The Focke Wulf Arrives
All things connected with aviation interest me as I spent some time in the Air Force. Here is an account of a plane that opened a window of opportunity to the Germans, but was not followed up.The Focke Wulf was the only 4 engine plane used by the German Air Force during World War II. It was a good plane, but it had its limitations and was certainly not a match to the heavy long range bombers of the US Air force.
The FW 200 also called the Condor first flew in 1937. It had a range of 3600 km and an endurance of 14 hours. Originally it was supposed to be a air liner for carrying passengers, but once war broke out it was adapted to various uses as a bomber and a military transport.
The FW 200 also called the Condor first flew in 1937. It had a range of 3600 km and an endurance of 14 hours. Originally it was supposed to be a air liner for carrying passengers, but once war broke out it was adapted to various uses as a bomber and a military transport.
A Technology Marvel
The Condor was designed by Dr Kurt Tank, who after the war worked in India at Hindustan Aeronautics and helped design the Marut. The Condor had some distinctions. it flew non stop from Europe to America across the Atlantic on 10 Aug 1938. It did the trip in 24 hours and a return trip in 19 hours. This established the air worthiness of the Condor and it was inducted into the Luftwaffe.The Condor was powered by 4 BMW air cooled radial engines and could carry 36 troops or 30 passengers in comfort. It had a crew of 5 to operate and a service ceiling of 19700 ft.
At that time the West including the USA had no such plane of this range. It's a pity that a short sighted policy did not allow further development in this field and thus changed the balance in the war as later on the Luftwaffe had no plane to hit back at the allies bases.
At that time the West including the USA had no such plane of this range. It's a pity that a short sighted policy did not allow further development in this field and thus changed the balance in the war as later on the Luftwaffe had no plane to hit back at the allies bases.
The Use of Condor in WW II
The Condor had a top speed of 360 km an hour and was used by the Germans as a recce plane in the Atlantic war. Because of its range and endurance the plane could search the Atlantic for allied shipping conveys for the German submarines to attack. It also bombed unarmed merchant ships, though it had a crude bomb site. But being basically a civil air liner its adaptation as a bomber was a failure and many planes broke up on landing.
The fact is the condor needed to be refined and developed and this thought never occurred to the german General Staff and in particular to Reich Marshal Herman Goering, Chief of the Luftwaffe
The fact is the condor needed to be refined and developed and this thought never occurred to the german General Staff and in particular to Reich Marshal Herman Goering, Chief of the Luftwaffe
The Condor as a Supply Plane in Russia
The Condor was also used to supply troops in Russia, but the harsh weather conditions made the efforts of the Condor redundant. Hitler had one Condor done up as his personal transport plane, which was destroyed in an allied attack in 1944.
The german army under Field Marshal Von Paulos was told to stay put in Stalingrad on an assurance by Reich Marshal Goering to Hitler that the army in Stalingrad would be supplied by air. The condor was used, but proved unequal to the task and one was captured intact by the Russians . It was displayed in a exhibition in Moscow of captured German equipment in mid 1943.
The german army under Field Marshal Von Paulos was told to stay put in Stalingrad on an assurance by Reich Marshal Goering to Hitler that the army in Stalingrad would be supplied by air. The condor was used, but proved unequal to the task and one was captured intact by the Russians . It was displayed in a exhibition in Moscow of captured German equipment in mid 1943.
Last Word
The Condor brought out the limitations of the German aircraft industry and the failure to develop a 4 engine long range bomber proved the nemesis of the German Air force and contributed to the defeat of Germany. Presently only one refurbished Condor is available at the Technical Museum in Berlin.
Had the germans concentrated on developing the Condor further, they could have had a potent weapon to answer back to the bombing of the German cities, but the failure of the German General Staff to realize the theory of air warfare as enunciated by Douhet led to a sure defeat.
Photos from the Air Force Museum at Palam
Had the germans concentrated on developing the Condor further, they could have had a potent weapon to answer back to the bombing of the German cities, but the failure of the German General Staff to realize the theory of air warfare as enunciated by Douhet led to a sure defeat.
Photos from the Air Force Museum at Palam
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