility; it was also specified that the aircraft should possess about 850–900 hp (630–670 kW) of power. An important function of theLuftwaffe was to provide tactical support to theWehrmacht; the envisioned aircraft was intended to be an advanced successor to theHenschel Hs 126, which had only just started service trials.[1] This specification was issued to both Arado andFocke-Wulf.[2]
Arado opted to respond with the relatively conventional Ar 198, which was a single-engined high-wing monoplane with a glazed gondola underneath the fuselage.[1] Focke-Wulf's chief designerKurt Tank had opted for a distinctive twin-boom configuration for what would become the Fw 189; it was also powered by a pair ofArgus As 410 engines instead of the expected single engine. As a "twin-boom" design, akin to the earlier DutchFokker G.I, the Fw 189 used a central crewgondola, which for the Fw 189 would be designed with a glazed and framedstepless cockpit forward section, which used no separate windscreen panels for the pilot (as with many German medium bombers from 1938). The Fw 189 had as part of its defensive armament, a novel rear-gun emplacement designed by the Ikaria-Werke: a rotating conical rear "turret" of sorts, manually rotated with a metal-framed, glazed conical fairing streamlining its shape, with the open section providing the firing aperture for either a single or twin machine-gun at the unit's circular-section forward mount.[3]Blohm & Voss proposed as a private venture something even more radical, chief designer Dr.Richard Vogt's unique asymmetricBlohm & Voss BV 141.[1]
The BV 141 and Fw 189 submissions were reportedly received by RLM officials with a degree of unease due to their unconventional approaches.[1] During April 1937, orders were placed for three prototypes each of the Arado and Focke-Wulf designs.[4][1] That month, construction of the first prototype Fw 189 commenced. In July 1938, it performed itsmaiden flight, the pilot being Tank. The aircraft possessed favourable flight characteristics.[1] One month later, it was followed by the second prototype, the principal difference between the two being that the second prototype was armed, carrying twoMG 17 and threeMG 15machine guns along with underwingbombracks capable of carrying up to four 50 kg (110 lb)bombs.[5] The third prototype was outfitted with specially-designed Argusvariable-pitch propeller that automatically changed pitch via the vanes on thespinner. In contrast to the smooth testing of the Fw 189, the Ar 198 exhibited comparatively cumbersome and unsatisfactory performance.[6]
Recognising the Fw 189 as the winner, Focke-Wulf received a development contract from the RLM for four additional prototypes.[6] The first of these four aircraft was representative of the production standard Fw 189A, being powered by a pair ofArgus As 410A-1V-12 inverted piston engines, capable of generating up to 465 PS (459 hp; 342 kW) and a reduced defensive armament comprising only two machine guns. The next aircraft prototype was a forerunner of the Fw 189B, featuring more refined aerodynamic shaping of the fuselage along with a more conventional stepped cockpit.[6] In mid 1939, the RLM ordered another 13 aircraft, all of which were delivered to theLuftwaffe by March 1940.[6]
During late 1939, Focke-Wulf withdrew the first prototype from the flight test programme to adapt it into their response to a request from the RLM for a dedicatedclose air support aircraft.[7] The original fuselage nacelle was replaced by a compactarmoured counterpart; largely due to the increased weight, it handled poorly. While this version was formally evaluated, the competingHenschel Hs 129 was selected instead, partly due to its smaller size and reduced production cost.[8]
The Fw 189 was mass produced at the Focke-Wulf factory inBremen, at theBordeaux-Merignac aircraft factory (Avions Marcel Bloch's factory, which becameDassault Aviation after the war) inoccupied France and at theAero Vodochody aircraft factory inPrague,occupied Czechoslovakia. By mid-1942, production of the Fw 189 at Bremen had ended as resources were concentrated on theFocke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter instead.[9] While the company's design team continued to work on advanced variants of the Fw 189 into early 1944, production of the type was permanently ended in mid-1944 in response to Germany's declining military situation, which compelled the termination of various aircraft programmes to concentrate resources.[10] Total production of the type came to 864 aircraft of all variants.[11]
