Focke-Wulf Fw 44
The Focke -Wulf Fw 44 " Stieglitz " is a two-seat biplane aircraft manufacturer Focke- Wulf in Bremen, which was used in the 1930s and 1940s primarily as a trainer and aerobatics. The guy was one of the standard training aircraft for the training of fighter pilots in the Air Force. Some successes in air sports, such as a winning placement on the aerobatic championship at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games were also flown with the Fw 44.
Supported by advertising campaigns by the manufacturer, found the Fw 44 because of its superb aerobatic performance referred to in at least nine other countries in Europe, South America and Asia. The Fw 44 was also manufactured under license in many countries and operators to meet the large demand. The development and testing began in 1932; with the version Fw 44 D began in 1934, the first mass production.
Because of the many licensees for the construction of today is no longer clear how many Fw 44 were actually produced - the figures vary between more than 1900 and 3000 units had been built.
Today, in Europe at least 14 airworthy machines are obtained. With a few Fw 44 is known to be currently in the restoration phase and are to be made airworthy again within a few years.
- 4.1 Fw 44 A / B
- 4.2 Fw 44 C
- 4.3 Fw 44 D
- 4.4 Fw 44 E
- 4.5 Fw 44 F
- 4.6 Fw 44 H
- 4.7 Fw 44 J
- 4.8 Fw 44 M
- 4.9 Fw 44 N
- 6.1 Aerobatics World Cup 1934
- 6.2 Seventh German Aerobatic Championships 1935
- 6.3 Summer Olympic Games 1936
- 6.4 Eighth German Aerobatic Championships 1936
- 8.1 crash testing aircraft D -2465
- 8.2 crash landing of D- EMOF
- 8.3 crash landing of D- EQAX
History of the emergence
The Fw 44 is based on the designed by Paul Klages S24 " Lapwing ". Gerd Achgelis became world champion on a uprated S24C. The performance of the unit ranged Achgelis no longer, so he asked his collegial friend Paul Klages is a further development of the S24. Although at this point existed no official call for the development of such a pattern, a development in this direction was initiated at Focke -Wulf from which the Fw emerged 44 A. As an engine of Sh 14 A with 110 kW ( 150 hp) was provided, which was known in German aviation since 1929, when Sh 14 with 85 kW ( 115 hp) and was estimated as a reliable source of power. On September 5, 1932, the first flight of the pattern in Bremen in June 1933 as D 2409 ( Work number 154) in Weimar was approved on Gerd Achgelis, who had also conducted the first flight. At that time it was at Focke -Wulf customary to give the aircraft internally bird names, the choice in the Fw 44 fell on the Stieglitz.
Gerd Achgelis was at that time the reigning German aerobatic champion and held the position of chief pilot of the engineering school in Weimar. On March 27, he wrote a letter to the Focke -Wulf Flugzeugbau AG, where he commented on the Fw 44 A:
Despite the positive evaluation of the aircraft by Achgelis, aircraft testing various problems presented themselves in the course. Thus, at high speeds vibrations occurred in the elevator, which was attributed to an inadequate design of the elevator control. By retrofitting the aircraft on a one-piece spar of the elevator, the problem could be solved.
In the spin testing of the aircraft was found with a nearly empty tank a tendency to flat spin. The problem was due to an incorrect setting angle of the upper wing. The prototype, with the Spin tests were made, was lost on 18 September 1933 after which all further test flights were stopped with the pattern to the final clarification of the cause of the accident.
After a few small series and subsequent trials, the first major series was launched in 1934 with the version Fw 44 D. At this time the aircraft was technically mature, but the stunt pilot and successful fighter pilot of the First World War, Ernst Udet, still had serious improvement. On September 5, 1934, he addressed a personal letter to Kurt Tank, in which he expressed as follows for the Fw 44:
In the following versions of the suggestions were taken seriously and the aircraft continues to improve up to the J version.
