Focke-Wulf Fw 200

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Herroberst, Apr 4, 2006.

  1. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Phylo,

    Thanks for the information. I was not aware of the hub defect causing fires.
    A very nasty situation retracting a burning undercarriage into the engine nacelles!!

    When I get a chance I will look on You Tube to see if the video is posted.

    Regards

    Tom
     
  2. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    The FW-200.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    An example of one early encounter between a catalina from 240 Squadron and a FW-200.

    [​IMG]
    The other protaganist , a Catalina moored on Lough Erne , circa 1941.
     
  3. Nazihunter

    Nazihunter Junior Member

    The FW 200 was an amazing plane and it had a very long range. It was first used as an escort for surface ships but mostly U boats of the german navy during the battle of the Atlantic.
     
  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Thanks,

    If anything else you are digging out old threads I've not seen :D

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  5. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    But the Fw 200C-1 made itself very unpopular by breaking its back on landings. At least eight Fw 200Cs were lost when the fuselage broke, just aft of the wing. Obviously, the strength of the airframe was insufficient to cope with the additional weight and stress. The Fw 200C was always an improvised combat aircraft, with many deficiencies. The crews also complained about inadequate armament and an vulnerable fuel system.

    The Fw 200C-3 introduced some more reinforcements, although still insufficient, a gun turret to replace the fairing above the cockpit, two beam guns, an increase in bomb load, and an additional crew member. It also had 1200hp BMW 323-R2 engines to compensate for the weight increase. Soon a number of variations in armament appeared, as the MG FF and MG 15 were replaced by far more powerful 15mm and 20mm MG 151 cannon, or the 13mm MG 131. With these changes, the later Condors were very well armed.

    For offensive purposes the Fw 200C was equipped with the low-altitude Revi bombsight, or the Lofte 7D sight for attacks from between 3500m and 4000m. Radar appeared, on the Fw 200C-4, in the form of Rostock or Hohentwiel anti-shipping radars. These modifications increased the weight and reduced the speed. the max level speed of the Fw 200C-4 was a very unimpressive 330km/h at 4800m, down to 280km/h at sea level. The speed of 450km/h was not be exceeded, and brusque evasive manoeuvres could results in structural failures. Endurance was 14 hours, for a range of about 3860km, or 18 hours if additional fuel tanks were carried instead of bombs, and cruising speeds were around 250km/h. The common bomb load on long-range missions was just four 250kg bombs.

    In mid-1941 a change of tactics occurred. The Fw 200 crews were now instructed not to attack, and to evade all combat unless unavoidable. The Condors were used to report allied shipping movements. To guide the U-boats to the convoys they shadowed they transmitted direction finding signal, but they did not directly communicate with the submarines. This was a more effective use of the available numbers, and it also helped to conserve the aircraft: Production was low, and some Fw 200s were diverted to other roles, notably VIP transports. But worse was to come. On 20 September 1941 a Condor was lost when it attacked a convoy escorted by HMS Audacity, the first escort carrier. During the second voyage of the carrier, four Condors were shot down. Although the Audacity was primitive, and soon sunk by U-751, it announced the beginning of the end. The vulnerable Condor was increasingly confronted by enemy fighters, based on catapult-equipped merchant ships (CAM ships), merchant ships with small flight decks (MAC ships), or small escort carriers.


    Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor - Technical pages - German U-boats of WWII - Kriegsmarine - uboat.net
     
  7. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    There was a combat between a Coastal Command Liberator and a Condor - the Liberator driving off the Condor. RAF Flying Review carried an article on this back in the 60s

    Having a dummy Hurricane on a fake catapult (a sort of Quaker CAM) proved sufficient for Condors to keep their distance.
     
  8. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    https://fw200-restaurierung-bremen.de/

    Was between 2000 – 2003 (very proud and most enthusiastic) member of the very first restauration team at Bremen: A small, bleak area of an old hangar, some tools, 13 nerds, 9 metric tonnes of mangled, oxidized scrap and one of the most demanding restauration projects ever. (The Fw-190 at Hannover was a piece of cake compared to that behemoth, believe me)
    Most of the guys were oldtimers who´d learned aircraft builder at Focke-Wulf in 1943/44, hence I was by far the youngest one - but learned an unbelievable amount about proper old fashioned craftsmanship.

    One of the major headaches (besides the severe lack of proper construction plans and the disastrous condition of the remains) even in 2000 was the way of proper display if sometimes finished:
    As long range reconnaissance airplane it was a mediocre compromise at best and also historically burdened whereas as civilian passenger plane it was a most important progress in modern civilian passenger transport.
    (1st nonstop transatlantic flight of a land based passenger airplane)
    But here – surprise, surprise - we faced the usual problem of german thoroughness: The only specimen at hand was the military version and altering the appearance into a civilian version would be as troublesome (engines, airscrews and many other innumerable details) as it would would be also highly incorrect.....
    Meanwhile they found a clever compromise: It shall be displayed in a semi finished state without markings and weaponry....
    condor.jpg
     
    TTH and canuck like this.
  9. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Might need a little clarification
    Jun 4-5, 1927: Charles A. Levine, a New York businessman, became the first person to cross the
    Atlantic by airplane as a passenger when he flew nonstop between New York and Germany in a Bellanca monoplane piloted by Clarence Chamberlin, whom he had sponsored.
    Apr 12-13, 1928: Hermann Koehl, a German, and James Fitzmaurice, an Irishman, accompanied by one passenger, made the first nonstop east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic by airplane, flying from Ireland to a crash landing on Greenly Island, Labrador, in the Junkers W-33L Bremen.

    From FAA HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY, 1926-1996

    The Junkers W-33 was definitely a passenger aircraft and was used in the early airline business
    Junkers W 33 "Bremen", first east to west Atlantic crossing
    D-1167 | Junkers W-33 | Private | C. v. Grinsven | JetPhotos
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2020
    ltdan likes this.
  10. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Robert, of course you´re entirely right!
    Preferably I´d had to write "purpose-built trans-atlantic passenger plane flying in east-west direction" in italics.
    Nonetheless thanks for that clarification. Even such seemingly small corrections denote the quality of a forum like this
    BTW: I also had the pleasure assisting the very final stages of restoring the Junkers W.33 "Bremen" (was my ticket for the "Condor")
    regards
    Olli
     
  11. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    very interesting info you can pick up copies for a few pounds
    Profile Publications No. 099: Focke-Wulf Fw 200

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  12. Robert-w

    Robert-w Banned

    Indeed I have a copy - purchased when two shillings was not a trivial sum
     
  13. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    This morning at 00.30h CEST the Fw-200 "Condor" arrived in Berlin Tempelhof (by land) after 20 years of restoration :D:D:D

    arrival 1999 in Hamburg
    Condor 1999.jpg

    The finished plane after its completion prior to it´s transport to Berlin
    Condor.jpg
     
  14. jonheyworth

    jonheyworth Senior Member

    I’d simply love a look inside her !!
     
  15. Andreas

    Andreas Working on two books

    Fantastic.

    Some KG40 FW200 were used as emergency supply planes during Operation CRUSADER. They didn't last long, their fragile engines couldn't cope with the sand.

    The attached GIF is a colourised live encounter of a FW200 with a few Ju 52s at Derna, December 1941.

    All the best

    Andreas
     

    Attached Files:

  16. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Sorry mate your attachment has gone right over my head
    upload_2021-6-25_17-49-42.png
     

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