Focke-Wulf Fw 187

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Focke-Wulf Fw 187
Focke-Wulf Fw 187 (15083509087) .jpg
Type: Fighter plane
Design country:

German Reich NSGerman Reich (Nazi era) German Empire

Manufacturer:

Focke-Wulf

First flight:

April 10, 1937

Commissioning:

January 1941

Production time:

1937-1940

Number of pieces:

9

The Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke is a twin-engine fighter aircraft from the time of the Second World War , which was developed by Focke-Wulf in Bremen .

development

It was designed as a single-seat fighter for speeds of over 500 km / h in early 1936. The first flight of the prototype Fw 187 V1 (registration D-AXAK ) took place on April 10, 1937, with a top speed of 520 km / h being reached despite the less powerful Junkers Jumo 210 D engines ( Daimler-Benz engines were provided ) . Although the Fw 187 was 60 km / h faster than the Bf 109 B-2, it could not prevail at the Reich Ministry of Aviation (RLM) because two engines for a single-seat fighter were viewed as a waste there.

A little later, the RLM's Technical Office wrote out a heavy fighter with a crew of three and two engines in the newly created type of "destroyer ", which was to be equipped with machine guns and bombs.

The third prototype was then adapted - but not exactly according to the RLM specifications, which the competitors Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (from 1938 Messerschmitt AG ) and Henschel Flugzeug-Werke did not either. The last prototype Fw 187 V6 received the now available DB 600A engines with 772 kW (1,050 hp) each and thus reached a top speed of 635 km / h near the ground during testing in spring 1939.

Despite this performance and above-average maneuverability, the RLM only placed an order for three Fw 187 A-0 pre-series machines , as the decision had already been made in favor of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 model . Completed in 1940, the machines flew manned by test pilots for the Bremen industrial protection squadron as a kind of "private air defense" for the Focke-Wulf plant and scored several kills.

In the winter of 1940/41 they were unofficially handed over to the Luftwaffe and stationed in Norway, where they were soon preferred to the Bf 110. When Goering learned of this, the machines had to be returned to the factory.

The experience gained from this type was used in the development of the Focke-Wulf Ta 154 .

The aircraft was made of all-metal construction, all surfaces were self-supporting. The main landing gear with air suspension was complete, and the tail wheel was two thirds retractable. When retracted, it served as an emergency spur.

Technical specifications

Model of a Fw 187
Parameter Data (Fw 187 A-0)
crew 3
span 15.30 m
length 11.10 m
height 3.85 m
Wing area 30.6 m²
Empty mass 3700 kg
Takeoff mass 4989 kg
Top speed 525 km / h at an altitude of 4200 m
Rate of climb 17.5 m / s
Summit height practically 10,000 m
Engines two 12-cylinder V-engines Junkers Jumo 210 G with a maximum of 537 kW (730 hp) each
Armament four 7.92-mm MG 17
, two 20-mm machine guns MG FF

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Focke-Wulf Fw 187  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ According to the company tradition of that time, all Focke-Wulf aircraft had internal bird names.