During production between 1932 and 1945, more than 1900 copies were built in different versions, with some sources up to 3000 pieces report. In addition to Focke -Wulf also produced AGO ( Oschersleben ), Bücker (Rank village), Siebel (Halle / Saale) and several foreign manufacturer, the pattern under license. Today in Europe no more than 14 copies are flying probably get.
Construction
Wings
The arrangement of the wings is slightly swept back, the vertical arrangement is staggered, there is a slight V- shape. The wings are designed with streamlined wires braced and einstielig. The bracing is a double cross bracing wire in the front spar level. The upper and lower wings have the same floor plan; they are made in two parts and each provided with two spars. The wings are made in wood construction, covered on the top with fabric and planked on the bottom with plywood. Each upper half of the wing is connected to an N- stem above the fuselage and an N- stem with the lower wing. Ailerons are located in both the upper and in the lower wing.
The spars of the wings are made of laminated pine belts, the ribs were carried out partly as a box, partly as a framework. The blades are fully planked on the underside with plywood and covered on the upper side mainly. Only in the vicinity of the N- stems plywood was also used as a cladding. The ailerons are both mass- balanced and aerodynamic. They are also covered with fabric, but executed unlike the rest of the wings in steel.
Hull
The hull was designed as a welded steel tube truss from commercially available steel. On the steel tube scaffold screwed shaping elements give the fuselage has a polygonal cross-section. The hull top was executed by the pilot's seat (rear seat ) to the firewall in sheet, the entrances were provided to the pilot seats with entry doors.
The fabric was impregnated tropics capable from the factory, and the fuselage was fitted for better maintainability with a Schürnaht.
The two pilot seats are provided in the later models with a mechanism that allows a seat adjustment during flight. The seat pans are designed for the use of seat cushions parachutes. Before each seat an instrument panel is mounted, usually only the pilot with full instrumentation for radio, flight, navigation and engine monitoring is provided.
Behind the pilot's seat a small luggage space is let, which was performed entirely in tent sheet material and is accessible from the left outside of the hull.
Tail
The tail is carried out using conventional construction methods and also deformed. The fin is designed as a wooden frame and sperrholzbeplankt, while the oars made of duralumin and are also covered with fabric. The fin and rudder are made entirely of duralumin and covered with fabric and the fin is detachable from the fuselage.
In the development of the tail, special emphasis was placed on good elevator effect and low rudder forces in all flight attitudes.
Landing gear
The chassis is designed to be rigid and as a spur wheel chassis. The main gear is suspended from a shared, raised in the center axis, as well as a three-legged stand with a hinged under the hull axis. The suspension of the suspension by applying pressure rubber washers with oil shock absorption. The wheels are braked by means of a hydraulic duo-servo brake oil. The spur was initially designed as rotating grinding spur, later as a rotatable tail wheel.
Motorization
The Fw 44 was equipped in most series with the Siemens Sh 14. Other engine options were rather an exception, even though many engines were tested on the Fw 44. See also: Models.
The Siemens Sh 14 is a 7- cylinder radial engine, which in the variant A 7.7 -liter displacement and in the variant A-4 has 7.84 liters. The variant A produces 110 kW ( 150 hp) at a compression ratio of 5.3:1, the Sh 14 A- 4, however, 160 hp at a compression ratio of 6:1. The propeller is a rigid two-bladed wooden propeller with 2.25 meters in diameter. The Fw 44 holds a total of 135 liters of fuel, 97 liters are housed in the main fuel tank and 38 liters in a tank behind the instrument panel of the front seat. The aircraft carries up to 12 liters of lubricant with it.
Models
The model names are indeed listed here in alphabetical order, but the chronology of model numbers is not consistent with the alphabetical order. In the early models, the aircraft differ technically in some cases substantially, whereas experimented in later projects, especially with the engine and entered basic technical modifications to the airplane in the background.
