Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu

Focke-Wulf · Germany · first flew 1938 · light aircraft

The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu (Eagle Owl) was a distinctive German twin-engine, twin-boom tactical reconnaissance aircraft of World War II, immediately recognisable by its central glazed crew nacelle flanked by twin engine booms carrying twin tail fins. It was the Luftwaffe's primary army cooperation and tactical reconnaissance aircraft on the Eastern Front.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	11.9 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

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Twin-boom twin-engine German WWII tactical reconnaissance aircraft
Central glazed crew nacelle flanked by two engine-carrying booms
Known as the Flying Eye for its extensive glazing and observation capability

Completely unmistakable: a short central glazed nacelle housing the three-man crew, flanked by two engine-equipped booms joining at a twin-fin tail; no other operational WWII aircraft shares this layout.

Specifications

The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu has a length of 11.9 m (39 ft).
It has a wingspan of 18.4 m (60 ft).
Its maximum speed is 344 km/h (214 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1938 and entering service in 1940, the Fw 189 was produced in France and Czechoslovakia under German occupation as well as in Germany, with over 800 built. It proved highly capable as a close-support observation platform and was surprisingly difficult to shoot down as it was agile enough to out-manoeuvre many attacking fighters at low altitude.

Variants

Variants included the Fw 189A (main reconnaissance type), Fw 189B (trainer with revised nacelle), and the proposed Fw 189C close-support version with a fully armoured nacelle.

Where you'll see it

Served extensively with the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1945; also used in smaller numbers in the Western and Mediterranean theatres.

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