Fw 200.. What the !@#@! is it??

[Gorf]

Quick question, I keep hearing comments in books and stories abot a Fw 200.  I have checked threw my little library and find nothing on it?  Any ideas ... anybody?

Gorf
!@^@!

[ra]

4-engined bomber used mainly in anti-shipping role, not all that great.  It's called the Condor, look it up here:  http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/condor.html

ra

[Gorf]

THANKS!

Gorf

[RAM]

 

Originally posted by ra:
4-engined bomber used mainly in anti-shipping role, not all that great

as an antiship plane,hell,yes, it was THAT great...

Thank god Goering didnt like to cooperate with Kriegsmarine on Atlantic operations  

[Jigster]

 

Originally posted by RAM:
as an antiship plane,hell,yes, it was THAT great...

Thank god Goering didnt like to cooperate with Kriegsmarine on Atlantic operations  

I hear it "lit up" like a Betty  

- Jig

[Kieren]

It had a reputation for a weak spine- it would break apart in the middle quite easily. Once the Royal Navy started deploying carrier and catapault aircraft in the region the Fw200 had a much more difficult time of it.  

[Staga]

FW-200 was an passenger-plane first with U.S- built engines (Wasps ?).
After conversated <sp> to wartime use its weight raised so much that in landings its wings didn't last if landing was a little bumpy.
I'll try to find few pics, I know I got em somewhere  

Finnair's predecessor Aero ordered couple FW-200's to Helsinki's olympia games -40 but Luftwaffe took them  

edit: FW-200 has also another fuel problem: Some of them exploded "without reason". They thought that there could be some fuel leaks near landingears and if pilot used brakes too much when rolling over heated brakes could be a reason for some explosions.
When Hitler came to Finland to visit Mannerheim's birthday he came with his own "Condor" (Story tells that our pilots allmost shooted him down. Too secret trip you know...  ).
When Hitler's plane landed (I don't remember to which field)its brakes started to smoke and first thing after it stopped a Finnish engineer runned next to landing gears with fire-extinguisher. Also Japan used them as a sea-patrouilling.

Staga

[This message has been edited by Staga (edited 08-04-2000).]

[RAM]

I heard about its structural weakness too, but not about the fire problems...

Anyway what it did it a great plane for 1940-43 was that from france it could reach any point of the north atlantic, so it was able to do a big and invaluable work for the wolfpack tactics, searching and shadowing convoys, and even doing antiship runs...

But the lack of cooperation between the armed branches (in fact they mutual hating) prevented this plane to be used at its full potential.

And yes, once Carriers were added to convoys, Fw200's effective career was over    

but it was a very respected threat to the allies    

It was a very liked plane in Germany, many high officers trusted it as they own transport planes...even Hitler had its own private Fw200  


[This message has been edited by RAM (edited 08-04-2000).]

[Jigster]

 

Originally posted by RAM:
I heard about its structural weakness too, but not about the fire problems...

Anyway what it did it a great plane for 1940-43 was that from france it could reach any point of the north atlantic, so it was able to do a big and invaluable work for the wolfpack tactics, searching and shadowing convoys, and even doing antiship runs...

But the lack of cooperation between the armed branches (in fact they mutual hating) prevented this plane to be used at its full potential.

And yes, once Carriers were added to convoys, Fw200's effective career was over    

but it was a very respected threat to the allies    

It was a very liked plane in Germany, many high officers trusted it as they own transport planes...even Hitler had its own private Fw200    


[This message has been edited by RAM (edited 08-04-2000).]

If I'm not mistaken, the Fw-200 set a world time record by flying to Tokyo from Berlin in peace time in like 40 hours.

The thing about the fires was the engine fuel connections were exposed under the wings, and just a hit or two could set them off. It was even more vulnerable to ground fire.

I'd still like one...be nice to have a German heavy bomber. Fw 200 C-8/U10  

I hear the Fw 200 got into "galleon" dog fights with Sunderlands with frequency during the anti-shipping strikes.

- Jig

[Staga]

Not a FW but look at this beauty  

Me-264 Amerika bomber

[Puta]

 
Type: Maritime reconaissance bomber, missle platform, and transport
Origin: Focke Wulf Flugzeugbau GmbH, in partnership with Hamburger Flugzeugbau (Blohm und Voss)
Engine:
Type: BMW-Bramo Fafnir 323R-2 nine-cylinder radial
Number: Four
Horsepower:
1,200hp at 2,600rpm with Methanol-water injection for take-off and emergency
1,000hp at 2,500rpm at sea level
950hp at 2,500rpm at 13,124ft (4,000m)

Fuel:
Standard Fuel Capacity: 1,773 Imperial Gallons (8,060 Liters)
Overload Fuel Capacity: 2,190 Imperial Gallons (9,955 Liters)
Type: N/A

Dimensions:
Wing span 32.84m
Length 23.46m
Height: 6.3m
Wing Surface Area: 1,270.14 Sq. Ft.

Weights:
Empty: 12,951kg (28,550 lbs.)
Loaded: 22,700kg (50,045 lbs.)

Performance: Fw 200 C-3/U4

Maximum Speed:
190mph (306kph) at sea level
224mph (360kph) at 15,750ft (4,800m)

Maximum Continuous cruise:
172mph (277kph) at sea level
208mph (355kph) at 13,125ft (4,000m)

Economy cruise:
158mph (255kph)

Range at Economy Cruise:
2,210 mls (3,556 km) With Standard Fuel
2,760 mls (4,440 km) With Overload Fuel

Service Ceiling: 19,030ft (5800m)

 Armament:
Forward Dorsal Turret:
One 15mm MG 151/15, One 20mm MG 151/20 Or One 7.92mm MG 15 with 1,000 rnds mounted in hydralically operated FW 19 turret
Ventral Gondola:
One 20mm MG 151/20 with 500 rnds. manually aimed at front
One 7.92mm MG 15 with 1,000 rnds. manually aimed at rear

Beam:
Two 7.92mm MG 15 Or Two 13mm MG 131 with 300 rnds.

Aft Dorsal Position:
One 13mm MG 131 with 500 rnds.

Bomb Load:
4,626 lbs. (2100kg) carried in ventral gondola and beneath wings

Missle Load: (C-6 to C-8 models)
Two Hs 293 Anit-Ship Missles under outboard nacells

Avionics:
Fw 200 C-8: Fug 200 Hohentwiel Search And Bombing Radar

Total Production: 276
 

[Kieren]

If you can find a version with any defensive fire capability I would be all for it.

[ra]

<<<as an antiship plane,hell,yes, it was THAT great...>>>

Ram,  it was THAT great until people started shooting back at it, at which point it was useless.  Same as the Ju-87, but not as historically important.

172 mph max cruise?  It could escort C-47s maybe.

ra

[Jigster]

 

Originally posted by Kieren:
If you can find a version with any defensive fire capability I would be all for it.

The Fw 200C-8/U10 carried four 13mm MG 131 in the dorsal and beam positions, and a 13mm MG 131 or 20mm MG 151 in the ventral gondola.

It is rather slow and ungainly, 220 mph with a 19k ceiling.

The Hs 293 ATG missles sure would be a neat thing  

It's anti-shipping radar might prove useful once we get ships.

- Jig

[Fishu]

How about new paratrooper plane, Fw 200