Fw 44 A / B
The Fw 44 A there were two prototypes, based on which the course of further development of major changes have been made. The need for changes resulted among other things the fact that the flight testing of the Fw 44 A with the serial number 155 in 1933 ended with a crash. The Fw 44 B won both the modified tail still further changes, but was still equipped with the Siemens Sh- 14-A - radial engine and placed in a small series. The main change was the extension of the trunk of 6.60 to 7.29 meters, which was tested on a Fw 44 with the serial number 156. Even the airplane by Gerd Achgelis with the serial number 154 was upgraded to the status of the B models.
Fw 44 C
At the end of 1933 the Fw 44 was B equipped with the serial number 164 for the purpose of testing with an Argus As 8. This engine produced 99 kW (135 hp) and could not prevail because of the over the Sh- 14 engine lower power. Compared with the Sh 14 the Argus engine had the advantage of a somewhat higher range, since the fuel consumption was lower. This variant, remained a one piece, but was still provided with their own model name "C".
Fw 44 D
After the testing of the Argus engine was set back to the Sh 14 and some improvements integrated into the aircraft. Focke -Wulf outfitted the plane with a back airworthy lubricant pump and a matching carburetor. In addition, you knew the engine with a round exhaust manifold. In the bottom trays of the seats a trough for carrying a seat parachute was integrated and now you could see the seats height adjustment on the ground. The plane was a small luggage compartment made of fabric, which was mounted behind the pilot's seat. The Fw 44 could now be equipped with skids. Starting in 1934, the improvements were taken into series production and the first large-scale production began under the model designation D. Due to the high order intake was the Fw 44 D in addition to the fabrication plant ( 747 pieces) temporarily in other works ( Bücker Flugzeugbau - 85 Pieces, AGO aircraft - 121 pcs and Siebel Flugzeugwerke - 515 pieces) built under license.
Fw 44 E
The E model, it was the version D, which was equipped again with an Argus As 8. The Fw 44 E was launched in a small series of about 20 pieces from 1934.
Fw 44 F
In this design refinements have been made over the Model D. The plane was running lights and a landing light to be adversely airworthy. The tail skid was replaced by a tailwheel, the luggage compartment was now accessible through a hatch in the hull and the seats were now also adjustable in flight.
Fw 44 H
In 1936 a specification for a Fw 44 was written that a Hirth HM 501 envisaged as a drive. It was in the engine to a six-cylinder in-line engine with six liters of displacement, which carried 118 kW (160 hp). For flight tests with the model it came only in 1941, with the Fw 44 D with the serial number 67 (D - ETXA ) was converted to the new engine. The Fw 44 H remained a one- and there were only taken a few test flights to demonstrate the functionality.
Fw 44 J
The Model J was the last series variant. She was mainly destined for export and equipped with the Sh 14 A4, which made 160 hp.
Fw 44 M
In the model M, it was a test vehicle equipped with an American series engine type Menasco C4S Pirate with 110 kW ( 150 hp) was equipped in 1937.
Fw 44 N
To make the Fw 44 a larger customer base accessible to, tried Focke-Wulf in 1934, with 129 kW to integrate the stronger Bramo 325 (175 hp) in the plane. First, the engine was installed on a non-flying testbed. These were the Fw 44 J with the registration D - EHVA. Later, the engine was installed in the D- ENGO and provided with a NACA hood. On 10 December 1934, the aircraft took off from the airfield of Rechlin test center and flew about 30 minutes by motor. Although the approval was granted by the Ministry of Aviation, but since neither Bramo still Focke-Wulf pushed forward the development of the engine, the project was discontinued.
Operators countries and international licensed producers
Largest operator of the Fw 44 was Nazi Germany. But the Air Force of the Armed Forces received at least 1442 aircraft, other sources report up to 1588 Air Force Fw Fw 44 Many 44 went to private individuals and flight schools.
