The plane "Rama"
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The plane "Rama"

The plane "Rama"

 

The plane "Focke-Wulf» Fw 189, he same aircraft, "Rama" is a twin-engined twin-boom reconnaissance ship. In 1938 year he made his first flight, and began to be used with 1940 In serial production was up to the middle of 1944 Its main use was in military action in opposition to the Soviet Union.

Manufacturing and design of the aircraft, "Rama"

 

The German Ministry of Aviation in 1937 issued a technical assignment for the creation of a tactical reconnaissance aircraft with an optimal survey capability. Among the contractors were the companies "Focke-Wulf", "Arado" and "Hamburger Flyugtsoygbau." The company "Focke-Wulf" created an alternative scheme for the aircraft, called Fw 189. The development of the aircraft belonged to the engineer E. Kozel and the designer Kurt Tank using many standard design solutions aimed at improving the aerodynamics, technology, reliability and multifunctionality of the aircraft. It is accepted to use the 2 engine of the French-made "Argus 410", and equip them on the wing console. Two tail booms contributed to the best aerodynamic performance. They ended with keels, between which was a horizontal tail empennage. For the crew was intended the central gondola. It had a drop-shaped shape, which is almost all glazed. The company "Bloom + Foss" under the acronym BV 141 offered its own project of a reconnaissance aircraft, which was distinguished by a powerful deficit engine, the ideas of an asymmetric airframe. But since Blomm + Foss was much inferior to Focke-Wulf in the size of production of pre-production samples, this served as a waiver of mass production.

For the production of assault version of the aircraft used the first prototype. However, at the end of 1938, he was removed from testing and returned to the factory, where it was replaced by a gondola on the central arc is much smaller. This armored capsule that barely housed a gunner and pilot, are back to back. Review of the pilot - a tiny bulletproof glass in the cap, leans back. The shooter opened fire from a machine gun MG15 through small loopholes Armoured viewfinder.

 

The improved prototype began to be called Fw 189V1b. As a consequence, the review from the pilot's seat was insufficient, and the shooter could not even see the attacking fighter even in the tail of the aircraft. As a result, the modification was returned to the plant for revision. As a result, the area of ​​the glazing of the cabin was increased, and the sight was replaced by an embrasure that improved the view backward (but at the same time the review remained to the side useless). Fw 189V1ta after making changes passes along with Hs 129V2 and V3, its closest competitors, tests. Due to the test flights it became known that the Henschel single-seat compact aircraft was less vulnerable to air defense, but it's worse than the Fokke-Wolf's, and while the handling of the Fw 189V1b was poor, the Hs 129 is just disgusting. As a result, the winner was Hs 129. But the development of the Fw 189 assault option was not completed at this stage.

At the end of the year 1942 appeared "ersatz attack» Fw189A-4, produced in small quantities. This aircraft has a glazed gondola scout while MG17 machine guns in the wings were replaced by two dvadtsatimillimetrovymi guns MG FF. Moreover, fuel tanks, engines and cockpit is partially covered a thin bottom armor.

 

The Fw 189 aircraft was produced in large quantities at the Aero plant in Prague-Vysocany, which since 1941 became the main enterprise for the production of short-range reconnaissance aircraft. Then the Prague plant passed 151 aircraft Fw 189A, and Bremen - 99. And the plant Aero produced training Ar 96, equipped with exactly the same engines As 410. The motors were manufactured on site - they were produced by a company in Prague-Jinonice. And also 2 enterprises in Prague and in its surroundings provided components: the plant "Prague" of the concern ČKD - ailerons, centroplanes, control arms of the wing mechanization, flaps, and the company Letnany (Letov) - tail and tail boom. The first released Fw 189 in Prague was ready 12 March 1941 year. In total, 864 was built.

Combat use of the aircraft, "Rama"

 

Aircraft Fw 189 in the Wehrmacht was called "flying eye". For a distinctive appearance in the Soviet army was called "Rama." The plane was actively used in the Eastern European theater of operations, where essentially succeeded as a gunner and scout. However, the FW-189 used against Soviet partisans in Ukraine and Belarus. This type of aircraft on the Western Front is almost not used.

 

Among the Soviet military was a sign: flew "frame" - wait bombers. Immediately after the passage of a scout for the purposes that they were found, deposited a bomb or artillery attack.

Despite the low speed of the aircraft and fragile, "Rama" has excellent maneuverability at altitudes decent, so acted rather difficult target for fighters. The pilot could easily evade attack fighter holding horizontal maneuvers, for which no time to gain altitude fighter. Soviet avianastavleniya not recommended to fight on bends with a "frame", and to make some attacks from the sun or clouds.

 

Notable for the aircraft "Rama" and its vitality. 19 May 1942 of the year at a height of 4 thousand meters above Taman several MIG-3 attacked Fw 189А. Fighters hit the left engine of an unusual enemy, watching as he fell off the plane after several repeated bursts. The MiGs, confident of their victory, withdrew, but the car, after such heavy damage, was able to make an emergency landing on the airfield. There were also cases when the plane returned from the mission, receiving a ram attack and without a part of the vertical tail. 

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