World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Fw 189 Uhu (Eagle Owl) twin-boom aircraft entered service in 1940 as reconnaissance aircraft. They were extremely successful. The forward observer sat next to the pilot under canopies made almost entirely of glass, making communications between the two crew members effective and observations more productive. The maneuverability of the Fw 189 aircraft, characterized by the tight circles they were able to achieve, made them ideal for the Russian front where they readily survived Russian interceptors. The third crew members they carried, when necessary, were relieved of their primary duty of being rear observer and acted as rear gunners, further making interception difficult. When Fw 189 aircraft were actually in the center of the Russian cross hairs, their outstanding durability also ensured they returned to base safely, sometimes even with one tail shot off. Later in the war, when Russian fighter performance improved, Fw 189 aircraft became too slow, and were mostly relegated to a night reconnaissance role, and served in that capacity until the end of the war. Most Fw 189 aircraft were produced at the Bordeaux-Merignac aircraft factory in France. By the time production ceased in mid-1944, 846 were produced. "Of the tactical reconnaissance aircraft used by the Luftwaffe, the Fw 189 was nearest to the ideal", commented General Paul Deichmann after the war.

SPECIFICATIONS

Fw 189

Machinery	Two Argus 410 engines rated at 465hp each
Armament	4x7.92mm machine guns, 4x50kg bombs
Crew	3
Span	18.40 m
Length	12.00 m
Height	3.70 m
Wing Area	38.00 m²
Weight, Empty	2,680 kg
Weight, Loaded	3,950 kg
Speed, Maximum	357 km/h
Rate of Climb	8.30 m/s
Service Ceiling	8,400 m
Range, Normal	670 km

Photographs