Focke-Wulf Fw 187

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_187

About the video:
"Note: due to shrinkage of this print, sound on this film may be substandard."

The Focke-Wulf Fw 187 Falke ("Falcon") was a German aircraft developed in the
late 1930s. It was conceived by Kurt Tank as a twin-engine, high-performance
fighter, but the Luftwaffe saw no role for the design, perceiving it as
intermediate between the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110. Later prototypes were
adapted to two-seats to compete with the Bf 110 in the Zerstörer (heavy fighter)
role, but only nine aircraft were built in total.

In 1935, Kurt Tank made the suggestion of creating a long-range single-seat
fighter under a private venture within Focke-Wulf. The idea was not to produce a
heavy fighter or bomber destroyer like the Bf 110, but instead a long-range
design that would have the performance of a single-seat design. Powered by the
new 736 kW (1,000 PS) Daimler-Benz DB 600, it had an expected speed of 560 km/h
(350 mph). The design was unveiled in 1936 at an exhibition of new weapons,
prototypes and projects held at the Henschel factory at Berlin-Schönefeld, where
it was viewed by a number of high-ranking Nazi officials, including Hitler.
However, the Reich Air Ministry (RLM) rejected the design on the grounds that
the single-engine Bf 109 had comparable performance but would cost roughly half
as much. The need for a long-range design was not considered serious, as at the
time it was believed bomber escort was simply not needed.

Fw 187 V3 (D-ORHP) flew in spring 1938, but it suffered a starboard engine fire
during one of the initial test flights and damaged its main landing gear in the
resulting forced landing. It was quickly repaired and returned to service.

Two additional two-seat prototypes, V4 (D-OSNP) and V5 (D-OTGN), followed in the
summer and autumn of 1938 respectively. While also powered by the Jumo 210,
their performance was disappointing and led to a decision that any advantages of
the new type would not warrant the replacement of the existing Bf 110.

The final prototype, Fw 187 V6 (D-CINY), was more heavily modified, receiving
the originally specified 736 kW (1,000 PS) DB 600 engines, as well as a new
surface evaporative cooling system for reduced drag. First flown in early 1939
it proved to have serious cooling problems (in common with other designs using
the system, like the Heinkel He 100) and suffered some skin buckling and
distortion. Nevertheless, during a series of carefully timed and measured runs
in October 1939, the Fw 187 V6 reached 634 km/h (395 mph) in level flight,
making it the fastest fighter in Germany at the time.

A small production run of three Fw 187 A-0 followed in the summer of 1939, based
upon the V3 prototype and using the Jumo 210G engines. The Luftwaffe, however,
stated that without defensive armament the aircraft could not fulfill the
Zerstörer role, and remained uninterested in the design. The three two-seat
prototypes were returned to Focke-Wulf after testing at Rechlin. There was a
brief study in the winter of 1942/43 as a night fighter, but the lack of room in
the cockpit for radar equipment quickly eliminated it from contention. After
rejecting the design, the RLM "recycled" their 8-187 airframe number to Junkers
for their Junkers Ju 187 dive bomber prototype.

Tank nevertheless directed a series of studies based around new versions of the
basic airframe in roles including dive bomber, night fighter, fighter-bomber,
high-altitude interceptor (with greater wingspan and lengthened rear fuselage),
among others. These designs explored a variety of engines including the
Daimler-Benz DB 601, DB 605 and even the BMW 801 radial engine.

In time the Ta 154 Moskito resulted from the Luftwaffe requirement for a
twin-engine heavy fighter like the Fw 187, but constructed from wood instead of
light alloys but due to the different material and construction techniques Tank
made no use of the Fw 187 work, instead having to design a completely new
aircraft to meet this requirement.

Surviving Fw 187s were apparently used as flying test beds during this program.


Role
Heavy fighter

Manufacturer
Focke-Wulf

Designer
Kurt Tank

First flight
May 1937

Status
Not accepted for wide use

Primary user
Luftwaffe

Number built
9

An Industrie-Schutzstaffel (Industry-Defense Squadron) comprising the three Fw
187 A-0s was manned by Focke-Wulf test-pilots in defense of the factory in
Bremen. Although there are claims that they scored several kills, it is likely
that these were propaganda claims. The three A-0s were even sent to Norway and
promoted as evidence that the aircraft was entering service to replace the Bf
110 (a similar scheme employing prototype Panzer VI's was also carried out), but
by this time any such plan was long dead. The pilots reportedly found the Fw 187
generally superior to the Bf 110 in almost all respects, but the RLM quickly
withdrew them from service. They returned to Focke-Wulf, where they were again
used for plant defense. One Fw 187 was sent to the aerial gunnery school in
Værløse, Denmark in 1942.

Specifications (Fw 187 A-0)

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 11.12 m (36 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 15.30 m (50 ft 2 ? in)
Height: 3.85 m (12 ft 7 ? in)
Wing area: 30.40 m² (327.22 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,700 kg (8,157 lb)
Loaded weight: 5,000 kg (11,023 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 210G 12-cylinder inverted-V piston, 515 kW (700 PS)
each

Performance
Maximum speed: 529 km/h (329 mph) at 4,200 m (13,780 ft)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,810 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,050 m/min (3,445 ft/min)
Wing loading: 164.14 kg/m² (33.62 lb/ft²)

Armament

4 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns in fuselage sides
2 × 20 mm MG FF cannon in lower fuselage



*