Focke-Wulf Fw 44

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The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 is a 1930s German two-seater biplane aircraft known as the "Stieglitz" (Goldfinch). It was produced by the Focke-Wulf company as a two-seat civilian airplane for pilot training and sport flying. It was also eventually built under license in several other countries.

Design and development

The Fw 44 was designed as a biplane with conventional layout and straight, non-tapered wings. Its two open cockpits were arranged in tandem, and both cockpits were equipped with flight controls and instruments. The Fw had fixed tailwheel landing gear. It employed ailerons on both upper and lower wings. It did not use flaps. It was flown with a radial engine.

The first prototype flew in 1932. After many tests and modifications to increase the plane's durability and aerodynamics, the final Fw 44 proved to have excellent airworthiness.

A second version of the Fw 44 was the Fw 44B, which had an Argus As 8 four-cylinder inverted inline air-cooled engine of 120 horsepower (90 kW). The cowling for this engine gave the plane a more slender, aerodynamic nose.

Twenty Fw 44s purchased by China were modified for combat missions and participated in the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War until all were lost in action.

The last series version was Fw 44J, which was sold or built on license in several countries around the world. It is equipped with a 7-cylinder radial engine.

Variants

;Fw 44B:;Fw 44C:;Fw 44D:;Fw 44E;;Fw 44F:;Fw 44J:

Operators

;ARG;AUT;BOL;BRA;flag|Bulgaria|1878
*Bulgarian Air Force;China as ROC;CHI;COL;CZS;FIN
*"Suomen Ilmavoimat";flag|Germany|Nazi
*"Luftwaffe";flag|Hungary|1940
*Hungarian Air Force;POL;flag|Romania
*Romanian Air Force;flagicon|Slovakia|1938 Slovakia;SWE;TUR : 1937 - 1962)

pecifications (Fw 44)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Holmes, 2005. p. 79.
crew=two, student and instructor
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 7.30 m
length alt= 23 ft 11 in
span main= 9.0 m
span alt= 29 ft 6 in
height main= 2.80 m
height alt= 9 ft 2 in
area main= 20 m²
area alt= 215.2 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 565 kg
empty weight alt= 1,243 lb
loaded weight main= 770 kg
loaded weight alt= 1,694 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 785 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 1,727 lb
more general=
engine (prop)=Siemens Sh 14 A-4
type of prop=7-cylinder radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 118 kW at 2,100 rpm
power alt= 160 hp
power original=
max speed main=185 km/h
max speed alt= 115 mi
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 550 km
range alt= 340 mi
ceiling main= 3,900 m
ceiling alt= 12,790 ft
climb rate main= 17 m/s
climb rate alt= 56 ft/s
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

Bibliography

*

External links

* [http://www.ajbs.fr/musee/stieglitz.php Musee volant de l'Amicale Jean-Baptiste Salis]
* [http://www.rwebs.net/ghostsqd/fw44.htm Commemorative Air Force]