Shipbucket

I don't see it on drawings - so from old hand-make:

Been on a frenzy for a bit with some of BB's aircraft lately.

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In your dreams. ~ Yae Miko
報園-872 (方義鑑銃)
Patriotic Presentation Number 872, Q-102 (A6M3-32 captured in Buna, New Guinea)

Revised the American 747s:

American Airlines Boing 747

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- Dan

Work List:
Eastern Air Lines Fleet History
Around the world challenge
US Attack Aircraft History

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor

Focke-Wulf's challenge to the Douglas DC-3 and DC-4, who's production and service-life was derailed by WWII.
The published history of the Condor has many errors propagated from early research using incomplete records, that are still repeated. I've tried to be as correct here with the current research, but maybe future scholarship may change the validity of what I've illustrated.

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 A-series

Designed by Kurt Tank to a Lufthansa specification for a trans-Atlantic airliner in mid-1936. The prototype flew only days after a year later, with tank losing a bet that he could design and build within a year. As a marketing strategy the out-of-sequence numbering "200" was allocated.



During the flight-testing of the prototype the wings and tail were re-designed and replaced with what would become the production designs. A second prototype was built before production of series aircraft commenced.
After the modification the prototype was used on long-range publicity flights including to the USA and Japan. While returning from Japan via a publicity stop in the Dutch East Indies and electrical problem led to the aircraft ditching in Manila Bay and subsequently being written off.
The only variant to the initial A-series aircraft were 2 which were completed as executive transports and allocated to the German Leadership Flight. The second was to be Hitler's personal transport.
The production aircraft were all allocated to Lufthansa and entered service before WWII. International commercial interest was high and several pre-war contracts were signed, although only 2 customers received aircraft.
With the start of WWII the aircraft already delivered, and those still in construction, were conscripted into the Luftwaffe. Several aircraft were initially modified to conduct aerial reconnaissance photography before being refitted back to transports.
With the invasion of Norway, and then the Low Countries, the Condors were used as troop transports. Each aircraft continued in this role through the War, until accidents, combat or wear-and-tear finally took them.



The 9th production aircraft was allocated as Hitler's personal transport, taking the registration and naming of his previous Ju 52 transport. This aircraft received special cabin armour and passenger escape system and parachutes.

Brazilian Focke-Wulf Condors

The Lufthansa subsidiary Syndicato Condor received 2 Condors from the Lufthansa fleet. They were both reregistered into Brazil and recieved a minimally revised colour scheme. Brochures show drawings of the aircraft with a Brazilian green fuselage stripe bordered in yellow, but photos don't show the aircraft being anything but black.



During the War, American pressure to de-Germanifiy led to the German staff being deported and the Company changing names. The aircraft also adopted a minimal bare-metal colour scheme to further distance them from Lufthansa. With a lack of spares only one aircraft survived the War, before being written off when damaged by a landing DC-3.

Danish Focke-Wulf Condors

Denmark was the only foreign customer who received Condors before WWII.



Focke-Wulfe used the standard "K" designator for foreign sales, adding a supplementary letter for each customer, and a number designator for the individual "type" delivered, thus the Danish Condors were model Fw 200 KA-1.
Denmark purchased 2 aircraft from the initial A-series production run, being the 2nd and 4th models. They both entered service immediately before the declaration of war.
As a neutral nation the Danish Condors initially received large painted Danish flags and a prominent "Danmark" on the fuselage.
At their next servicing both aircraft received the common Low Countries high visibility orange paint scheme.
When Denmark was invaded one of the 2 Condors was in Britain, and that aircraft was impounded there. The Germans allowed the other to remain in service in Denmark, gaining additional Denmark identity markings. This aircraft continued operating through the War, and remained in service post-War, until lack of spares and a landing accident caused it to be written off.

Hopefully the new FW200s will provide a base for updated versions of the wartime bomber versions...

These FW200's are wonderful. Great work. Does anyone
know what happened to the FW200 that was in the UK
when Denmark was invaded?

Focke-Wulf Condor B-series

With the success of the initial A-series aircraft, Focke-Wulf designed the B-series to carry a greater load, with higher powered BMW engines, and most obviously fitted with double-wheeled undercarriage. Construction began on B-series airliners for Lufthansa, and for Finland and Japan, these allocated Fw 200 KB-1 and KC-1 designations. On request the Finnish aircraft were fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines. All aircraft were now fitted with 3-bladed propellers.
With the Winter War in Finland, the Finnish aircraft that were already constructed were impounded and instead given to the Luftwaffe. The Japanese aircraft were still on the production line, but were also commandeered and construction completed for the Luftwaffe.
So no B-series airliners were constructed.

Focke-Wulf Condor D-series

The KB-1 aircraft were now rebranded as Fw 200 D-1's, with the allocation of the C-series to a military model they took over the designator for the cancelled D-series pressurised Condors airliners.
2 of the KC-1 aircraft were completed as C-series military aircraft, with the remaining 3 completed as transports. These were now Fw 200 D-2a to D-2c, a naming convention not used else where on Condors.



The

Boeing 787 Users

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- Ukraineball