Olympic champion, so to speak... The Focke-Wulf Fw 44 ‘Stieglitz’
From the original to the model
An independent part of the collections of the Hanover-Laatzen Aviation Museum are the more than 1,000 scale models, primarily of the international standards 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32.
Such true-to-original miniatures allow viewers of museum technology history to gain an ‘overview’, not only of the individual exhibit (sometimes even as the only possibility of a real three-dimensional display if there is no surviving original), but also of lines of development in aircraft construction by means of possible sequencing and juxtaposition. Sometimes they even close gaps in the presentation of the originals. The quality of their craftsmanship alone is a pleasure to behold.
Today, in the ‘Model of the Month’, we present the Focke-Wulf Fw 44 ‘Stieglitz’, a sports aircraft and standard type for the basic training of student pilots in the German Air Force.
The Aviation Museum presents an original of the type in Finnish colours with ski undercarriage in its Hall 1 and as a miniature of an german Luftwaffe aircraft in 1/72 scale in its model showcases.
The model
Some smaller suppliers on the scale model market, mostly from Germany and the Czech Republic, have this type in their portfolio, such as the - unfortunately disappeared - company HUMA from Hesse and KORA Models. Airmodel offers a moulded kit, but overall the Fw 44 in 1/72 scale is a rare kit. The Aviation Museum shows a highly detailed example in a display case in Hall 2.
The original
At the suggestion of aerobatic pilot Gerd Achgelis, Paul Klages further developed his S 24 design into the Fw 44 at the Bremen aircraft manufacturer Focke-Wulf. The final revision of the type, which was optimised for training, aerobatics and travel, was the first project of the new chief designer at the factory, Prof. Kurt Tank - subsequently one of the most successful and influential German flight engineers.
The traditionally designed two-seater biplane of mixed construction with rigid undercarriage and uncovered Sh 14 A radial engine flew for the first time in September 1932 and went into mass production in 1934 as part of the expansion of both civil and military aviation in Germany in the D series. Manufactured in Germany until the end of the war in 1945, the aircraft continued to be built under licence in other countries for some time.
The original aircraft in Hall 1 of our museum. Back from Finland after more than fifty years, the specimen shows the colour scheme and post-war number plates of the finnish air force - and skis mounted on the wheeled undercarriage for use on snowy runways.
Its simple construction and high reliability with excellent flight stability made the type, which was named ‘Stieglitz’ by the manufacturer, with a length of 7.30 metres and a wingspan of 9.00 metres, a highly sought-after aircraft at home and abroad, whose greatest competition success, apart from first place in the 1938 Deutschlandflug, was probably the victory in an ‘aerobatics championship’ held at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, with Otto von Hagenburg at the controls.
Exported to private owners as well as authorities and air forces in various countries in Europe, South America and Asia, the German Air Force became the primary user of the type. As a standard training aircraft for basic and advanced training, around 1,500 examples were in service.
In addition, licence rights and exports went to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Switzerland and Turkey, China, Sweden, Bulgaria, Romania and Finland, so that the total number of aircraft built can be estimated at almost 3,000. The quality of the design and workmanship is demonstrated by the fact that quite a few of them are still airworthy today and have been admired at air shows.
Data sheet of the Focke-Wulf Fw 44 D
Two-seater braced & single-wing biplane of mixed construction: Wood, tubular steel, fabric-covered, metal rudder. Length 7.30 m, wingspan 9.00 m, flying weight 870 kg. Engine: a Siemens Sh 14 A seven-cylinder radial engine with 150 hp. Two-blade fixed-wing propeller, made of wood. Maximum speed: 185 km/h, range: 675 km.
You are very welcome!
Have we managed to arouse your curiosity? Then visit us at the Aviation Museum - over 40 sports, training, passenger and fighter aircraft, helicopters and gliders in the original and faithful replicas, a large engine and turbine section and over 1,000 scale models await you! sb
You can contact the author of the Model of the Month series here: Autor-MdM