Focke - Wulf Fw 189

The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (“Eagle Owl“) was a German twin-engine, twin-boom, three-seat tactical reconnaissance and army cooperation aircraft. It first flew in 1938 (Fw 189 V1), entered service in 1940, and was produced until mid-1944. Not to be confused with the Heinkel night fighter of the same name. In 1937, the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) issued a specification for a short-range, three-seat reconnaissance aircraft with a good all-round view to support the German army in the field, replacing the Henschel Hs 126, which had just entered service. A power of about 850-900 hp (630-670 kW) was specified. The specification was issued to Arado and Focke-Wulf. Arado’s design, the Ar 198, which was initially the preferred option, was a relatively conventional single-engined high-wing monoplane with a glazed gondola under the fuselage. Focke-Wulf’s chief designer Kurt Tank’s design, the Focke-Wulf Fw 189 was a twin-boom design, powered by two Argus As 410 engines rather than the ex