The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe was a twin-engine utility aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. It was similar to the Royal Air Force Avro Anson. Being very reliable and adaptable, it was employed in different roles during this armed conflict, such as transport, ambulance, and trainer. It was massively produced with a total of 1,350 aircraft built.
The prototype of the Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe, the V1, made its maiden flight in the Summer of 1935. It was a six-seat transport, with two crew members housed in a separate cabin under an upward-hinging canopy. It was soon followed by a second prototype, the V2, which featured two MG-15 machine guns set up in the aircraft nose and behind the flight deck. After almost two years of trials, it entered service with the Luftwaffe in July 1937 in two versions: the Fw 58A-0 and the Fw 58A-1, a utility transport and navigation trainer respectively. The Fw 58B-1 was a bomber trainer, while the Fw 58B-3 a rescue trainer. But the best remembered variants were the Fw 58G-1 and 58G-3, which were air ambulances (Sanitätsflugzeug).
Below, the first Fw 58A-0 Weihe, retained by the manufacturer to transport Kurt Tank, who was the chief designer of the German firm.
Technical Description
The Focke-Wulf Fw 58 was a twin-engine monoplane. It featured dihedral, cantilever low-wing, while the fuselage consisted of welded steel trusses covered by fabric, with some metal skinning around the nose. The wing, which was built around metal spars, was braced to the fuselage by a strut. The tail section consisted of a horizontal stabilizer mounted over the rear portion of fuselage and propped up by a pair of struts, a fin and a large rudder behind it. Landing gear was retractable.
Specifications (Fw 58B-1)
Type: transport/air ambulance/trainer
Length: 14 m (45 feet, 11 inches)
Wing Span: 21 m (68 feet, 11 inches)
Wing Area: 47 m2 (505.92 square feet)
Height: 3.90 m (12 feet, 9 inches)
Power Plant: two Argus As 10C, 8-cylinder, inverted 'V', piston engines, each one generating 240 HP.
Maximum Speed: 270 km/h (168 mph)
Range: 800 km (497 miles)
Service Ceiling: 5,600 m (18,375 feet)
Below, the FW 58G-1 version, complete with red cross markings. Photo taken in 194.
