The Luftwaffe's long-range maritime partrol aircraft. Despite small numbers, the Condor achieved a respectable record for attackng Allied ships on the high seas and for searching out convoys for U-boat attack. The Focke-Wulf Condor was an adaption of a four-engine commercial airliner. Called "Focke-Wolves" by Winston Churchill, the planes few great patrol loops over the eastern Atlantic, from France to Norway and then returning.
The first Condor maritime mission to search for British shipping was flown over the North Sea on April 8, 1940. In 1940-1941 the aircraft had considerable success, sinking 363,000 tons of British Shipping from Aug. 1940 through Jan. 1941. Although configured for maritime missions, they were sometimes employed as transports in emergency situations, as in the Mediterranean and at Stalingrad. A few Fw 200's were also used to drop mines off British ports.
In Jan. 1943, eighteen of the maritime Condors were flown to southern Russia to help fly supplies to the besieged German garrison at Stalingrad. In 1943-1944 several Condors were modified to carry two Hs-293 guided missiles for attacking shipping. No successes were recorded for Condors using this weapon and by mid-1944 the Condors werew withdrawn from maritime services because the Allies overran their bases in France and because of fuel shortages. The surviving Fw 200s were then employed as transports.
The Fw 200 was a low-wing, four-engine monoplane with fully retractable undercarriage. It was an all-metal aircraft except for fabric covered control surfaces. Accommodations were provided for twenty-six passengers. In the maritime reconnaissance/strike role the Fw 200 carried bombs under the wings. A lengthened ventral gondola was provided for gun positions, with a 20 mm cannon firing forward and a machine gun firing aft; there were also two dorsal machine gun positions. These aircraft had strengthened fuselages and were fitted with FuG 200 surface search radar. Significant modifications were made to the design during the limited production run, primarily with updated engines.*
Type: Fw 200C-3/U4
Function: reconnaissance and sea attack
Year: 1939 Crew: 7 - 8 Engines: Four 895kW BMW Bramo 323R-2
Wing Span: 32.85 m
Length: 23.45 m
Height: 3.30 m
Wing Area: 119.85 m2
Empty Weight: 17,005 kg
Max.Weight: 24,520 kg
Speed: 360 km/h
Ceiling: 6,000 m
Range: 3,560 km
Armament: 1 20mm 5 13mm, 4 250 kg bombs
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