The Fw 44 was very popular because of their excellent flight performance and abroad. So it was built not only at Focke- Wulf in Bremen, but also manufactured under license production in other countries and operated. It is worth noting that the Fw 44 in 1936, despite a £ 18578.80 Reichsmark was internationally paragraph, while the competition model Bücker Jungmann at the same time cost only around 14,000 Reichsmarks. Adjusted for inflation, this would correspond to today a purchase price of € 76,000 for a Fw 44 and 57,000 euros for a young man.
In addition to the operators countries mentioned below also China was one of the purchasers of the aircraft. Despite efforts by Focke -Wulf never ordered from the United States were recorded, since there were already more advanced training aircraft in the pipeline.
Sweden
After a Vorführflug by Emil Kropf Ljungbyhed in 1935 the Swedish Air Force ordered two Fw 44 J, which were delivered in April of the same year. They were stationed at the Swedish Air Force Base Malmslätt and received the serial numbers 801 and 802 Swedes designated the aircraft were provisionally as P2, tested the flight characteristics and ordered then 14 more Fw 44 J to the previous standard training aircraft de Havilland 60 T Moth and the Raab Katzenstein - RK26 Tiger swallow to be replaced by the Fw 44. Between January and July 1937, the aircraft were delivered to the flight school and F5 were designated Sk 12, wherein the abbreviation for skol (Swedish: school) stood. Previously, in 1936, joined the Swedish Air Force and Focke- Wulf an agreement to license production of 20 Fw 44 J respectively Sk 12 at ASJA in Linköping, which later became Saab. Between autumn 1937 and August 1938, the aircraft was manufactured and delivered to the Swedish Air Force. To meet the demand for Fw 44 J in Sweden, the aircraft were manufactured at the Central Verkstaden i Vasteras ( CVV ) and Bohemian-Moravian -piston Danek ( CKD ) in Prague. Between 1935 and 1943 the Swedish Air Force stopped the stock of Fw 44 again and again and ultimately possessed a total of 85 Fw 44 J, the two Demo included 801 and 802.
Finland
Since the Fw 44 was suitable for operation in polar regions, Finland also saw a need to procure this aircraft for basic flight training. In April 1940, an agreement between Finland and Focke -Wulf was signed which provided for the delivery of 30 Fw 44 J.
Norway
Norway ordered ten Fw 44 J, which were delivered in April 1940. The identifiers and serial numbers are traceable today.
Austria
From 1936 Austria sat the Fw 44 as a training aircraft after ten aircraft were ordered from Focke -Wulf. Also in Austria, the Fw 44 was produced under license. Headquartered in Wiener Neustadt Hirtenberger cartridge factory produced 40 Fw 44 J.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria ordered among many other Focke-Wulf Fw 44, the patterns in Bremen. In November 1936, the first six were delivered Fw 44 J and in May 1939 was followed by ten more. Until February 1940 twenty additional copies were delivered to Bulgaria, so that the state had a total of 46 Fw 44 J.
Turkey
Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered into fashion in 1939 eight Fw 44 J because they wanted to use modern technology in the Air Force training. After the aircraft had been delivered in 1940 to Turkey, received the first briefing on the pattern of Atatürk 's adopted daughter Sabiha Gökçen. It was formed on the Fw 44 by captain stone for the flight instructor and taught on the pattern then even sports and fighter pilots.
South America
In 1936, Focke- Wulf led a demonstration flight by different countries through South America. Among other demonstrations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia were flown.
Argentina ordered then in January 1937 fifteen Fw 44 J and graduated in the same year a further contract for the supply of aircraft parts, materials and equipment in order to produce another 30 Fw 44 J at FMA license. A year later the number had been increased in the license to be produced aircraft already on 60 pieces.
Brazil built specially for the Fw 44 is a production facility and took over before the start of production a few Fw 44 J of Argentina.
In September 1937, Chile signed a contract which provided for the delivery of fifteen Fw 44 J.
