Shipbucket

Aichi D3A dive bomber:

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My Worklist
Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

-Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)
-Koko's carrier-based aircrafts of WWII
-Koko Kaiun Yuso Kaisha - KoKaYu Line (Koko AU spinoff)
-Koko - Civil Aviation

Now to wait for the others (including KLM, Qantas & United.)

Small nitpick on the Dreamliners - it's "Colombia", not "Columbia". Nice work otherwise.

That's right.

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 V-10

The B-1 airliner prototype was modified on the construction line to become the prototype of a maritime reconnaissance version for the Japan.



With the start of hostilities in 1939, there was no longer potential for international sale. The aircraft was instead taken on by the Luftwaffe and placed into operational service. However no military action was taken by this aircraft as it crashed on take-off on its first sortie - victim of the same electrical malfunction that caused the crash of the prototype into Manila Bay.

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-1 and C-2

The Luftwaffe also had interest in a reconnaissance version of the Condor, and the next aircraft, V11, was also modified for combat. After the previous V10, the V11 had completely different offensive and defensive positions.



Although much literature states that C-0 aircraft were built (including unarmed aircraft), these never existed and was a misidentification of the D-series aircraft.
The V11 was the prototype for the C-series, but was never referred to as anything other than V11.
The initial aircraft were fitted with bomb racks in the extended length outer engine nacelles. Later C-1's and almost all subsequent combat Condors were fitted with additional bomb mounts outboard of the nacelles. The C-2 followed on, with little external changes.
Right from the very beginning the Condor suffered from the weakness of an airliner converted to be a bomber: weakness of the airframe. The C-1 and C-2 fleet rarely was able to achieve a 25% serviceability due to maintenance issues, and hull loses due to the aircraft breaking its back on the ground due to design overload and fatigue were a constant problem.

Mitsubishi A5M fighter:

_________________
My Worklist
Sources and documentations are the most welcome.

-Koko Kyouwakoku (Republic of Koko)
-Koko's carrier-based aircrafts of WWII
-Koko Kaiun Yuso Kaisha - KoKaYu Line (Koko AU spinoff)
-Koko - Civil Aviation

Focke-Wulf Fw 200 C-3

The most produced model of Condor.



With the final cancelling of civil production of the Condor, the V13 aircraft that was the prototype Lufthansa Fw 200 L airliner model was repurposed as the prototype for the new C-3 version. The major change to the C-3 series was a major strengthening of the wing to attempt to work around the airliner weakness of the original design. Additionally the engines were upgraded, with the outer engines canted outwards to assist with engine-out performance. Through the production life of the Condor turrets and armament were trialed and modified, with the bulky A-stand gunner's post of the original C-1/2 aircraft being modified initially to a more aerodynamic turret. The bulky nacelle bomb-bays were removed, and instead a more aerodynamic nacelle with attachments for either a single bomb or an external fuel tank were fitted.
One aircraft seems to have been retro-fitted with the original B-series engines. This was thought to have been the C-2 trials aircraft, but photos show this aircraft undertaking its down-grade engine change, so for some reason at least 1 aircraft was operated in this hybrid configuration.
Later in the War, the older C-3's were used as transport aircraft on the Eastern Front, providing supplies for isolated pockets of German troops. The success of this relief in the Demyansk Pocket may have lulled the German High Command in to an overly optimistic in their expectations for the survival of Stalingrad.
Some aircraft were also transferred to Lufthansa during the War. They were stripped of offensive and defensive equipment and fittings, given civilian registration, but retained the wartime camouflage.
The C-3 series included the most production line modifications of a Condor model.
The U1 was a single aircraft modified as a trials aircraft for torpedo bombing.
The U2, U3 and U4 featured revised armament. It is often erroneously stated that the U2 was the first model fitted with the Loft 7D bombsight. This is another myth, as the Loft 7D was only available for service long after production of the C-3 had finished.
The U5 was the prototype aircraft for the C-4 series, but flown without the rear B-stand gun position.
There were no C-3/U6 or U8 aircraft aircraft produced. Both were minor re-gunning designs.
The U7 was an out of sequence building of trial aircraft for the carriage of Hs 293 anti-ship missiles. 2 aircraft were built after the C-8 series had entered production, with the C-3 designation indicating that they did not include the production upgrades that had been added to the Condor design to create the C-4, -5, -6 and -8. Towards the end of the War they were used as long-range transports.
A single U9 aircraft was built as an executive armed transport for the Leaders Flight.

Nice Condors.

Lovely additions from everyone, the Condors have been especially nice to see.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft