don4331
Senior Airman
Focke-Wulf got their @$$ handed to them in the Kampfzerstörer completion - Bf.110 being better aircraft than FW.57 and in the Rüstungsflugzeug IV competition - Bf.109 being better aircraft than FW.159.
Herr Messerschmitt was therefore expounding that Dr. Tank couldn't design high performance aircraft and that Focke-Wulf should build Bfw aircraft.
The FW.187V1 was excellent rebuttal to the Bf.109 - with its twin Ju.210Ds, it handily our performs the Messerschmitt fighter, especially in range. But it came at a cost - it was only designed to carry the same 2- MG17s as Bf.109B. Empty weight of FW.187 is <100kg more than Bf.109B, after factoring in the extra engine and increased wing area. And a twin costs >2x a single engine.
On the one hand, the FW.187 has demonstrated that Dr. Tank can design a high performance aircraft (It will get him inclusion is the upcoming competition which results in FW.190). On the other, the aircraft istoo small/too lightly built to take upgrades.
As S Shortround6 points out - FW.187 V4, "enhanced" with 2nd crew member, blind flying instruments and additional firepower (2 additional MG17s or 2 - MGFF + MG81) increased empty weight from 2,500 to 3,400 kg (almost the gross of V1-3 of 3,850 kg) and gross to 4,900 kg. Interestingly, the better performance of the Ju.210G meant that the V4 was over 40km/h faster than earlier single seaters. (Almost as fast as Bf.109E!)
And then the fantasy starts: While I have seen the picture of ground running of FW.187V6 with evaporative cooling DB600, I haven't seen any evidence of it flying with DB601s. (Evaporative cooling being dead end). With the discontinuation of the Ju.210, the Fw.187 is an airframe without an engine. (Same issue as Whirlwind when Peregrine is cancelled). RLM cancels production, knowing there won't be engines for it.
Dr. Tank proposing alternative to Me.210 in '42 when Messerschmitt's Zerstörer is having issues should come as no surprise given the historic bad blood. But it's not Fw.187 (unless FW is simply reusing a RLM number). It wasn't the heavy fighter that FW.187V4 hinted to be/Luftwaffe was about to need.
Herr Messerschmitt was therefore expounding that Dr. Tank couldn't design high performance aircraft and that Focke-Wulf should build Bfw aircraft.
The FW.187V1 was excellent rebuttal to the Bf.109 - with its twin Ju.210Ds, it handily our performs the Messerschmitt fighter, especially in range. But it came at a cost - it was only designed to carry the same 2- MG17s as Bf.109B. Empty weight of FW.187 is <100kg more than Bf.109B, after factoring in the extra engine and increased wing area. And a twin costs >2x a single engine.
On the one hand, the FW.187 has demonstrated that Dr. Tank can design a high performance aircraft (It will get him inclusion is the upcoming competition which results in FW.190). On the other, the aircraft is
As S Shortround6 points out - FW.187 V4, "enhanced" with 2nd crew member, blind flying instruments and additional firepower (2 additional MG17s or 2 - MGFF + MG81) increased empty weight from 2,500 to 3,400 kg (almost the gross of V1-3 of 3,850 kg) and gross to 4,900 kg. Interestingly, the better performance of the Ju.210G meant that the V4 was over 40km/h faster than earlier single seaters. (Almost as fast as Bf.109E!)
And then the fantasy starts: While I have seen the picture of ground running of FW.187V6 with evaporative cooling DB600, I haven't seen any evidence of it flying with DB601s. (Evaporative cooling being dead end). With the discontinuation of the Ju.210, the Fw.187 is an airframe without an engine. (Same issue as Whirlwind when Peregrine is cancelled). RLM cancels production, knowing there won't be engines for it.
Dr. Tank proposing alternative to Me.210 in '42 when Messerschmitt's Zerstörer is having issues should come as no surprise given the historic bad blood. But it's not Fw.187 (unless FW is simply reusing a RLM number). It wasn't the heavy fighter that FW.187V4 hinted to be/Luftwaffe was about to need.