Focke-Wulf Fw 389E Sturmtaucher - Finished pics pg 8.

[Tophe]

Congratulations again!

[NARSES2]

That's truly impressive mate 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

[ericr]

 

[zenrat]

Finished.
Here with scale reference fuhrer.  I'll finish the back story and take the beauty pics tomorrow.
Focke Wulf Fw 389 WIP 03-09-2021 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Tophe]

Uh... I am not allowed to fully clap my hands, but say "blame the fuhrer monster , glory to the modeller genius  !"

[zenrat]

Focke-Wulf Fw 389E Sturmtaucher

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 6 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Late Spring 1940.  Over a pre-theatre supper at his favourite restaurant (der glückliche kleine faschist – he likes their all you can eat sausage bar, unlimited refills, and the prepubescent waiters in ar5eless lederhosen) Hitler, excited about the upcoming invasion of England and buzzed on three pitchers of red cordial and a handful of blue smarties excitedly sketches an aircraft design on the tablecloth, proclaims it a war winner and tells his dinner guest "you will work on nothing else until my dream fills the skies".
Richard Vogt, knowing better than to voice his belief that this ridiculous design is too radical even for him gulps, forces a smile, and thanks his fuhrer.

Flying Swastika by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
•   Adolf's original sketch, recently discovered in the archives of Blohm + Voss.

Autumn 1941.  Vogt, forbidden by management to work on any new designs until the madman in power either dies, is assassinated, or forgets his ridiculous flying swastika idea, is put in charge of overseeing Blohm & Voss production of the Focke Wulf Fw 200 Condor and Fw 189 Uhu.  Whilst tidying up his desk prior to an RLM audit (Milch was notorious for punishing unclear desks corporally) the aircrafts' engineering drawings just happen to overlap in the form of an asymmetric trimotor and he becomes enthused with the possibility of producing a new long range reconnaissance aircraft using mostly existing Focke Wulf components.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Summer 1942.  Vogt has persuaded Kurt Tank of the practicality of his design (and even got him to look at the Flying Swastika – he laughed and choked on his schnapps) and it has reached pre-production stage as a Focke Wulf design.  Given the designation Fw 389 by the RLM, and called Sturmtaucher by Focke Wulf (German for Shearwater – literally Storm Diver), seven aircraft have been built and are undergoing operational trials on various fronts.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 12 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Vogt's design takes the form of Condor wings joined by a new centre section.  An Uhu cockpit replaces the Port inner engine with a slim single boom exiting the rear of that nacelle to mount the vertical tail and a single stabiliser.  Power comes from three Bramo 323P/R two stage supercharged nine cylinder radials.  The aircraft carry no armament and have cameras mounted in the nacelle behind the cockpit.  These are accessible by the second crewmember who can change lenses and reload films.  One aircraft even has a darkroom setup so films can be processed on the return trip back home and be ready for interpretation immediately upon landing (or sooner if dropped in a capsule by 'chute when overflying an airfield or other drop zone).  In the extreme tail is a clear dome covering not a gunners or observers position but meteorological and scientific instruments taking readings, measurements and samples.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

While originally intended as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft the Sturmtaucher's endurance is limited by its single pilot's position as one man proves incapable of remaining awake for the duration of the aircraft's large fuel capacity.  Experiments carried out at height prove that it is possible for the pilot and the rear seater to change places in flight but it is awkward and fraught with risk, particularly as the autopilot is nothing more than a couple of occy straps on the column with a stick to wedge the pedals.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 19 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The most successful of the development aircraft are those posted to the Eastern Front.  As they use the twin wheel Condor undercarriage units (albeit mounted "backwards") whilst having approximately half that aircraft's all up weight they are ideally suited for use from the rough, unimproved, muddy and/or dusty forward strips the Luftwaffe were operating from in Russia.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 8 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Ultimately however the 389 is not taken forward into series production.  The RLM feeling it should be either armed or faster (or both) but being unwilling to sanction the time and resources needed to make these changes.  There was also a feeling that if Adolf had found out about it he would have insisted it was capable of dive bombing (and have asked about his Flying Swastika).  The preproduction aircraft were able to soldier on until lost in action or something not sourced from a Condor or Uhu needed replacing.  While not capable of flying higher than allied fighters they could achieve sufficient altitude that by the time the interceptors got up there they were on their way back to base.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 17 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The aircraft pictured is the sole survivor.  After VE day Captain Robert Murphy, a PDRV liason officer with the Red Army found it at the back of a hanger on a Czechoslovakian airfield and flew it home where if became one of the first exhibits at the Dadswell Bridge People's Aviation Museum and Re-education Centre.

The Model.

Focke Wulf Fw 389 Sturmtaucher - 20 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Revell Focke Wulf Fw 200 Condor (the early rivetty moulded in sky blue one) wings, engines, undercarriage and horizontal tails.
Airfix Focke Wulf Fw 189 Uhu cockpit and central nacelle.
Sensodyne electric toothbrush head.
Putty.

My apologies to the German language.   I used Google translate.
Inspiration came fromTophe and 63cpe.

[ericr]

 

[Old Wombat]

It does my eyes in! Well done!

[PR19_Kit]

That's BEYOND exceptional Fred! 

It's BLOODY MARVELLOUS!

And I like the 'Flying Swastika' too, and I expect Ericr is working on doing one already. 

[kitbasher]

Madder than a mad thing's mad things!

[buzzbomb]

Super job all over

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.  Glad you like it.

[Tophe]

Wonderful pictures of a wonderful model!

[63cpe]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, that's neat and weird. Super job, very well done.

Love it all

David aka 63cpe