Blohm und Voss BV 141705 viewsThe Bv-141 was a very unusual, asymmetric aircraft. The configuration was adopted to give excellent all-round view from a single-engine aircraft. An extensively glazed nacelle was fitted to the left of a slender tail boom. The Bv-141A (with symmetrical tailplane) was an excellent aircraft but the RLM rejected it as underpowered. The more powerful Bv-141B (with asymmetrical tailplane) had some handling problems. Both types had hydraulic problems.
Its first flight, on 25 February 1938, proved the Bv-141 to be more airworthy than its detractors wanted to believe. Over the next two years three Bv-141A prototypes and 10 Bv-141B production aircraft were completed, but the poor bird never shook the stigma of its disfigured appearance and the Folke Wulf Fw-189A was the winner of the contract.
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Focke-Wulf Fw 58872 viewsThe Focke-Wulf Fw 58 was an excellent aircraft. It made its first flight in 1935 as a six-seat light transport. The prototype, Fw 58 V1, first flew in 1935 as a six-seater transport. The second prototype was in military guise, having machine guns fitted both in the nose and dorsally. The next production run was of the Fw 58B, some of which were bombers and some others being fitted with floats - the Fw 58BW. The main production model was the Fw 58C, a light transport. Eight were delivered to Lufthansa during 1938/9 as commercial transports.
Large numbers of bothe Fw 58Bs and Fw 58Cs were used by the Luftwaffe being used for light transport, communications and ambulance duties in large numbers even, on occasions, for crop spraying.
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Focke-Wulf 187519 viewsThis plane was excellent when it appeared, but ignored in favor of the Bf110. The pilots in Norway were enthusiastic about its potential and demanded quantity production, but instead they were ordered to give the planes back to Focke-Wulf because they were only in inofficial use. Some Fw187 were also used in the aerial shooting school in Vaerlose, Denmark.
In the facility defense role, they shot down several aircraft. Remarkable was the great maneuvrability; the Rechlin test pilot Heinrich Beauvais was of the opinion that it circled comparable to the Bf109 and rolled only slightly slower than the Bf109, while spped and range were superior. But the disastrous (but good-looking) Me210 and Me410 design was preferred by the air ministry
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focke wulf 189517 viewsThe Focke Wulf 189 was a reconnaissance aircraft which served with the Luftwaffe (German Airforce) during World War II. Only 846 were built.
The 189 was used mainly on the Eastern Front and was known both as ‘The Flying Eye’, due to the superb all-round vision afforded by its distinctively glazed fuselage, and as the Uhu (Owl). The 189C was an attempt by Focke Wulf to build a ground attack version of it's successful recon plane.
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Focke-Wulf Fw 44513 viewsThe Focke-Wulf Fw 44 was a two-seater biplane known as the Stieglitz (Goldfinch).
It was produced by Focke-Wulf for pilot training and aerobatics. The Luftwaffe used the Fw 44C - the final version - almost universally as a trainer during World War II.
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Heinkel He 100570 viewsDisappointed by the loss of the Luftwaffe's fighter orders to BFW and it's Bf 109 and the failure of the He 112, Heinkel set out to build a lighter and faster fighter that was also cheaper and easier to build. Even though the He 100 broke several world speed records, the RLM was solidly supportive of the Bf 109 and failed to order the He 100 into production. Six prototypes were eventually sold to the Soviet Union and three He 100D-0 went to Japan. The three He 100D-0's being armed with two MG 17 and a 20mm MG/FF. The remaining 12 He 100D-1 fighters were used to form a Heinkel-Rostock factory defense unit
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb1136 viewsThe Mk V was produced in greater numbers than any other single mark of Spitfire. It was the main version of the fighter during 1941, replacing the Mk I and II in service in time to take part in the first British counterattacks over France. During the summer of 1941 it held an advantage over the Bf 109, but in September 1941 the Fw 190 made its operation debut, and the Mk V found itself outclassed. Despite this, it remained the main RAF fighter until the summer of 1942, and the low level LF.Mk V remained in use into 1944.
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