Sporting successes
The Fw 44 adopted, especially in the 1930s in numerous aerobatic competitions and was always well placed. The sporting successes go mainly to the account of Gerd Achgelis and Count Otto von Hagen castle. The following are some of the achievements are enumerated:
Aerobatics World Cup 1934
In the world aerobatic championship, which was held in Paris in 1934, Gerd Achgelis achieved third place on a Fw 44.
Seventh German Aerobatic Championships 1935
In the seventh German Aerobatic Championships in Stuttgart in 1935 Gerd Achgelis achieved the second place after Willi sturgeon, which flew a Messerschmitt M35 - B with a Fw 44.
Summer Olympic Games 1936
At the Summer Olympics in 1936 in Berlin, also aerobatic championships were held in the context of games. Here won the Fw 44 with Count Otto von Hagen castle as a pilot the Lord competition.
Eighth German Aerobatic Championships 1936
The German aerobatic championships were held this year in Munich Oberwiesenfeld. Count Otto von Hagen castle was reiterated in his Fw 44 of the Messerschmitt M35 -B on the second place. This time of Willi sturgeon.
Today's meaning
Despite the high numbers of Fw 44 are now in Europe no more than 14 copies get airworthy. Occasionally there are projects that have made it their mission to bring preserved Fw 44 in an airworthy condition.
For recreational flying the Fw 44 is now virtually no longer relevant. The aircraft will be used primarily for flight demonstrations at air. For beginners training the Fw 44 is no longer used and aerobatics are rather the exception. Because of the few surviving examples and the known in aviation circles sports story of the aircraft are goldfinches today welcome guests on flight days. Because the planes obtained have different backgrounds, they differ significantly in detail. No preserved Fw 44 are the same. In contrast to the similar old model Messerschmitt Bf 108 can quickly detect even the layman that it is a historic aircraft.
Although the cost of a Focke- Wulf Fw 44 Stieglitz in the 1930s, approximately 18,000 Reichsmark, which would correspond to today's price of 76,000 euros, how much of today's price for a Fw 44 but actually is, can not be specified with certainty. This depends on many factors such as the condition of the aircraft, but also on the market situation. Generally Fw 44 are almost never found in the used aircraft market. Shares of Fw -44 aircraft are typically traded not by advertisements, but through personal contacts.
Today known incidents
Crash testing aircraft D -2465
On September 18, 1933 Fw went 44 A lost in a crash. It was the work number 155 with the registration D - 2465th With this aircraft, the spin characteristics of the aircraft were tested. Whether the accident occurred during a trial or in normal flight, is not known. It is also not known whether the crew survived.
Crash landing of D- EMOF
On October 10, 2004, a broken suspension bolt forced the crash landing of a Fw 44 J (D - EMOF ) on the airfield upper Moerlen, one wing was damaged. The crew was unharmed. After eight months of repair, the Fw 44 was able to fly again.
Crash landing of D- EQAX
On 22 May 2011, a Fw 44 J (D - EQAX ) overturned on an airshow in Lüneburg due to a suspension breakage. The aircraft was previously on a local sightseeing flight. The crew was unharmed. After overhaul the D- EQAX since May 2013 flies again and is still stationed at Itzehoe in Schleswig-Holstein on the airfield " Hungry Wolf".
Specifications
The technical data refer to the Fw -44 models with Siemens Sh 14 In these models, the Fw 44 can stay for up to 4.4 hours in the air to cover 675 km. In the given fuel capacity of 135 liters, which corresponds to a fuel consumption of about 30 liters per flight hour or 20 liters per 100 km. The cruise speed is 172 km / h and the landing speed at 72 km / h In level flight, the Fw 44 reaches a top speed of 185 km / h in the nosedive the Fw 44 should not drive faster than 350 km / h. The minimum take-off and landing distance is 140 meters. The service ceiling is given as 3900 meters. To climb to 1000 meters, the Fw 44 requires 5.5 minutes and about 3000 meters to reach 23.6 minutes. Further technical data can be found in the tables.