During early 1940, Luftwaffe pilots commenced training on the type, initially using the pre-production Fw 189s exclusively and supplemented by five-seat Fw 189B-1 trainers from the summer of 1940.[12] While operational trials of the type were quite successful,Luftwaffe officials concluded that there was little advantage to withdrawing the existing Hs 126s in favour of Fw 189s. Instead, the service decided to introduce the type relatively slowly, thus the Fw 189 was not operational at any meaningful quantity until the summer of 1942.[13] This delay did allow for some refinements to the aircraft, particularly its airframe, to be performed during 1941; modifications around this time included desert survival gear andfloats. The first unit to re-equip with the type being on theEastern Front.[14]
Called theFliegendes Auge (Flying Eye) of theGerman Army, the Fw 189 was used extensively on the Eastern Front. By September 1942, 172 Fw 189s were reportedly operational on this front, making up the majority of all short range reconnaissance aircraft present.[15] It was nicknamed "Rama" ("frame" in the Russian, Ukrainian and Polish languages) by Soviet forces, referring to its distinctive tail boom, fin and elevator shapes, giving it a quadrangular appearance.[citation needed] Despite its low speed and fragile looks, the Fw 189's manoeuvrability made it a difficult target for Sovietfighters. The Fw 189 was often able to out-turn attacking fighters by flying in a tight circle into which enemy fighters could not follow.[citation needed] The Fw 189 also saw service on other fronts, including theMiddle East.[16]
Night Reconnaissance Group 15, attached to the4thPanzerarmee in southernPoland during late 1944, carried out nocturnal reconnaissance and light bombing sorties with a handful of Fw 189A-1s. These aircraft typically lacked the maindorsal machine gun.[citation needed] Small numbers of A-1s were used asnight fighters in the closing weeks of the conflict – the aircraft were modified by having their reconnaissance equipment removed and then fitted withFuG 212AI radar in the nose and a single obliquely-firing 20 mmMG FF autocannon in the commonSchräge Musik upwards/forward-firing offensive fitment also used for heavier German night fighters, like theBf 110G. For the Fw 189 the installation was in the crew nacelle in the space where the rear dorsal gun was normally housed. The majority of thenachtjager Fw 189s was operated byNJG 100, were based atGreifswald. Chronic fuel shortages and enemy air superiority over the Fw 189 defence area (chieflyBerlin) meant that few aircraft were shot down by these aircraft.[citation needed]
The main production model was theFw 189A reconnaissance plane, built mostly in two variants, the A-1 and A-2. Unless otherwise stated all aircraft were powered by twoArgus As 410 engines of 465 PS (459 hp, 342 kW).
TheFw 189B was a five-seattraining aircraft; only 13 were built.
TheFw 189C was conceived as a heavily armoured ground-attack,close-support variant, in competition with theHenschel Hs 129. But its two prototypes (V1b andV6) were not satisfactory, and it was not produced.
Fw 189V7+1H (Werk Nr. 2100) is the only surviving Fw 189. It was part of 1./Nahaufklärungsgruppe 10, withV7 originally theGeschwaderkennung code forHeeres-Aufklärungsgruppe 32 based atPontsalenjoki (due east ofKuusamo, and within the south-central area of modern Russia'sRepublic of Karelia) and took part in its first mission on 4 May 1943. The mission was to photograph theLoukhi-3 airbase from an altitude of 6,000 m (20,000 ft), then to continue north along theMurmansk-Leningrad railway. Approximately 31 minutes after taking offV7+1H was attacked and damaged byLend-Lease-acquiredSovietHawker Hurricane fighters. The aircraft dived to escape the fighters, but, owing to the damage suffered, could not pull out in time and it struck the treetops. The tail was torn off and the crew nacelle left hanging upside down within the trees. The pilot,Lothar Mothes, survived but one crewman was killed in the crash and the third died fromblood loss as a result of a severed leg. Mothes survived two weeks in sub-zero temperatures, evading Soviet patrols while eating bark and grubs as he walked back to his base. He spent the next nine months in a hospital recovering from severefrostbite before returning to the front line, eventually to fly another 100 missions.
In 1991 the wreckage ofV7+1H was found in the Russian forest where it had remained for 48 years. The aircraft was purchased by a group of British aircraft enthusiasts and was shipped to the United Kingdom, arriving atWorthing,West Sussex in March 1992. The Focke Wulf 189 Restoration Society was formed to restore the aircraft to flying condition. Her former pilot, Lothar Mothes, met up again with his aircraft at the 1996Biggin Hill Airshow.
It was reported that this aircraft was acquired byPaul Allen'sFlying Heritage Collection[citation needed] and was in rebuild at Duxford to an airworthy condition, but as of August 1, 2021 was listed for sale.[17]
Data fromDie Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945 Vol.2 – Flugzeugtypen Erla-Heinkel,[18] German Aircraft of the Second World War[19]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link).
