By Juan José Martin

History

The most prolific design of Focke Wulf after the Fw-190 fighter, the Focke Wulf a-44 (Fw 44) Stieglitz (Finch) appeared in 1932, and its prototype flew for the first time by the end of the summer of that same year, with Gerd Achgelis to the controls. Driven by a radial engine Siemens Sh.14A of 140 HP, this trainer was a biplane of single section with fuselage of welded steel tubes and coated with fabric, had wings of wood with mixed coating of plywood and fabric. In his original configuration it presented a series of unacceptable flight characteristics, that were erradicated after an expanded program of evaluations carried out by Kurt Tank. He was integrated to the company in November of 1931 coming from BFW, and was put at the top of the design and evaluations in flight departaments of Focke Wulf, when Heinrich Focke began to be centered in the study of autogyros. The Stieglitz became an admirable acrobatic mount, particularly when was manned by Achgelis, Emil Kopf or Ernst Udet, and obtained export orders towards Bolivia, Czechoslovakia, Chile, China, Finland, Rumania, Switzerland and Turkey; whereas the production with license was authorized in Argentina (190 units), Austria, Czechoslovakia -in SKD factory- (600 units), Brazil -in the Fabrica do Galeao- (40 units), Bulgaria like Dar-9, and Sweden like Sk-12 (85 units). The Stieglitz was constructed in considerable series for the Luftwaffe, that used it like trainer until the aim of  the Second World War. In the postwar period also it was used by the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule and Deutsche Luftsportsverband Companies.

The Fw-44 is a single-engine airplane, tandem biplane, two-seater of opened cockpit. Its purpose is the primary flight training, maneuvers outposts and acrobatics. It is equipped with a Siemens Sh.14a engine of seven radial cylinders air cooled, with valves at the top and carburetor for inverted flight. The fuselage is constructed with welded chromium steel tubes in drawer form, false frames and wood stringers that form a faceted section. From the frontal flame arrester frame, immediately behind the “spider”, where the engine mounts until the undercarriage, is covered with Alcland aluminum plate, and of until the sternpost of aeronautical A degree fabric. The main undercarriage is made up of two individual legs join to the fuselage by means of bolted ears; the damping takes place through two hydraulic shock absorbers shared in common to both axes of the wheels. The tyres are of high pressure measure 600x100mm Elecktron, whose drum brakes are restrained by servo brakes. The fin unit is constituted by ribs of duraluminium and steel torsion tube covered with aeronautical fabric B degree, and mounted to the fuselage by double bayonet. The stabilizer is constructed with stringers and wood ribs, primary covering of placed diagonally of 2 mm and covered with aeronatical fabric B degree, and the elevator with ribs of duraluminium and steel torsion tube, the set covered with aeronautical fabric B degree. The construction of the wings is centralized on a main spar and covered with wood ribs in diagonally of 2.2 mm of thickness and later covered with aeronautical fabric degree. The double set of ailerons give to the Fw-44J a little common maneuverability. The assembly of the wings is made on two cabanes in N supported on the fuselage and two posts of wings in N in each end of the same ones. The initial models were equipped with a tail skid that later was replaced by a small castoring wheel. The fuel tank is mounted behind the main spar, in the central section of the upper wing, and has a capacity of 100 litres. Mounted other in the fuselage, directly in front of the instrument panel, has a capacity of 40 liters. The oil tank is directly located behind the frame flame arrester. The commonest starting system is impelling the shovel of the propeller.

Variants

Fw 44B/E: Two prototypes were equipped with the linear engine Argus As 8 of 135 HP, and under this configuration a few units were given to the Luftwaffe.
Fw 44C/D/F: Main versions of series, with smaller changes in the equipment, all the units driven by the engine Siemens Sh.14A.
Fw44J: Main version of export and last of series, also driven by the Sh.14A.

Technical Specifications

Type: Two-seat trainer.
Power plant: A radial engine Siemens Sh.14a of seven cylinders and 150 HP of nominal power.
Performance: Max. Speed 168 km/h; ascent 100 mts/6 min.; service ceiling 4,400 mts; maximum range 540 km.
Weights: Empty 565 kg; maximum in takeoff 875 kg; max. wing load 45 kg/m2.
Dimensions: Width 9.01 ms; length 7.29 ms; height (raised tail) 2.83 ms; wing area 19.80 m2.; trail 1.82 mts.; wood  propeller of 1.95 mts. Fuel 140 liters.

University Center of Aviation, Buenos Aires, November of 1953, 9,00 hours. The Fw-44j yellow, LV-YZM matriculation, mounted over the white line of test with the stockings stopping the advance, turns its propeller to low revolutions. Two assistants walk until the center of the field and unfold -supported on two stopped bottles- a great white handkerchief. Don Santiago makes a sign and the mechanic clears the stockings; the Fw-44 moves away on the grass, align on the axis of the runway, accelerates, run, raised the tail and takes off... A meter over the land its level and gradually receiving speed, that it accumulates until arriving at the bordering fencing; soon it climbs almost vertically simultaneously that it turns steep. Is the classic “Candela”. And raise in the diaphanous morning, marking the limits of the flying club until becoming a small point in the sky. The noise of the engine is extinguished abruptly, the nose rises and, as if an invisible thread had been cut, fw-44 falls in a barrel... A turn, another one, another one... and what was a small point receives dimensions. The details begin to be appraised, already is reached to read the matriculation and to little fifty meters on the field the rotation stops, recovers of the bite and passes in level flight along of the runway. The humming of the wind through the tensions surpasses the noise of the engine. The biplane moves away, turns soon steep in round and returns to the field. Before transposing the limits it carries out an average barrel and lay inverted. It descends slowly; 30 meters, 20, 10.... Pass over the fence that limits the aerodrome and descends still more. It seems that the propeller is going to touch the land and, with the motor at the maximum of revolutions, pass over the white handkerchief in the field and with the left wing tip gathers it. Soon one rises not more than ten meters, executes an impeccable mean barrel and returns for the landing. It is the great Santiago Germanó...

The FW-44 in model kits
The only existing scale models of the Focke-Wulf Fw-44 are those of the German Huma and one of Pegasus brand, both in scale 1/72. The one of Huma (N°2500) presents a simple quartering and a normal detailing for this scale; it is to emphasize the great leaf of decals with several German versions of pre and postwar, and a finlandese version with skis, like against the elevated price to that it has customary this brand to us. From the kit of Pegasus have not been obtained references to being an old scale model and of a company practically unknown for us.

Sources:
- Military Factory of Airplanes, Córdoba, Argentina.
- National Magazine of Aeronautics.
- Modelos & Colecciones magazine.
- Aviation Ilustrated Enciclopedy. 
- The Virtual Aviation Museum (www.luftfahrtmuseum.com). 

PART 2