Focke-Wulf Fw 191

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fw 191A

The Focke-Wulf Fw 191 was a prototype German bomber aircraft of World War II. Designed to a 1939 Luftwaffe specification for a high-performance medium bomber (the "Bomber B" programme), the project was crippled by engine problems and a complex electric motor system. The design was to have had a maximum speed of 600 km/h (373 mph), a bombload of 4,000 kg (8820 lb), and a range allowing it to bomb any target in Britain from bases in France and Norway. The 2,500 horsepower (1.9 MW) Junkers Jumo 222 engines which would have powered the Fw 191 proved troublesome, however, and the project was eventually scrapped with only three prototypes having been produced.

The Fw 191 followed Luftwaffe practice in concentrating the crew in the nose compartment. This was pressurised for high altitude operations. The proposed operational armament consisted of one MG 151 in a chin turret, twin MG 151 in a remotely controlled dorsal turret, twin MG 151 in a remotely controlled ventral turret, a tail turret with one or two machine guns and remotely controlled weapons in the rear of the engine nacelles. However, different combinations were mounted in the prototype aircraft. Sighting stations were provided above and below the crew compartment.

The aircraft had an internal bomb bay. In addition, bombs or torpedoes could be carried on external racks between the fuselage and the engine nacelles.

In total only three prototype aircraft, V1, V2 & V6, were built

[edit] Specifications (Fw 191 V6, as designed)

General characteristics

Crew: 360kg/794lb*
Length: 60 ft 6 in (18.45 m)
Wingspan: 82 ft (25 m)
Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.80 m)
Wing area: 759 ft² (70.5 m²)
Empty weight: 26,389 lb (11,970 kg)
Loaded weight: 43,155 lb (19,575 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Junkers Jumo 222 liquid-cooled engines, 2,200 hp (1,641 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 385 mph @ 20,800' (620 km/h @ 6,350m)
Range: 2,237 mi (3,600 km)
Service ceiling: 31,824 ft (9,700 m)
Rate of climb: 20 ft/s (366 m/min)
Wing loading: 57 lb/ft² (278 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (170 W/kg)

Armament

2 x 7.9 mm MG 81 machine guns in chin turret
2 x 7.9 mm MG 81 machine guns in remote-controlled turret at rear of each engine nacelle
1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon and 2 x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns in dorsal turret
1 x 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon and 2x 13 mm MG 131 machine guns in ventral turret
4,200 kg (9,240 lb) of bombs.
* In the original Focke-Wulf Fw 191 w/Jumo 222 factory documents this is the weight allocated for crew